Lysák

Lysák (formerly Lysá) is a summit 821 m high in the Vihorlat Mountains of eastern Slovakia, in the Vihorlat subunit. It rises above the village of Remetské Hámre (about 3.5 km away), roughly 14 km north of the town of Sobrance, in the Košice Region. Lysák sits on a side spur running south-east from Tŕstie (951 m) on the main ridge of the Vihorlat Mountains. It is the first notable summit reached by the main Vihorlat ridge trail from the south, so for many hikers the walk to Sninský kameň begins here. The whole area belongs to the Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area (CHKO).

Getting there / routes

The main red Vihorlat ridge trail crosses Lysák: Remetské Hámre – Lysák – sedlo Rozdiel (815 m) – sedlo Tri tably (825 m) – Sninský kameň (1006 m) – Nežabec (1023 m) – Strihovské sedlo (644 m) – Podhoroď.

• Red from the south from Remetské Hámre: about 1 h 35 min up (1 h 10 min down), height gain 545 m. There is a small spring by the path below the summit.
• Red from the north from sedlo Tri tably via sedlo Rozdiel; another marked trail leads from Zemplínske Hámre to Tri tably, the whole way taking about 4 h (3 h 20 min down).

Lysák combines well with a climb to Sninský kameň, the best-known rock of the Vihorlat, from which Lysák itself is clearly seen.

What you can see from the summit

The summit is wooded, so there is no all-round panorama. From the rock outcrops at the edge of the plateau, however, there is a view south to the Zemplínska šírava reservoir and the East Slovak Lowland, as well as to the surrounding Vihorlat peaks, including Sninský kameň.

Nature and history

The summit area is a rocky plateau occupied by the Lysák nature reserve, declared in 1993 on 4.28 ha with the highest, fifth degree of protection. It protects rare thermophilous woodland — beech-oak forests with Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto) and Dalechamps oak. The mountain also lies within the Morské oko site of European importance in the Natura 2000 network. In the past there was heavy logging around the summit, still recalled by large clearings.

Neighbouring summits are Tŕstie (951 m) to the north, Múr (833 m) and Ľadovisko (894 m) to the west, and further on Vihorlat itself (1076 m), the highest peak of this part of the range. The southern slopes fall towards the valley with the villages of Remetské Hámre, Poruba pod Vihorlatom and Jovsa.

Safety, season and rules

The route is easy but runs through lonely forest: take water, a map and a charged phone. On the rocky plateau keep away from the drops, especially in fog and ice. In winter the path may be snowed over. In the Vihorlat CHKO stay on marked trails, make no fires and respect the quiet of the reserve. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300), general emergency number 112.

Photos: Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.