Ice Peak, 19th Sept 2009
We are trying our luck to climb it for the second time. Again, over the Little Ice Peak.
Our winter go was deflected by several avelanches and a thick cover of heavy snow.
Anyway the passage between the Little and Big Peak is unfeasible in winter.
The duo-action, Me Miro The Writing, Ivka The Everpresent, we started by a dash through The Little Cold Valley.
We outran all the hikers and pass the Tery hut as a windstorm to be at The Blue Tarn, our highest placed.
The climb up to Sedielko have been eased by a serpentine-like path which makes it a question of a few minutes.
In the saddle we gulp down our baguettes, greet some people and I look over the next 200 m up towards the Little
Peak seeking some landmarks. It must be admited that the climb up to The Little Head is just a question of physical
exertion which cannot be a problem with us at all. Yeah, there wait some hazards like many loose rocks, passages above
steep sides (just one until the Little), but particularly, the possibility of getting lost with novices.
On the Little we meet 3 Poles, later others, all with ropes coming from the other direction. The first unpleasant place is the
short decline from The Little Head where you descent on a relatively smooth rock which could mean a jeopardy when wet since it
is dipping some hundreds of meters down into the basin of five Spiš tarns. Tough whiles begin at passing the crest linking the
The Little and The Big Ice Peaks. It is of a blade-like shape and very steep on both sides. Some parts we cover struggling round
the uppermost rocks with our gravity centers leaning disagreeably backwards. Afterwards we evaluate the crest as insuperable and
decline 5-6 meters below from the side of Dry glen. Up a tiny gully we try to bypass the hard leg of the crest above. We care about
everything now so we remind to each other to be cautious at every step or grab. As ever Ivka above with me in close tow. I dont know how,
I have heard a cry, noise, lifting my head up I am catching a 20kg rock with my hands and chest. Be I a single meter lower this text would
have a memorial feature. Ivka swifts aside and hits hard on the rock which the bruise proves well. Even writing this my hands shiver and
I have the gripes. I start suspecting something is wrong. We go back up and try to pass the crest from the side of the 5 spiš tarns basin.
No steps, we hook to cracks, any second I wait another rock looses. Full of adrenalin we get to the other side of the crest through a
split where we meet two Polish cragsmen with ropes. They show us probably the last passage they have just done from the opposite direction.
I try to lean my head from the rocks to have a glimpse there.
It seems to be a plumb face so I drop 2-3 meters. I call for Ivka and with my toes stuck in cracks I proceed holding on to a bulging
boulder which makes us lean over the abyss. Here I know that we are inclining to the plan B, means back-off.
A 2-2,5 m boulder stucks out of the wall slanted to the north. The theoretical plan is clear, to cross it laying oneself on
it with legs from the thighs dngling over the abyss. Natural grips are missing here. The only chance is to stick the fingertips
in a crack on that rock which is unfortunately going almost in the incline direction so you hardly can hold a half of your weight.
I prove the theory in practice but I see we are not at ease. I make my way back voer the boulder to Ivka and make the most sensible
decision at the time, we back off. The summit is 20 m overhead, but some things are meaningless. The third attempt will be done over Icy horse.