Gerlachovský štít

Gerlachovský štít
The south face of Gerlach
Highest point
Elevation	2,654.4 m (8,709 ft)
Prominence	2,355 m (7,726 ft)
Isolation	509 kilometres (316 mi)
Listing	Ultra Country high point
Coordinates	49°10′02″N 20°07′52″E / 49.16722°N 20.13111°E / 49.16722; 20.13111Coordinates: 49°10′02″N 20°07′52″E / 49.16722°N 20.13111°E / 49.16722; 20.13111
Naming
Translation	Peak (of the village) of Gerlachov (Slovak)
Geography
Gerlachovský štít Location in Slovakia
Location	Tatra National Park, Prešov, Slovakia
Parent range	High Tatras
Geology
Mountain type	granite
Climbing
First ascent	1834 by Ján Still
Easiest route	Scramble

Gerlachovský štít ( Slovak pronunciation , translated into English as Gerlach Peak) is the highest peak in the High Tatras, in Slovakia, and in the whole 1,500 km (930 mi) long Carpathian mountain chain.

Usually listed at 2,655 metres AMSL (8,711 ft), its exact elevation is actually 0.6 metres (2.0 feet) lower. The pyramidal shape of the massif is marked by a huge cirque. Despite its relatively low elevation, the about 2,000 m vertical rise from the valley floor makes Gerlachovský štít soar. Mistaken for an average mountain in the rugged High Tatras range in the more distant past, it has since played a symbolic role in the eyes of the rulers and populations of several Central European nations, to the point that between the 19th and mid-20th century, it had four different names with six name reversals. It managed to be the highest mountain of the Kingdom of Hungary, and of the countries of Czechoslovakia and Slovakia within the span of only about two decades of the 20th century.

Gerlachovský štít shares its geology and ecology with the rest of the High Tatras, but provides a worthwhile environment for biologists as the highest ground anywhere in Europe north of the parallel linking approximately Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna. With the travel restrictions imposed by the Eastern Bloc, the mountain was particularly treasured as the loftiest point available to climb to by Czechs, East Germans, Hungarians, Poles, and Slovaks. It continues to attract its share of visitors although the local authorities have been continually adding new restrictions on access.