Szarpane Turnie is one of those rocky formations in the High Tatras that catches the eye but refuses easy access — and that is precisely what makes it so compelling. This group of three rocky towers, tucked into the south-eastern ridge of Wysoka, is pure climbers' territory: raw, dramatic and magnificently wild.
The massif consists of three distinct summits: the highest being Wielka Szarpana Turnia (2364 m), followed by Pośrednia Szarpana Turnia and Mała Szarpana Turnia, separated by two rocky notches. The group is cut off from the neighbouring Smoczy Szczyt massif by the deeply carved Szarpana Przełączka. The scenery is rugged and monumental — sheer walls, jagged ridgelines and a sense of true wilderness. In winter, the towers become encased in snow and ice, making them even more dramatic and demanding.
How to reach the summitThe German name 'Drachenwand' — meaning 'Dragon Wall' — comes from the nearby Smoczy Staw (Dragon Lake) and draws on old Tatra folk legends about a dragon said to have inhabited these mountains.