Suchý

Suchý (formerly Suchý Uplaz) is a 1468 m summit in the Lesser Fatra (Malá Fatra) in Slovakia and one of the most distinctive in its Kriváň part. Walking the main ridge from the south-west, it is the first peak to rise above the tree line and at the same time the last of the rocky, grassy summits of this part of the range. Suchý lies about 7 km north of the town of Vrútky, on the boundary of Žilina and Martin districts in the Žilina Region; the summit reaches into the lands of Krasňany, Nezbudská Lúčka and Sučany. The nearest villages as the crow flies are Lipovec (5 km), Dolná Tižina and Turčianske Kľačany (6 km each) and Nezbudská Lúčka (6.5 km).

On Suchý the main ridge branches into several spurs. The north-western one leads via the Príslop pod Suchým saddle to the Javorina meadow, Kopa (1140 m), the Brestov saddle and Jedľovina; the north-eastern one via Biele skaly and Stratenec to Malý Kriváň; the southern one via the Sedlo pod Suchým (1303 m) to Kľačianska Magura (1367 m). The south-eastern slopes drop into the Sučianska dolina, the south-western ones into the Pekelná dolina and the Hoskora valley, and the northern ones into the Haviarska dolina, a branch of the Kúr valley. The Chata pod Suchým hut stands on the north-western slope at about 1075 m.

How to get there / routes

• The red main-ridge trail (also the European long-distance path E3): from Nezbudská Lúčka up the Hradský potok valley past Starý hrad, Plešel and Chata pod Suchým to Príslop and the summit; then over Biele skaly, the Vráta saddle, Stratenec and Malý Kriváň to Veľký Kriváň and the Snilovské sedlo. The whole section takes about 7 h 10 min.
• The green trail from Turčianske Kľačany past Chata pod Kľačianskou Magurou and the Sedlo pod Suchým: about 3 h 30 min up, 2 h 50 min down. Another green trail leads from Varín to the Javorina junction, then red to the summit.
• From Lipovec a marked path leads to Chata pod Kľačianskou Magurou, then green.
• A yellow trail circles the summit on its slopes via the Vráta, Príslop pod Suchým and Sedlo pod Suchým saddles to the Priehyb saddle (about 2 h).

What you can see from the top

Low dwarf pine on the summit allows a view all around. The north-eastern horizon is closed by the main-ridge peaks of the Kriváň Fatra; the south-west is dominated by the Martinské hole, and the Žilina and Turiec basins are clearly visible. To the north the view reaches Veľká Rača, to the east Veľký Choč; in good weather you can also see part of the Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra and Vtáčnik, the Súľov Mountains, the Javorníky, and the Kysuce and Moravian-Silesian Beskids with Lysá hora.

Nature and history

The mountain is built of dolomites and limestones. It used to be grazed and was much grassier – hence the old name Suchý Uplaz; since grazing stopped, the slopes have been gradually overgrown by dwarf pine and trees. The western and northern slopes and the summit are protected by the Suchý national nature reserve (429 ha), and the whole area lies in Malá Fatra National Park. In 2017 a GNSS satellite survey gave the summit a height of 1466.65 m.

Safety, season and rules

In Malá Fatra National Park you may walk only on marked trails. Some park trails are closed every year from 1 March to 15 June; the Suchý routes are not on that list, but check current restrictions on vratna.sk. The ridge above the tree line is exposed to wind and storms, and the dolomite rocks are slippery after rain. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300) or 112.

Interesting facts

• The European long-distance path E3 and the international Eisenach–Budapest trail cross the summit.
• Three branches of the Lesser Fatra meet on Suchý – the range splits most here.

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