Warning to hikers
Captivating images of besnowed peaks and plateaus of the Börzsöny mountain range have been making the rounds in domestic news outlets in recent days and weeks. It's no surprise that scores of hikers visit some of the popular destinations such as Nagy-Hideg-hegy, Királyrét or Csóványos at this time of the year.
Börzsöny Special Rescue would advise visitors of the area to remain mindful of the various sources of danger, something that is less apparent to the casual or inexperienced hiker when starting to plan an excursion from the warmth of home.
Starting from the foothills up until an altitute of cca 500 m during the initial stages of most excursion routes, soil is wet and unfrozen; deep mud puddles are scattered throughout most routes; surging creeks are racing down the slopes and flooding the valleys.
At altitudes above 600 m the fast-changing lie of the land is combined with thick, crusty snow. The canopy, branches and twigs of trees may break off, and the chances of treefall are generally higher due to the weight of snow and the wet ground.
Please be mindful of the followings:
Slippery terrain - snowy or icy ground. Avoid rocky ridges, ravines, edges of cliffs, especially in the absence of appropriate equipment and experience.
Treefalls, breaking branches - the risk of these is present virtually everywhere. Pass through carefully, consider your plan thoroughly once again in the event of heavy winds on the day.
Light conditions, getting lost, frostbite - snowy or muddy terrains will likely slow you down and make the trip more demanding. Plan your hike carefully, depart in due time and calculate longer durations than you normally would. This is especially true for hikers with children. We would advise against hiking with children in the higher parts of Börzsöny at this time.
Location-specific warning
The following routes are particularly dangerous under the aforementioned conditions: Kemence-Magosfa, Királyháza-Nagy-Mána, Királyháza-Dobogóbérc, Királyháza-Pogány-bérc. The rocky, steep trails around these locations get icy rather quick. These routes may submerge in the flooding waters inundating the valleys, making it next to impossible to cross at certain points.
Ételhordú út ("Z" sign) from Csóványos towards Hinta-rét, Kemence patak is exposed to heavy winds, with occasional banks of snow building up intermittently.
Terrain is difficult on the routes interconnecting Királyrét, Nagy-Hideg-hegy and Csóványos, namely Hármas-kút, Kelemen kaszáló, Éneklő út, Rakodó-Égés-bérc, Szabó-kövek.
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