Saddle under Hnilická Kýčera – Valča
Trail map
Route, springs and shelters: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · elevation: Copernicus DEM © DLR e.V., © Airbus DS · Data & licences
About the trail
Route Saddle under Hnilická Kýčera – Valča. Has green marking (regional route №5650b, KST). Waymarking data: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL).
Officially marked regional tourist route No. 5650b. The marking is green, the sign is a horizontal stripe on a white background. Marked and maintained by: KST. Length of the route — 9.5 km. Location: mountain range — Mala Fatra, Slovakia.
At a glance
A short route of 9.5 km with 2 m of ascent and 580 m of descent from Saddle under Hnilická Kýčera to Valča. Estimated walking time: about 2.5 h, not counting stops. Difficulty: easy. Waymarking: green.
Route stages
- 0–2.5 kmDescent of 350 m (down to 675 m)
- 2.5–9.5 kmGentle ups and downs at 450–680 m
Steepest kilometre: km 0–1, a descent of 220 m (≈22%), near pod Hnilickou Kýčerou Pass.
Water and overnight stays
Springs near the trail: at km 0 and 5.5.
When to go
Best time: May to October. In winter deep snow is possible, so experience and winter gear are needed.
Getting there
Start: Saddle under Hnilická Kýčera. This is a one-way route: the finish is 8 km from the start in a straight line, so plan your way back in advance.
FAQ
- How long does the route take?
- Estimated walking time: about 2.5 h, not counting stops.
- Is there water on the route?
- Springs near the trail: at km 0 and 5.5.
Water and shelter on the route
- Porubský Potok Springkm 0 from the start · 180 m off the path · Not verified · 1 022 m
- Smradľavá voda Springkm 5.3 from the start · 50 m off the path · Not verified · 562 m
Comments
Trails nearby
All trails
HardMulti-dayMarkedKľak TrstenáElevation profile354–1 671 m119.6 kmascent 7 571 m
HardMulti-dayMarkedHlboké nad Váhom Saddle under Hnilická KýčeraElevation profile316–1 033 m30.7 kmascent 1 305 m≈ 10.5 h walking
EasyOne-dayMarkedRajecká Lesná, junction ZrazElevation profile499–1 004 m10.3 kmascent 199 m≈ 3 h walkingCraft nearby
All craft places
Water parks & thermal poolsSpa Aphrodite thermal pools, Rajecké Teplice12 km from the trailHot mineral water rises here, and it feeds the Spa Aphrodite resort, whose thermal pools, saunas and Natural Spa zone are open not only to patients but to anyone with...
Craft beer & breweriesGalgenberg brewery in Nitrianske Pravno: tour and beer from the tank18 km from the trailNitrianske Pravno is a large village at the northern end of the Upper Nitra basin, 12 km from Prievidza, where the river Nitra leaves the Malá Magura and Žiar hills.
Cheese dairies & pasturesSalaš Pružina: 100% sheep’s bryndza in the Strážov Hills19 km from the trailPružina is a village in a picturesque valley of the Strážov Hills (Strážovské vrchy) west of Považská Bystrica.
Cheese dairies & pasturesFarma Brezany near Žilina: hand-stretched cheese and a distillery19 km from the trailBrezany is a village a few kilometres south of Žilina, on the edge of the Žilina basin and the foothills leading towards the Rajec valley and the Strážov Hills.
Cheese dairies & pasturesTuriec bryndza dairy, Turčianske Teplice: bryndza since 191720 km from the trailMore than a hundred years of Turiec bryndza Turiec is a wide basin between the ridges of the Veľká and Malá Fatra, a land of pastures and old sheep farming.
Water parks & thermal poolsSpa & Aquapark Turčianske Teplice20 km from the trailTurčianske Teplice is one of Slovakia’s oldest spa towns. Its warm springs were first mentioned in 1281 in a deed of gift by King Ladislaus IV, and from 1533 they...