018 – Javorníky Mountains 2 Up to the Velký Javorník! 1. 12. 2017
After the hard climb up to Javorníky ridge, the blueberries dumplings from Kohútka will add the power to exhausted cyclists.
There are beautiful views from the ridge singletrack to Vsetín and Moraviasilesian Beskydy, Sůlovské and Strážovské vrchy, Malá
Fatra and Kysucká vrchovina. Despite the fact that you will not even encounter wolves or bears, the journey can be adventurous. When a
storm suddenly comes.
The film is in Czech with English subtitles
How to get to the ridge
From the valley of Vsetínská Bečva to the Javorník ridge it is necessary to overcome the height of 500 meters. Some of the paths leading upwards
are very steep that you can not ride the bikes all the time. If you want to pass the whole ridge or its first half, the most convenient way leads
from Horní Lideč to Pulčín, another from Huslenky via Zděchov to Pulčinské skály. We went from Huslenky last time, when we were conquered the first
half of the Javorníky ridge.
Today's journey leads again from Nový Hrozenkov via Vranča and Malá Vranča to Kohútka. Along the ridge red tourist mark goes through Stratenec,
Velký Javorník and Lemešná to Makovský Pass, from where you can get back to Hrozenkov along the cycle path, leading through the valley. The ridge
ride is not as hard this time as when we drove through Makyta and Krkostěna. The elevations between the peaks and the saddles are not very significant,
with the exception of the saddle below Lemešná. Getting out of it to the top of Lemešná is difficult.
Hotel Portáš and Portáš
The Kohutka Mountain Hotel boasts excellent blueberry dumplings. A short walk away is the renowned Portáš Hotel, built in 1932. The hotel is named
after Wallachian portases, who were border guards, local militia. It was founded in 1638 by the Emperor Ferdinand III. to hire a hundred Walachs
to defend the eastern territories against local villains. Portases can not be said to be purely positive heroes. The Emperor, for example,
used them to suppress the evangelical uprisings in Moravia, on the other hand they defended the country against the Hungarian invasions and
contributed to the fight against crime. In 1830 the Corps of Portases was dissolved.
From the records we know the equipment of the portases: They wore high leather boots, white wool trousers and black vests, black trousers, a high hat with
wide roof. The weapon belonged to the rifle of a pulley, later a carbine, with a wide belt with one or two guns, and then wearing a leather bag. There was
a long belt for both snapping and throwing like a lasso, but it was not a loop but an iron ball. There was a dust pouch and bullet pouch in the bag.
The feared weapon was the walaschka - a sharp ax with a long handle. The wallaschka and Štramberk ears belong to the classic Wallachian souvenirs,
which you can buy at a number of local pilgrimages - for example, in Pustevny.
Štramberk's ears
When I mentioned the Štramberk's ears, it would be a shame not to make you familiar with the legend that binds to them. In 1241, during the Mongol invasion
of Europe, mongolian troops camped under the Kotouč hill near Štramberk. The locals dug the dam of the pond above the bed and drown the Mongols. After the
water fell, they found bags of wrinkled human ears in place. Mongol soldiers cut off Christians ears and sent them to their khan. Since then, in the
memory of this famous victory, Wallachs have baked waffles, curled into curls, as a reminisce of the twisted ear-bolts. Enjoy your meal.
Stolečný Hill and Malý Javorník
Let leave the history, we continue on the ridge. After we leave the Mountain Hotel Portáš, there is the first climb along the narrow footpath
to Stolečný hill. Because we are near the parking lot, we meet a lot of tourists who will accompany us to the Stratenec. We move at an altitude
about a thousand meters above sea level. After the footpath, it goes well, the climbs are neither long nor hard, and they can all go out.
We drive through a dense coniferous forest, the first outlook awaits us at the top of Little Javorník. Even before the peak, we are
passing through a nature reserve of the same name. It is part of Beskydy Protected Landscape Area. The subject of protection is the
forest stands, which originated on the site of the original pastures. Before that, the Wallachs had been herded the sheeps here for
centuries, the hills were naked, after the war almost everything was overgrowen. Fortunately, a few mountain meadows have survived,
otherwise we could see nothing on the day's ride except the forest. In Little Javorník there is a second nice scenic view (the first
was in Kohútka). It is interesting that it is the second Little Javorník, through which we are going. The first one we conquered last,
lies just before Kohútka.
Wonderful panoramas
There are many views from the Javorníky ridge. Last time, we could see Vizovice Hills from Pulčín and from the meadow behind Šerklava White Carpathians
and Strážovské vrchy. The most beautiful view of today's route is from a small lookout tower on Stratenec Hill. Towards the north are the Vsetínské
and Moraviasilesian Beskydy. These are all mountains of the so-called Outer Western Carpathians, which originated during the alpine foliage at
the frontier between the Mesozoic and the Tertiary. Towards the south stretch the hills of the Central Western Carpathians - the Sůlovské
and Strážovské vrchy and the Malá Fatra. Between Stratenec and Velký Javornik, the forest is receding, and the road runs along mountain
meadows. When there is good visibility, we can also see the Jeseníky Mountains behind the back of the Moraviasilesian Beskydy Mountains.
A view of almost the entire Javorník ridge is then enjoyed from the top of the Velký Javornik. A short while after we pass through a bizarre
forest, made up of crowded beeches, we see the view of the Malá Fatra and Kysucká vrchovina. When we count the Javorniky, we can see a total
of 10 mountain ranges from the ridge. It's a spectacle that's worth it!
Velký Javorník and Kasárne
Through the Stratenec over the meadow we reach the Velký Javorník. Although it is the highest peak of the Javorníky, it can be comfortably reached
by bike along a narrow path. The top is partly overgrown, we can see the landscape looks towards west and north only. If we continued along the red,
we would enjoy the view of the Kysucké vrchy and Malá Fatra. We will come back a bit, and along the yellow mark we will reach the forest spring near
Kasárne, where we add the water to the bottles. Velký Javorník is located in Slovakia, as the winter resort of Kasárne. The border between the
Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, which runs almost all the way along the ridge, is moved in these places towards the north into the Czech
territory. This is the result of an agreement of 1734, which ended territorial disputes with Hungary. As a result, after the break-up of Czechoslovakia
in recent times, Kasárne with Czech settlements fell into Slovakia, and local owners and their real estate remained in foreign territory. The Slovaks
barged the access road and the winter resort of Kasárna was without visitors. Although the Czech party has tried to move the border to the ridge in
exchange for another territory, Slovakia has boycotted the agreement. Nowadays Kasárne are definitely Slovak, fortunately the roadblocks have disappeared
and the loggers can already go to their cottages.
From Pindula to Makovský Pass
The path leads more or less through the forest. We will overcome a few more peaks and then drop sharply into the saddle below
Lemešná, also called Pindula. We mentioned walachian Pindulas in the article devoted to Vizovické hills, it does not make sense to repeat.
Climbing on Lemesna is hell. Fortunately, it is not necessary to push the bike directly along the way, leading down the slope. You can
reach the top of the hill by bike on another way. Next to Makovský Pass we go straight and down the hill, close to the Makov Pass is a
view of the ridge of Vsetínské Beskydy. At Makov Pass there is a monument with a giant statue of partisan. It is devoted to the fighters
of the 1st Czechoslovak partisan brigade Jan Žižka. It was the largest guerrilla unit in our country, which had up to 1,400 fighters
and fought against the multiple forces of the German troops.
Along cycling through the valley
From Makov Pass we can go down the main road to Uzgrun, from where already leads a cycle path to Vsetín. Or we can use an unmarked
journey through the Bařina on the other side of the road, from where we reach Uzgrun by the forest along the creek. We have to be
careful that the dashed bicycle trail called Bike Trails Wallachia does not really exist.
The cycle path, leading along the valley of Vsetínská Bečva, is safe, straight and boring. We can make it harder by visiting the Miloňová
hill with a tower of the same name, or visiting several interesting places. For example, in Velké Karlovice, there is the wooden church
of Virgin Mary of the Snow and the exhibition of wooden statues under the renowned restaurant Kyčerka. It stands under the Kyčerka Bike Park,
one of the many resorts where you can explore the artificially created singletracks. But who would wear the wood to the forest, even if you
are enjoying field trips in Walachia more than enough in the wilderness.
In Karolinka there is a permanent exhibition of local glass products in the former glassworks and finally in Nový Hrozenkov there is the
best bathing far away in the Na Stanoch sand pit, nicknamed also Balaton and which local people do not say otherwise than Kačák. Well, and
sometimes in future works, we will visit the other half of Vizovické hills and we will go through the ridge of Vsetínské Beskydy. And we will
also visit Hostýnské Hills, Moraviasilesian Beskydy and 70 kilometers long ridge from Makovský Pass to Jablunkov. In short, Wallachia is a
cycling paradise.
Refreshments on the way:
Kohútka - Mountain Hotel Kohútka, Mountain Hotel Portáš, Uzgruň - Hotel Pod javorem, Leskové - Karlov's Mini Brawery Pod Pralesem, Velké Karlovice -
Pub Kyčerka and Restaurace U Muzea, Nový Hrozenkov - kiosk near Balaton
Route:
From Nový Hrozenkov along blue tourist route to Vranča - through the road via Malá Vranča - along the forest path to the hill along the yellow -
yellow on the ridge at the crossroads in front of Kohútka - along the red on the ridge over Kohútka, Stolečný vrch, Malý Javorník, Stratenec
to Velký Javorník – yellow to the Kasárne and back to the red - red to the saddle below Lemešná - the cycle path 6024 to the blue - blue to
Lemešná - red to the Makovský Pass - cross over the main road - the way through Bařina - Uzgruň - along a cycle path through Lesková, Velké
Karlovice and Karolinka to Nový Hrozenkov
After the hard climb up to Javorníky ridge, the blueberries dumplings from Kohútka will add the power to exhausted cyclists.
There are beautiful views from the ridge singletrack to Vsetín and Moraviasilesian Beskydy, Sůlovské and Strážovské vrchy, Malá
Fatra and Kysucká vrchovina. Despite the fact that you will not even encounter wolves or bears, the journey can be adventurous. When a
storm suddenly comes.
