We wake up to a beautiful, sunny day. I’m excited because today’s plan involves a route along completely unfamiliar trails—from Handlová to the peaks of Veľký Grič and Malý Grič.
When we arrive in Handlová at 8:00 a.m., the sun is still shining. We leave the car in a parking lot not far from where the red and green-marked trails meet; from there, we still have about two kilometers to walk through the town, but we parked here, because we are set to ascend via the red trail and return along the green one.
Veľký Grič lies just under 6 kilometers from Handlová; it is a prominent peak, visible from afar and easily recognizable, especially thanks to its rock faces and crags. It offers panoramic views of the Handlová Basin, the Kremnica Mountains, the Strážov Mountains, and the Považský Inovec range.
However, we notice dark clouds covering the entire northern side, and we start to suspect that we might get wet, especially since the wind is blowing in our direction. Sure enough, five minutes later it starts to rain—a rather intense downpour, in fact—but fortunately, it doesn’t last long, so we continue on toward Jarabá skala. According to our original plan, we were supposed to descend from the ridge here and head back along the yellow-marked trail. But we were tempted by Vtáčnik, which, according to the trail sign, was about an hour and 50 minutes away (roughly 5 km). We figured we couldn’t just pass it by! 🙂 An hour later, we’re standing on the summit of Vtáčnik—and guess what we see? Nothing—just a cross and impenetrable fog. On top of that, a strong, cold wind is blowing, so we don’t linger; we head back immediately.
It starts to pour—really, really hard—but fortunately, after a while, the rain turns into snow, so we don’t end up completely soaked. The leaves are wet, though, and before long, there’s a flood inside my shoes. We decide to head back along the ridge via the shortest possible route (haha—which still happens to be 17 kilometers long! :D).
Before long, however, the snowfall ceases, so we once again toy with the idea of heading to Malý Grič. Who knows when we’ll be back here next?
And so, past Veľký Grič, we turn onto the nature trail heading toward Malý Grič. It’s raining again—is it even possible to get soaked three times in a single day?
After 15 minutes, the rain stops, and Malý Grič is definitely worth the discomfort. The views are beautiful, and we take in the sight of the colorful mixed forests below us. We don’t linger long; although it’s not raining anymore, it’s not exactly warm either 🙂
The last 5 kilometers back to Handlová are all downhill—a real lifesaver, as I’m quite exhausted, but the gentle slope allows me to keep running the whole way. We reach the car and hop inside just as a downpour begins. Well, the weather isn’t always on our side, but we still had a fantastic day.
