There was a path from Velká Úpa through Portášky to Sněžka, where for more than a hundred years experienced mountaineers carried drinking water and other necessities in wooden crates to the top of Sněžka and the surrounding chalets. The journey from Velká Úpa to Sněžka took about 3.5 hours, but in winter it was much longer. They used snowshoes to get to Sněžka, and if it was icy, they used simple crampons. In winter the transport of goods from Portášky to Sněžka was facilitated by the use of sledges.