Rokoš

Rokoš is a 1010 m mountain, the second-highest peak of the Nitrické vrchy, part of the Strážov Mountains (Strážovské vrchy) in western Slovakia. The Rokoš massif dominates the middle Nitrica valley from the west, between the villages of Nitrianske Rudno to the north and Diviacka Nová Ves to the south, about 8 km north-west of the town of Nováky. The summit lies on the border of the Prievidza and Bánovce nad Bebravou Districts in the Trenčín Region, where the cadastres of Nitrianske Rudno and Uhrovské Podhradie meet. The nearest villages are Omastiná (about 3 km), Uhrovské Podhradie, Nitrianske Rudno and Diviaky nad Nitricou (4–4.5 km each).

To the north the Rázdelie saddle (685 m) separates Rokoš from Suchý vrch (1028 m), the highest peak of the Nitrické vrchy; to the south the shallow Rokoš saddle (945 m) divides it from Malý Rokoš (953 m) and the rest of the ridge, which drops in several spurs towards the Nitrica and Nitra valleys. The massive ridge rises above the northern edge of the Danubian Hills, so the mountain stands about 700 m above the surrounding lowlands. Even so, Rokoš is counted among the most easily reached "thousanders" of western Slovakia.

How to get there / routes

• Red trail – the Ľudovít Štúr and Alexander Dubček Trail: from Uhrovec via the Rokoš saddle to the summit and on via Košútova skala to Suchý vrch. According to the Polish Wikipedia, the walk from Uhrovec takes about 4 h 15 min, and on to Suchý vrch about 3 h 30 min. A short spur leads to a viewpoint meadow on the south-western shoulder.
• Marked trails to the Rokoš saddle – from Uhrovské Podhradie in the west and from Diviacka Nová Ves in the east.
• From the east – marked trails from Diviaky nad Nitricou (Ješkova Ves), Nitrianske Rudno and Omastiná.

What you can see from the top

The summit itself is covered with mixed forest, so there is hardly any view from it. Smaller spots with sparser vegetation, especially the meadows on the rocky western shoulder, offer distant views to the west and south. Besides the nearby basins you can see Vtáčnik and the neighbouring parts of the Strážov Mountains, Považský Inovec and Tribeč, and on exceptionally clear days Pohronský Inovec, the Kremnica Mountains, the Low Tatras, the Greater and Lesser Fatra and the White Carpathians.

Nature and history

The massif consists of thick beds of Middle Triassic dolomites with limestone layers of the Choč nappe, resting on marly rocks of the Križná nappe; Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous rocks appear on the eastern slopes. The massif is deeply cut by valleys separated by high ridges with rock walls and fanciful pinnacles. Karst features are few – a handful of short caves, under 50 m long. Because of the permeable carbonate bedrock, the upper parts of most valleys are dry or carry water only in spring and after heavy rain.

The whole massif is forested, mostly with beech. The downy oak grows here at the northern limit of its range, and its sites below the summit of Rokoš are the highest in Slovakia. Scots pine grows on rock ledges and ridges, and the western shoulder has warm-loving rocky grasslands. The summit and a large part of the massif belong to the Rokoš national nature reserve.

On the viewpoint meadow about 30 m below the summit stands a modest memorial to Ľudovít Štúr and Alexander Dubček, both born in nearby Uhrovec. Local people set it up in 1968; after the Prague Spring was crushed, the plaque was destroyed by "unknown perpetrators", and in 1996 the people of Uhrovec put up a new one.

Safety, season and rules

Rokoš is visited all year. The paths are steep and stony in places, dolomite is slippery after rain, and the rocky shoulders have drops – watch children. In summer the valleys of the massif are often dry, so carry water. In the reserve stay on marked trails and do not pick plants. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300); general emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• The red trail over the summit is named after Ľudovít Štúr and Alexander Dubček, two natives of Uhrovec.
• Below the summit of Rokoš are the highest downy oak sites in Slovakia.
• In the Nitrické vrchy only Suchý vrch (1028 m) is higher than Rokoš.

Photos: Pe3kZA, CC BY-SA 3.0; Pe3kZA, CC BY-SA 3.0; Milan Nobonn, CC BY 3.0; Milan Nobonn, CC BY 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.