Chleb

Chleb (Slovak for “bread”) is a 1,646 m summit on the main ridge of the Lesser Fatra (Malá Fatra) and the third highest peak of the range. It lies in the Krivánska Fatra, in its most attractive part — the Krivánske Veterné hole — about 8 km south of Terchová, above the famous Vrátna valley. To the west the Snilovské sedlo saddle (1,524 m) separates Chleb from the highest Veľký Kriváň (1,708 m); to the north-east the ridge descends gently to Hromové (1,637 m). The summit lies on the border of the Žilina and Martin districts, in the Malá Fatra National Park, and much of the massif belongs to the Chleb national nature reserve.

How to get there / routes

Thanks to a cable car, Chleb is one of the most easily reached summits not only in the Lesser Fatra. The lift climbs from Chata Vrátna (about 740 m) almost to Snilovské sedlo (about 1,490 m), leaving a short climb along the ridge to the top.

• Red along the main ridge: from Medziholie saddle via Steny and Hromové, or from Snilovské sedlo. This section is part of the international E3 and Eisenach–Budapest routes.
• Green: from Chata Vrátna or from the village of Šútovo to Snilovské sedlo, then red to the summit.
• A popular loop: Snilovské sedlo – Chleb – Hromové – Steny – Poludňový grúň – Vrátna valley.

On the southern side below the summit, at about 1,420 m, stands the year-round Chata pod Chlebom hut.

What you can see from the summit

From the rocky, grassy top you see the surrounding Lesser Fatra peaks, and the distant view is limited only by the giants of the main ridge. In clear weather the Orava, Kysuce and Moravian-Silesian Beskids, the Martinské hole, Vtáčnik, the Greater Fatra, the Low and Western Tatras and the Choč Mountains are visible, with the Vrátna valley and surrounding basins below.

Nature and history

The northern slopes have a peculiar shape — the so-called Chleb cirques, a legacy of ancient landslides. Snow lies here until late spring (the well-known Oštiepková mulda slope), so ski runs reached from Vrátna were built here. At about 1,300 m on the northern side the Varínka river rises. To the south the slope forms the fore-summit Bochník, and the south-eastern and south-western slopes drain via the Úplazný and Snilovský brooks.

The Chleb national nature reserve was declared in 1967 and covers about 413 ha. It protects a well-preserved mosaic of plant communities matching the altitudinal zones and the bedrock; in spring and summer the meadows below the summit are full of flowers. In 2017 the height was refined by GNSS satellite survey to 1,646.62 m instead of the previous 1,645.5 m.

Safety, season and rules

Chleb lies in the Malá Fatra National Park: stay on marked trails, do not enter the reserve off-trail and do not pick plants. The ridge is treeless, so storms and fog are dangerous, and in winter avalanches can occur on the northern slopes. The easy cable-car access is deceptive — bring warm clothes even in summer and check the timetable so you do not miss the last ride down. Slovak Mountain Rescue (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300); emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• Chleb is the third highest peak of the Lesser Fatra after Veľký Kriváň and Malý Kriváň.
• The European long-distance path E3 runs over the summit.

Photos: Punteador, CC BY-SA 4.0; Punteador, CC BY-SA 4.0; Palickap, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; Punteador, CC BY-SA 4.0; Punteador, CC BY-SA 4.0; Vojtasekd, CC BY 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.