accepted only after the Vienna Military Institute for Geography issued a new, authoritative collection of maps of Central Europe in ca. 1875. The first confirmed ascent was made by Ján (Johann) Still from the village of Nová Lesná in 1834. In 1880, the routes through the Velická próba (Velická Challenge) and Batizovská próba (Batizovská Challenge) were secured by chains. Access Only members of a national UIAA club are allowed to climb the peak on their own. Other visitors have to take a certified mountain guide. The two easiest routes, usually up the Velická próba and down the Batizovská próba named after their respective valleys, are protected by chains. Because of an exposed section along the Velická próba and tricky orientation especially on the ridge, both are among the more difficult scrambling routes in the High Tatras, although it is rather climbing, since there are many moments when one must rely on one's hands to hold one's bodyweight. With no snow, guidebooks grade the routes as a II or III climb (UIAA scale) or lower. More challenging is the route named Martinkova. The route begins at Poľský hrebeň and leads to the summit along the ridge, offering astonishing views. The Martinkova route has two main variants. The short version starts at Litvorové sedlo and is considered easier, because it skips the abseiling section from Velický štít. In general, using a rope is strongly advised on both variants, and the full version of the route is not possible without a rope. The total elevation gain is about for those who spend the night at the Sliezsky Dom Hotel or are driven there by a mountain guide, and about for those who hike from Tatranská Polianka. In winter, Gerlachovský štít offers a challenging alpine climb, with mixed climbing and a risk of avalanches. The unmarked trailhead is on the green-marked trail leading up Velická Valley near the southern edge of the first plateau (Kvetnica) above the Sliezsky Dom. The equally unmarked, indistinct route to Gerlach veers off north-west towards the mountain's eastern slopes at the elevation of c. , but occasional cairns begin to appear farther on. The fastest and easiest descent is down the Batizovská próba. Mountain guides always follow the route in the east–west direction, ascending from Velická Valley and descending into Batizovská Valley, in order to reduce logjams. Two most popular multi-pitch routes for technical climbing are on the eastern