The highest cross-country skiing trails in Slovakia, located on the Čertovica mountain pass. (source: Bežky Čertovica)
With enough snow finally in the mountains, a cross-country skiing paradise in the Low Tatras mountain range has opened in mid-January.
These are the highest cross-country skiing trails in Slovakia, located on the Čertovica mountain pass. The more than four-kilometre Líščia Trasa trail at an altitude of 1,420 metres is among favourites, writes My Novohrad.
A helping hand in the heart of Europe offers a travel guide of Slovakia.
Cross-country skiing in Čertovica, central Slovakia, gives visitors to the historic Horehronie region the opportunity to enjoy a stay in one of the most sought-after destinations in Slovakia.
"At this altitude, they will experience an idyllic winter atmosphere with a snowy forest and tracks, which lead through wild mountain terrain to viewpoints offering unique views at the border of the Ďumbier and Kráľova Hoľa peaks in the Low Tatras," says Michal Vojtas, a member of the civic association Horské Spoločenstvo and head of the Bežky Čertovica project.
The Jarabská trail offers cross-country skiers an unusually long climb. "It has the same gradient for seven kilometres, which complements the experiential nature of the tracks with significant training potential."
The maintenance of the area with almost 50 kilometres of cross-country skiing trails is not easy. The association members have managed it thanks to public and private partners, and the cross-country skiers themselves also lent a helping hand.
A fundraiser
The roots of the project go back to 2019, when a group of enthusiasts first modified one of the tracks in Čertovica.
The idea arose when one of them had been trying to support tourism in the Horehronie region for a long time through the maintenance of tourist shelters. One shelters was also in Čertovica. The location seemed to be an ideal place for cross-country skiing. The initial goal was not to find the highest-altitude trail in the country, but to use the potential of the region and make it accessible to the public.
The routes were then marked out, and it was necessary to obtain permits from landowners and conservationists. The enthusiasts obtained the necessary equipment through a public fundraiser, which garnered an extraordinary attention.
"Thanks to the community of cross-country skiers, local supporters and our fans, we raised €20,000 which was enough for an old but functional snow groomer for the trails," Vojtas explained.
They then created a basic information service, maps and accompanying materials. Signposts and orientation boards were added to the trails as well. The first cross-country ski season in Čertovica was launched in 2020.
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