Wyżnie Walentkowe Wrótka is a modest but distinctive notch in the Walentkowa Grań ridge, one of the more remote corners of the High Tatras. This spot is for those seeking raw, high-mountain scenery far from the crowds.

The saddle sits at 2113 m, between Wyżnia Walentkowa Czuba and Wielka Walentkowa Czuba. Its eastern slopes drop as a rock wall, banked with scree at the base, straight down to Zadni Staw in the Valley of Five Polish Lakes - one of the most beautiful corners of the Polish Tatras. On the other side of the ridge, rocky slopes descend into the wild Kamienne cirque in the Slovak Walentkowa Valley. This is a stark, high-alpine landscape - in summer grey rock and scree contrast with the turquoise of the tarns, while in winter everything is covered in snow and ice, making the terrain accessible only to experienced mountaineers.

How to reach the viewpoint

• Wyżnie Walentkowe Wrótka lies off the marked hiking trails - accessible only to experienced mountaineers traversing the ridge or approaching from the glacial cirques

The Walentkowa Grań ridge holds its own history - the first known summer traverse was made by Tadeusz Grabowski and Adam Staniszewski in 1907, while the first winter crossing came only in 1927, by Edúard Ganoczi and István Zamkovszky, a testament to how demanding and rarely visited this terrain remains.