Three Poles-gone-missing last week were found dead on Sunday on Slovakia’s highest mountain, commonly known as Gerlach.

“Slovak mountain rescuers found the bodies of three Polish mountaineers who hiked up Gerlach on Friday,” the rescuers of the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) announced on the 9th of January.

“The rescuers found the three bodies beneath the southern ridge of Small Gerlach (…) Unfortunately, they showed no signs of life,” the HZS added. 

The three Poles left the “Silesian House” mountain refuge and set out for Gerlach on Friday morning. They advanced in the direction of the Batizovské Mountain Lake. They reportedly planned to reach the Small Gerlach peak, crossing the Batizovské Ledge.

The Slovak rescuers were contacted on Friday around midnight by the mountaineers’ friend, concerned with their fate. The man had broken off from the group earlier and descended to the spot.

Having made sure that the group of Poles had not returned to the refuge, the rescuers initiated search procedures covering the Batizovské Valley and its surroundings.

The Gerlach mountain has the reputation of being à challenging peak for climbers. Mountain specialists emphasise that it should be taken seriously by tourists. The latter often do not realise the difficulty of reaching the top of this mountain, which is over 2,600 meters high. 

Specialists from the Polish website climb.pl underline that less experienced climbers should look for professional assistance in several scratches in order to be safe. 

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen

Cover photo: Pixabay