Baranec from Žiarska valley

From Žiarská chata, the ascent leads towards the former ski lift, to the right of the tourist trail. From the so-called an old ski lift route crosses a stream. In case of a heavy winter it can be frozen, but even during weaker winters it is not a problem to skip it. A suitable place for its crossing is in the middle of the old slope. It is often possible to follow the track of other ski mountaineers, or it is possible to use gps navigation and gpx coordinates, which are part of the article.

At the beginning, the slope still allows climbing on the skins, but then the couloir is already steep, and it is more advantageous to go on foot or on crampons with skis on a backpack. The entire ascent from the crossing the stream has an elevation gain of almost 800 meters, which can be challenging even for skilled ski mountaineers. The advantage of this steep ascent is that the ridge can be reached relatively quickly. The last part the ascent leads along the ridge to the very top. This part can be wind-blown up to the grass and rocks.

The descent has several variants. Directly from Baranec there are three main slopes: Hungarian, Spring and Central. The most difficult is the Central one, because during mild winters there is a small icefall in its middle.  The other two are easier, but are only recommended for experienced and good skiers. Less experienced skiers can use the option of continuing along the ridge towards  peak Smrek, or up to Žiarské sedlo (Žiarske Saddle).

From the ridge there are nice views all around and the descent from Žiarské sedlo should not be a problem even for slightly weaker skiers. However, it is very important to watch the conditions, because even here in the spring the snow can be very hard, it is often necessary to wait until the afternoon for the surface to finally soften and enjoy skiing.