Cable lines connect the mountains to disappear in to the clouds Photographs by author

The sight in front of us is simply stunning. At an altitude of 2,015m, we are perched on a flat rock, between an endless expanse of cottony blue-grey sky on top and rock-cradled green slopes below, merging into a panoramic view of the far countryside.

To our backs, the craggy granite cliffs of the High Tatras rise up spectacularly, casting their shadows upon us. A little to our left lies an alpine lake, fed by melting ice and so freezing cold that my hands are numb after having dipped into its waters.

This is Malá Studená dolina (the Little Cold Valley) in the High Tatras, a mountain range stretching across the border between Slovakia and Poland. We are on the Slovak side, in a region called Vysoké Tatry.

The breathtakingly beautiful High Tatras are a part of the Tatra. For the past week, from our hotel in the village of Stará Lesná in the plains below, we’ve been watching the snow-streaked peaks dally with clouds of varying hues.

The summer is upon us but the late June weather is whimsical. At one moment dark clouds are huddled around the mountains, as if locked in an embrace, and there is a chill in the air.

Within hours, they turn white and wispy and move away, as if breaking up after a lovers’ tiff. In a few hours they are back again, as a boundless sheet of spongy white, staying aloof over the mountains. And just as you wonder if they are going to make up, the clouds descend ever so lightly on the peaks, sealing their reunion with a kiss.

Enticed by their beauty, we resolve to go up the High Tatras over the weekend. Waking up to a brilliant Sunday morning, perfect for a hike, we walk down to the village of Tatranská Lomnica, which is the starting point for a cableway that can take you all the way up to Lomnickyštít, the second highest peak in the High Tatras, at an altitude of 2,634 metres.

We take a cable car midway to Skalnaté Pleso (or Rocky Lake), a popular picnic spot and the site of an astronomical observatory. The lake is crystal clear and we can see down to its bottom as we lean across the wooden bridge passing over it.

The tarn or a mountain lake is a picture in tranquility

There are hiking trails branching out from Skalnaté Pleso. The trails are well laid out and marked with different colours, so that is possible to go on a hike by oneself without getting lost.

Norbert, a young academic from Hungary leads us, also doubling as our guide. He has carefully chalked out the plans for the hike and it is reassuring to have him around. We take the red trail, which winds around the edge of the mountains, offering superb views.

About an hour later, it leads us to Zamkovského chata. The chata or mountain cottage is a remarkable feature of the High Tatras. A number of them dot the mountains, and they are the only way of spending a night for hikers who wish to avoid the tourist resorts at the foothills.

The High Tatras are a part of the Tatras National Park (TANAP), and camping is forbidden. The chatas are thus invaluable, providing refreshments and fairly inexpensive accommodation; they may also have a kitchen.

Each chata is managed by a chatar, or inn-keeper, some of whom are legends. One such is Viktor Beranek, who keeps the Chata pod Rysmi at the popular Rysy peak. Unlike many of his counterparts, he refuses to have supplies brought up by helicopter and prefers to carry them up over a four-hour trek on foot in time-honoured tradition.

We halt only briefly at Zamkovského chata; Norbert is soon leading us on the green trail that diverges from the red trail here. The path is now narrow and steep, and climbs up against a swift-flowing mountain stream. At one point just before the trail slopes up sharply, some of our fellow hikers find a fine spot on the banks of the stream to break for lunch. The sun is still bright, and upon finishing a light lunch of apples and sandwiches, it is tempting to stretch out to laze on the rocks.

As we resume our trek, the stream flowing past us narrows to a brook and then eventually disappears. Soon we come to one of its sources, a crunchy stretch of ice. We walk across gingerly, stepping sideways to avoid slipping. The trail, now completely rock, twists its arduous way up. The distance between the hikers widens and we seem to be all on our own. I am glad for the green marks painted on the rocks.

I keep my eyes open for a Tatra chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica), the mountain-goat, which is the pride of these mountains. This subspecies of the handsome mammal, with a reddish coat and curved, hooked horns, is critically endangered and is placed by the IUCN in its Red List of Threatened Species.

Less than 500 of these beasts are known to survive and it is little wonder that the TANAP can be found symbolically represented by a majestic chamois, with its neck arched so that its magnificent horns are on full view.

The TANAP covers a breadth of 740sq km, which includes not only forest but also these mountains, with all their 25 peaks and a hundred lakes. Here, the chamois shares space with lynx, brown bears, marmots, golden eagles and wolves, but none of them quite match up to its stature. The Tatra chamois evades us but we are euphoric as we finally reach Malá Studená.

Limpid waters fill the five splendid tarns, or mountain lakes, here, a reminder of the glaciation of the past. Also here lies Teryho chata, the highest of all mountain cottages in the High Tatras. Teryho chata has 24 beds and charges 280 Slovak crowns (roughly Rs 500) a night.

At an altitude of over 2,000m with nowhere else to spend the night, this is certainly cheap. Miro Jilek, the inn-keeper, is known for his exceptional brew of Teryho tea — and his hospitality. Apparently, no visitor in need of shelter is turned away. If the beds are full, one is free to stretch oneself across the tables or even the floor.

As we munch biscuits and savour the sight from the vantage point that we have temporarily colonised, the clouds suddenly start to hang low, blotting out the sun. A cold wind begins to blow. It’s time for us to leave our regal perch. We retrace our steps — but only partially, for Norbert is soon leading us through another trail that takes us into forested parts of the TANAP in the lower reaches of the mountains.

The descent is relatively quick, although we are hiking all the way down without taking the cable car. Soon the forest is thinning and the meadows are visible in the distance. Eventually our trail opens out on to a road leading right to our village. As we step out of the woods the Slovak sun is out again, casting its warm glow on the evening. We look up to see the mighty Tatras stand tall and clear. Looks like they’ve had a lovers’ tiff again.

Ready reckoner

• Best time to visit: Between December and February. It is an added bonus if you are a skiing enthusiast.

• Where to stay: If you want to live it up in style, Hotel Marrols or Radisson SAS Carlton in the heart of Bratislava are good places to stay in. Budget hotels are also available.

• Currency: The Slovak currency is Slovenska Coruna (Slovak crown). One Slovak Crown is equivalent to Rs 2.10 (approx).