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.

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.

The first person to accurately name Gerlachovský štít as the highest peak was the forester Ľudovít (Ludwig) Greiner in 1838.

However, it was generally accepted only after the Vienna Military Institute for Geography issued a new, authoritative collection of maps of Central Europe in c. 1875.

Only members of a national Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA) club are allowed to climb the peak on their own.

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.

The Martinkova route has two main variants; a short version starts at Litvorové sedlo and is considered easier, because it skips a section from Velický štít which requires abseiling.

[4] The route to Gerlachovský štít falls under the Tatra National Park ordinance, according to which hikers who depart from marked trails may be subject to fines unless they are UIAA members, or are led by a certified mountain guide.

[24] Low air temperature higher up can be masked by high insolation under clear skies, but will take its effect with increased cloud cover.

[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.