Zadni Mnich (2172 m a.s.l.) is one of the most striking rock spires in the High Tatras — a slender stone needle rising on the Polish-Slovak border that catches the eye of every visitor travelling the road toward Morskie Oko lake. Hidden from the lake itself by its more famous neighbour, the Mnich, it reveals its dramatic silhouette from the Włosienica meadow and the surrounding approach roads. This is a climber's peak, not a hiker's destination, and that very inaccessibility is a large part of its appeal.

The spire stands between Cubryna and Ciemnosmreczyńska Turnia, flanked to the south by the Piarżysta Valley and to the north by the Dolina za Mnichem. Its north face drops a sheer 100 metres down to the Zadni Mnichowy Upłaz ledge. The rock here is described by guidebook author Władysław Cywiński as 'beautiful, solid and sheer' — in summer it offers peace and raw alpine atmosphere far from the tourist crowds, while in winter it becomes a serious mountaineering objective.

• Włosienica meadow (former car park) — approach through Dolina za Mnichem toward Ciemnosmreczyńska Przełączka pass; no marked tourist trail, climbing terrain only.

• Zadni Mnich has no marked hiking trail — access is for rock climbers only, within the zone open to alpinists in the Tatra National Park.
• The easiest route ascends from Ciemnosmreczyńska Przełączka pass — grade I or II (UIAA), approximately 15 minutes from the pass.
• The most challenging lines reach grade VII+/VIII (UIAA), making this a varied venue for climbers of all levels.
• The ridge drop to Przełączka pod Zadnim Mnichem involves a 30-metre step requiring an abseil on descent.
• The summit sits on the Polish-Slovak border.

At the base of the spire grow two rare alpine plants — Artemisia eriantha and Tatran scurvygrass — both found in Poland only in the Tatras and only at a handful of sites. The first summer ascent was made by Janusz Chmielowski and Klemens Bachleda on 13 September 1904, while in 1922 the spire served as a filming location for the early Tatra film 'Otchłań pokuty' ('Abyss of Penance').