Gerlachovský štít

Gerlachovský štít means the "Peak (of the village) of Gerlachov". The Slovak colloquial (unofficial) name is Gerlach. The Polish official names are Gerlach or Gierlach, while its Polish colloquial names are Girlach and Garłuch.[5][6][7] The name of the village of Gerlachov itself is of German origin, because the Spiš region around the High Tatra Mountains in Slovakia used to be inhabited by German settlers for several centuries.

The peak's earliest recorded name was the Szepes-German[8] Kösselberg (Cauldron Mountain) on a map from 1762.[9] The Slovak name of the mountain was first recorded as Kotol, also meaning "Cauldron", in 1821.[10] Both names referred to the peak's characteristic cauldron-like cirque.

Its current name became widely used in the 19th century, and links the mountain to the village of Gerlachov (Carpathian German: Gerlsdorf)) at its foot.[11] The name Gerlsdorfer Spitze (Gerlachov Peak) was used by the first person to identify the mountain as the highest peak in the Tatras in 1838;[12] this was rendered as gerlachovský chochol (Gerlach crest) in a Slovak version of his report in 1851.[13] Several other mountains in the High Tatras have acquired their names from villages in the foothills.

Once it was determined that the mountain was the highest point in the region, the succession of the authorities that held control over it took an interest in its name and changed it periodically for symbolic reasons. In 1896, as part of Austria-Hungary, it was named after state Emperor Francis Joseph I.[14] After the dissolution of the monarchy in 1918, the mountain continued to be known simply as Gerlachovský štít because it belonged to the village of Gerlachov. The Polish government, claiming the territory of the High Tatras for Poland, simultaneously called the mountain Szczyt Polski (Polish Peak), but never gained control over it.[14] The new Czechoslovak government changed the name to Štít legionárov (Legionnaires Peak) in honor of the Czechoslovak Legions in 1923, but the name was dropped in favor of the earlier Gerlachovský štít in 1932.[15] As a result of the Communist coup d'état in 1948, the mountain was renamed once more − to Stalinov štít (Stalin Peak) in 1949.[7] Its traditional name Gerlachovský štít was restored yet again a decade later and has remained unchanged through the present.

Gerlachovský štít (left) viewed from Rusinowa Polana

The effects of high-altitude weather on those who ascend Gerlachovský štít may be more pronounced than its altitude alone. The temperature gradient between the Tatra mountain resorts (900–1,350 m or 2,950–4,430 ft) and the summit can be steep.[24] Low air temperature higher up can be masked by high insolation under clear skies, but will take its effect with increased cloud cover.[25] Combined with windy conditions, the impact may be considerably detrimental even without rain or snow. The summit disappears in the clouds for periods of time on most days,[26] which translates to fog at that elevation and a risk of disorientation.[27]

While temperatures are somewhat lower on Gerlachovský štít because of its elevation, the weather and its potential impact on visitors is little different from other summits in the High Tatras both with and without marked trails. The typical daily weather pattern in the summer is a clear morning, clouds gathering by around noon, and occasional showers and storms in the afternoon. The chance of rain is lowest between 9–10 am and peaks between 2–3 pm, with a drop-off after 6 pm. The frequency of storms with lightning (as opposed to rainstorms) on Gerlach's summit and on the other highest ridges is little different from lower elevations.[28]