Baranec

Yesterday we headed out on another hike, this time to the Western Tatras and the peak of Baranec (2,184.6 m).

View from Baranec into the Žiarska valley

Summary

Map

🧭 View the route on mapy.cz

Start of the hike, parking

We start around 9:30 at the paid car park at Žiarska dolina (trailhead) — €5/day.

We would have preferred to take the bus, but the journey to the trailhead would have taken an hour and a half instead of 27 minutes. We also couldn’t be sure we’d catch the last bus back after finishing.

The car park is fairly large but has no marked spaces. Some drivers didn’t notice where to park and unintentionally blocked a big chunk of the lot. The spaces sat empty, but nobody could fit in. Maybe that was one of the reasons our hike was so blissfully quiet.

On the plus side, the car park has two portable toilets (not the freshest). On the other hand, the parking meter only takes cash.

Climbing Holý vrch and Kečka

Right from the car park we head uphill on the 🟨 yellow trail. The climb is fairly steep, mostly through fragrant forest and dwarf pine. The views towards Liptov only open up closer to the top of Holý vrch. At least the trees keep us out of the heat. Later there’ll be no shade — right until the very end of the hike.

Along the way we stop at Kečka, which offers a perfect view into the Žiarska valley. We sit on a rock for a while, enjoying the silence and still air. A few minutes later we carry on.

Baranec and Smrek

The path onward, including Baranec itself, offers an endless array of views in every direction. At the summit there are more hikers alongside us, all soaking in the scenery. We rest, eat something, take photos, and move on.

From Baranec (apart from a few short gentle climbs) we descend gradually. The path feels longer, but still pleasant. As we walk, we admire the colourful butterflies keeping pace with us.

Žiarske sedlo

There’s something magical about Žiarske sedlo too. It’s peaceful, with a light cool breeze. Sheltered by the rocks, we rest and gaze towards the Polish side of the Tatras. We finish off the last of our nuts and fruit.

As we begin the descent into the valley on the 🟩 green trail, we spot a pair of chamois in the distance. They’re quite far away, but a small monocular brings them closer. Both are heading for the saddle where we were just minutes ago. They stop from time to time, look around, and move on.

Maybe they subconsciously inspired us, because for nearly the whole way down we’re hopping briskly from rock to rock. Or maybe we’re just pushed by the approaching dusk.

We do stop briefly, though, to admire Pliesko pod Žiarskym sedlom. 😊

Žiarska chata

We arrive at Žiarska chata while it’s still light, but after the kitchen has closed for the evening. No cooking, but they still have a tasty tomato soup (€5). At the outdoor seating we also have a refreshing hut tea (€2). A shame they don’t offer more plant-based options.

After a bit of rest we set off on the last few kilometres back to the car park. You can either take the paved road or the footpath through the forest. We split up and try both routes at once. 😊

ℹ️ The footpath is the more interesting option. It crosses several streams and small bridges, deeper among the trees. On some stretches you can see down to the road below, until the two routes finally meet near the car park.

On the other hand, if you do a similar hike and make it to Žiarska chata in time, you can ride scooters down the paved road and save yourself the walk to the car park.

Having split up at Žiarska chata, we meet again just before the car park. Only a handful of cars are still here. We pay at the machine and leave — tired but satisfied, drained but full of energy at the same time.

Translated from the Slovak original.