Stratenec

Stratenec is a 1,509 m peak in the Lesser Fatra (Malá Fatra) in Slovakia. It stands on the main ridge of the Krivánska Fatra, about 8 km north of Vrútky and 9 km north of the village of Sučany. The mountain lies on the boundary of the Žilina and Martin districts of the Žilina Region, in the cadastres of Krasňany and Sučany. The nearest settlements in a straight line are Dolná Tižina (about 5.7 km) to the north and Lipovec (about 6.5 km) to the south-east. Stratenec belongs to Malá Fatra National Park and is one of the most visited places in the range, because the main ridge trail runs over it.

On the main ridge, Stratenec lies between Malý Kriváň (1,671 m) to the east, separated by the Priehyb saddle, and Biele skaly to the south-west, beyond the Vráta saddle. Further south-west the ridge continues over Suchý to the Váh valley. A short rocky spur runs north-west from the summit, splitting the head of the Kúr valley into two branches – the Kukurišova dolina to the north and the Prostredná dolina to the south. The north-western slopes drain via the Kúr streams to the Varínka; the south-eastern slopes fall to the Sučianska dolina, from where the Biely potok flows straight to the Váh.

Getting there / routes

The red-marked main ridge trail of the Lesser Fatra (KST 0802) crosses the summit; here it is part of the European long-distance path E3 and the international Eisenach–Budapest trail. You can come from the east from Malý Kriváň via the Priehyb saddle, or from the south-west from Suchý via Biele skaly and the Vráta saddle. Polish Wikipedia gives about 7 h 10 min one way for the long ridge traverse from Nezbudská Lúčka over Suchý, Stratenec and Malý Kriváň to Snilovské sedlo.

From the north-west a blue trail climbs from Krasňany through the Kúr valley to the Priehyb saddle. On the Sučianska dolina side a yellow trail comes up from the village of Lipovec, and from Turčianske Kľačany you can approach via Suchý.

The view from the top

The open, dwarf-pine-covered ridge offers long views from many spots. The east is partly blocked by massive Malý Kriváň, but in other directions, according to Slovak sources, you see many Krivánska Fatra peaks, the northern Lúčanská Fatra, the Súľov Mountains, the Javorníky and the Kysuce Highlands and, in good weather, the western Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra, Vtáčnik and the Orava, Kysuce and Moravian-Silesian Beskids.

Nature and history

The mountain is built of limestone of the Križná nappe; its slopes are grassy and gradually being overgrown by dwarf pine. The summit and the slopes falling to the Kúr valley belong to the Suchý national nature reserve. The rocky north-western spur hides the Old Stratenec Cave, about 135 m long, the Kukurišova Cave (63 m) and a 35 m deep shaft. Like all caves of the Lesser Fatra they are closed to the public, and no path leads to the spur itself – it is of interest to cavers only.

The height of Stratenec was refined in 2017: a GNSS survey using the RTK method gave 1,509.3 m instead of the previously quoted 1,512.6 m, so older maps and guides still show 1,513 m.

Safety, season and rules

The Lesser Fatra ridge is narrow and exposed with no forest, so it is dangerous in thunderstorms and strong wind; carry enough water. The best season is from late spring to autumn; in winter avalanches are possible on steep slopes and an ascent requires winter gear and experience. In Malá Fatra National Park and the Suchý reserve stay on marked trails and do not enter the caves or the rocky spur. Mountain Rescue Service HZS: 18 300 (+421 18 300), general emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• Both the European path E3 and the international Eisenach–Budapest trail pass over Stratenec.
• In 2017 the summit “lost” almost 3.5 m after a precise satellite measurement.
• The mountain’s spur hides two caves and a 35-metre shaft.

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