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