Pravnáč

Pravnáč (Polish Prawnacz) is a 1206 m summit in the Choč Mountains (Chočské vrchy) in northern Slovakia. It belongs to the eastern part of the range, the Prosečné group, and rises directly above the village of Liptovská Anna, about 14 km north-west of Liptovský Mikuláš. The summit lies in the Žilina Region, Liptovský Mikuláš District, within the cadastre of Liptovská Anna. Nearby are the villages of Bukovina (about 3 km), Ižipovce (3 km), Prosiek and Malatiná (about 4 km).

The Pravnáč massif occupies the western part of the Prosečné group between the Sestrčská dolina valley to the west and the valley of Liptovská Anna (Annina dolina) to the east. To the north the Prietržná saddle (1095 m) links it with the Heliaš massif (1186 m), while to the south the mountain drops steeply to the Choč foothills in the Liptov Basin. Neighbouring peaks are Čerenová (1221 m) to the east, Holubí vrch (740 m) to the south, Sestrč (1000 m) and Sielnická hora (1051 m) to the west. The summit's prominence is about 173 m.

How to get there / routes

A green trail (KST 5620) crosses the summit:

• from Liptovská Anna – about 1.5 h up, about 1 h down;
• from the Rovné saddle via Heliaš and the Prietržná saddle – about 1 h, 45 min back; Rovné can also be reached from the Svorad junction over Lomné (1278 m).

Both options are easy to combine into a loop over Heliaš, starting and finishing in Liptovská Anna.

What you can see from the top

People climb Pravnáč mainly for the view. Patchy forest covers the summit, but the rocky top opens a wide panorama of the Liptov Basin and the mountains around it: the Low Tatras and the Greater Fatra. The neighbouring Choč Mountains are well visible, and from open spots in good weather the ridge of the Orava Magura, the Western Tatras, the northern Lesser Fatra and part of the Orava Beskids.

Nature and history

The lower parts of the massif are built mostly of Lower Cretaceous marls and marly limestones, the upper parts by a solid cap of Middle Triassic limestone. The summit plateau is fairly broad and flat, yet the rocky top is clearly marked. At 1000–1100 m the summit is ringed by a distinct, though discontinuous, belt of cliffs and rock walls with a rich limestone-loving flora. The whole massif is forested. The eastern slopes drain to the Annin potok, the southern and western ones to the Sestrč stream.

Safety, season and rules

The climb is short but steep; take care on the limestone rocks near the top, especially in rain and in winter, when the stone is slippery. There is no water on the summit. Stay on the marked path – there are cliffs around the top. In Slovakia the Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) operates: 18 300 (+421 18 300); the general emergency number is 112.

Interesting facts

• The mountain has two layers of rock: Cretaceous marls below and Triassic limestone on top.
• Polish guidebooks call the mountain Prawnacz and the Prietržná saddle Przetargana Przełęcz.
• The slopes of Pravnáč are best seen from Prosiek and from the road to Bukovina, where most photos of the mountain were taken.

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