Kopce Jeseníků: Dlouhé stráně z Koutů nad Desnou

<p> <b>Mravenečník</b> – this peak is relatively unknown, unlike its neighboring colleague – Dlouhé Strány, where the upper reservoir of a pumped storage power plant is located. In fact, it is one massif with multiple peaks – specifically Mravenečník (1342m), Vřesník (1342m) and the former Dlouhé Strány. Therefore, some people say Mravenečník, some Dlouhé Strány, but we all mean the same thing. In any case, this hill is probably the hardest climb in the whole Jeseníky range. It could only share the first place with Praděd, but in my opinion, Mravenečník is harder. You can ascend to the reservoir peak from two directions, however, the routes merge about 2 km below the summit, and only one single path leads to the peak, so the end of both variants is common. The first more challenging variant is the climb from Loučná nad Desnou – the so-called Old Coal Road. The starting point is in Loučná – about 400 m behind the church (coming from Šumperk) you need to turn right onto a relatively good road. We are at an altitude of 490 m and to the peak of the reservoir, we face a hellish 850 m of elevation gain over 12 km. An average slope of 7.1% might seem fairly normal. However, this is degraded by a section just over a kilometer long approximately two-thirds of the way up, near the wind turbines on Medvědí hora, where you even descend another 30 m! The total elevation of the hill is therefore 880 m, and the length is 10.8 km, which gives an average slope of 8.2%. The steepest part again is the middle section – before you reach the wind turbines. Here, the slope of the hill averages 12%, reaching up to 16% in places, especially in the last long turn. The entire ascent from this side is along a relatively good quality forest asphalt road (in places the surface is even new) up to the wind turbines, where the road changes to a luxurious wide road. The second option actually starts already from the junction in the valley below Červenohorské sedlo at the lower barrier at 610 m; here it only rises slightly to the lower reservoir at 830 m, where the real climb begins. From this point, it is 7.5 km to the summit with an elevation gain of 510 m – on average, therefore, 6.8%. This figure is again misleading, although significantly lower than in the previous example – this hill is much more compact. What makes it difficult is the previous “unremarkable climb” through the whole valley to the reservoir. After all, we have to climb 220 m over approximately 5 km, which gives an average of 4.4% and that is not negligible. Compared to Praděd, this hill has the advantage of being passable, it can be included in a route and one does not have to return the same way.</p>