Sľubica

Sľubica is a 1129 m summit in the Branisko mountains of eastern Slovakia, the third highest of the range and the highest in its southern part, which bears the same name. It is separated from the higher northern part by the Branisko pass. The mountain rises above the villages of Dúbrava, Slatvina and Vojkovce, about 9 km east of Spišské Podhradie. The boundary of the Prešov and Košice regions, and of Levoča and Spišská Nová Ves districts, runs over the summit.

Sľubica lies on the main ridge running south from the Branisko saddle via Suchý hrb (1045 m) to Zadný Moravec (959 m). To the north are Suchý hrb, Rajtopíky (1036 m) and Brezová (1042 m), to the east Zadný Moravec, to the south Predný Moravec (895 m) and Pahor (672 m), and to the west, across the Hornád basin, Turnisko, Kozia hora, Dreveník and the Spiš castle hill with Spiš Castle. The massif belongs to the Hornád river basin.

How to get there / routes

• The easiest way – from Vojkovce: green trail via the Predky saddle (890 m) – about 1 h 45 min up, 1 h 20 min down, roughly 620 m of height difference.
• Blue trail from Dúbrava via the Humenec saddle (910 m), then green – about 2 h 15 min up, 514 m.
• Green trail from the Branisko pass (750 m) via Rudník and Rajtopíky – about 2 h 30 min up, 378 m of ascent.
• Yellow trail from Richnava via the Predky saddle – about 2 h 50 min, 759 m; a yellow trail also climbs to the summit from Slatvina.
• Green trail from Krompachy via Kolinovce, Kaľava, Vojkovce and the Predky saddle – about 4 h up, 750 m.

What you can see from the top

The view from Sľubica is regarded as one of the most striking in Slovakia, especially to the west: over Spiš and the Hornád basin with Dreveník and Spiš Castle, the Slovak Paradise and the Levoča and Volovské hills. The summit is covered by broken, in places sparse forest, so the best views open from individual clearings. In good visibility you can see the High and Belianske Tatras, Kráľova hoľa in the Low Tatras, Bachureň, Čergov, the Šariš Highlands, Čierna hora and even Veľký Choč, 113.6 km away as the crow flies.

Nature and history

On the summit there is an information board, a resting place with a wooden table and benches, and a hiking signpost with a box and a summit book. Marked trails from Vojkovce and Slatvina meet here. The slopes are forested and drained by the Oľšavec and Slatvinský streams to the west, the Studenec stream to the south and the Dolinský stream to the east – all in the Hornád basin.

Since 1976 the Slovak Hikers' Club Bradlo from Richnava has held every January the traditional one-day "Winter Ascent of Sľubica" along the route Branisko pass – Rudník – Rajtopíky – Sľubica – Richnava.

Safety, season and rules

The trails to Sľubica run through forest and are technically easy, but the long approaches from Krompachy or Richnava need good stamina. In winter there is snow on the ridge, and in fog it is easy to lose the path, so stick to the markings. In the Slovak mountains help comes from the Mountain Rescue Service HZS: 18 300 (+421 18 300) or 112.

Interesting facts

• Veľký Choč, visible from the summit on clear days, is 113.6 km away.
• The Winter Ascent of Sľubica has been held every year since 1976.

Photos: Bubamara, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bubamara, 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.