Ascent to Veľký Choč

Our journey starts from the train station from Ružomberok at 3:40, where we follow the red sign towards Likavka (be careful, the red sign also goes to the hill Predný Čebrať and it is in a different direction), from there we climb the same sign to the castle Likavka (Unfortunately, it is closed in 2017 due to reconstruction), then we continue to the top of „Predný Choč“ (it is a nameless hill just marked as such), where there is no tourist sign but there is a well-trodden path (be careful on the way back, where there are more sidewalks, yes you can get lost here as well), then slowly descend to Stredná Poľana, traversing under the top of Predný Choč, from Stredná Poľana it is only a „short distance“ to the top and after an hour of climbing we get directly to the top of Veľké Choč. As the descent route we choose the red sign in the direction of Lúčky, which as we find out during the descent is the most challenging alternative due to the biggest descent, but after 8 hours we drink good beer in Lúčky and remember the beautiful day and amazing views we experienced thanks to the early start of the tour.

View of the Váh valley to Ružomberok in the background with the Great Fatra and the Low Tatras.

Stredná Poľana is an ideal place to relax before climbing the top of Veľký Choč, an ideal place to sleep just to watch out for bears and nature rangers.

The Great Fatra in the background and the beautifully flowering meadow in the foreground ideally complete the atmosphere during the ascent to Veľký Choč.

View of the Váh valley just without Ružomberok, but with a beautiful background of the Low Tatras

View from Veľký Choč to Orava.

View of the Liptov basin with a dominant in the form of Liptovská Mary, which is surrounded on one side by the High Tatras and on the other by the Low Tatras.