Veľký Javorník

Veľký Javorník (Polish Wielki Jawornik) is the highest peak of the Javorníky range at 1,072 m (more precisely 1,071.5 m). The mountain stands in Slovakia, about 15 km north-west of Bytča, close to the Czech border, which runs half a kilometre to a kilometre to the north across the slope. The boundaries of three districts — Čadca, Bytča and Považská Bystrica, and so of the Žilina and Trenčín regions — meet on the summit. The mountain lies in the cadastres of Makov, Štiavnik and Papradno, within the Kysuce Protected Landscape Area. Its ridge neighbours are Stratenec (1,055 m) to the west and Hričovec (1,059 m) to the east.

The Javorníky ridge runs roughly west to north-east and forms the watershed between the Váh and the Morava: the southern slopes feed the Štiavnik and Papradnianka streams flowing straight into the Váh, the northern ones the Podťatý potok, which carries water via the Vsetínská Bečva to the Morava. The ridge and the summit are mostly meadows, so there are many views; in summer gentians bloom on the grassland and junipers grow here.

Getting there / trails

• Red markings — the main Javorníky ridge trail over the summit: from the Makov Pass via the Veľký Javorník saddle or from Malý Javorník. The long-distance Via Slovakia, Via Czechia and the Czech «Stezka Českem» follow it too.
• Yellow markings from the hamlet of Podkýčera on the Slovak side.
• From the Czech side the easiest way is the green trail from Malé Karlovice up to the ridge (about 4.5 km), then the red one for about 1 km to the summit.

The Kasárne recreation settlement with ski lifts and several chalets lies near the summit; in winter the Beskydy–Javorníky cross-country ski trail runs along the ridge.

The view

The grassy summit offers distant views: the Moravian-Silesian Beskids and the Lesser Fatra, the Váh valley, the Súľov Rocks and Strážov Mountains, the Kysuce Highlands, and in the Czech Republic the Vsetín Hills. In good visibility you can see even the Hrubý Jeseník and the Silesian Beskids. A cross stands on the summit.

About the Javorníky

The Javorníky belong to the Slovak-Moravian Carpathians, part of the Outer Western Carpathians. The range covers 1,113 km² — 884 km² in Slovakia and 229 km² in Moravia — and in the west partly forms the Slovak–Czech border. It is built of flysch, alternating claystones and sandstones. After Veľký Javorník the highest peaks are Hričovec, Stratenec, Čemerka and Malý Javorník, all just over 1,000 m. Spruce forests prevail higher up, beech lower down; in recent years Kysuce spruce stands have been hit hard by bark beetle. The Kysuce Protected Landscape Area (1984, over 65,000 ha) marks the western limit of bear, wolf and lynx in Slovakia. Snow lies here 60–100 days a year.

Nature

On the north-western slope below the summit lies the Veľký Javorník National Nature Reserve, declared in 1967 over 14 ha — the oldest reserve in the Kysuce region. It protects a rare, well-preserved fir-beech forest with spruce of near-primeval character; the treeless summit is built of sandstone. Near the trail by the summit is the «Javornícka studnička Prales» spring.

Safety

The Javorníky are low but forested and windy mountains; the ridge is long, the weather changes quickly, and in winter snow is deep. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300) or 112 (which also works on the Czech side).

Photos: Michal Jakubský, CC BY 3.0; Michal Jakubský, CC BY 3.0; Harold, CC BY-SA 3.0; Ben Skála, CC BY-SA 3.0; Dodoni, CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.