| Javorový vrch | |
| Location: | Bělá pod Pradědem |
| Range: | Hrubý Jeseník |
| Elevation M: | 1079 |
| Prominence M: | 72 |
| Coordinates: | 50.1217°N 17.2475°W |
| Map: | Czech Republic |
Javorový vrch (formerly also known as Osikový vrch or Černá hora; de|Schwarze Berg[1]) is a mountain in the Hrubý Jeseník mountain range in the Czech Republic. It has an elevation of above sea level. The summit and the western slopes are located in the municipality of Bělá pod Pradědem and the eastern slopes are located in the territory of Vrbno pod Pradědem.
Javorový vrch is situated slightly to the northeast of the central part of the Hrubý Jeseník range, in the western area (microregion) known as the, and borders the neighboring microregion called the .[2] The mountain has a dome-shaped summit.[3] The massif of the mountain has a slightly arched ridge, stretching in a southeast-northwest direction, lying nearby the settlements of Vidly and, close to roads no. 450 from Bělá pod Pradědem to Bruntál and no. 451 from Nové Heřminovy to Vidly. It is located on a side ridge of the Orlík Massif, between and Mrazový vrch to Nad Borovým. The summit is not very visible, including from the road surrounding the summit of Praděd mountain (the summit is slightly to the left below the line of sight to peak).[4] From another characteristic viewpoint – the road around the summit of Dlouhé stráně mountain – it is not visible due to being obscured by mountain. Javorový vrch is visible, among other places, from the pass located near it.[5]
The mountain is bounded by:
Surrounding the mountain are the following peaks:
Within the mountain, six principal slopes can be distinguished:[8]
All types of forestation can be found here: spruce forest, mixed forest,[9] and deciduous forest, with spruce forest predominating.[10] Almost all slopes, except the southwestern and northwestern ones, feature areas of mixed forest in addition to spruce forest, and as the elevation decreases on the western, eastern, and southeastern slopes, areas covered by deciduous forest appear. Additionally, meadows are found at the foot of the southeastern slope near the settlement of Vidly. Almost all slopes are characterized by considerable variability in the height of the forest, with occasional clearings (western slope), thinnings, and large glades. At the foot of the southeastern slope, near road no. 451 and the settlement of Vidly, a 22 kV overhead power line runs through. The slopes are devoid of rock formations or larger individual rocks. At the foot of the southwestern slope on the Videlské sedlo pass, an iron cross has been erected, attached to a wooden cross with a roof.[11]
The slopes have relatively uneven, generally gentle, and varied inclinations. The average slope inclination ranges from 5° (northwestern and eastern slopes) to 19° (western slope). The average inclination of all slopes (weighted arithmetic mean of slope inclinations) is about 8°. The maximum average inclination of the western slope at an elevation of around 900 meters above sea level, near road no. 450, does not exceed 30° over a 50-meter section. Besides the roads no. 450 and no. 451 that pass through the mountain, the slopes are covered by a network of other roads (e.g., Bařinská cesta, K Dembaudě, or Zlatá stráň) as well as generally unmarked paths and trails.
Javorový vrch is a solitary summit. There is no marked tourist trail leading to the summit, which itself is a small rocky outcrop located within dense spruce forest, covered by alpine grass. Due to the dense forest, the summit does not offer any panoramic views. On the summit area, there is a triangulation station established in 1937, marked on geodetic maps with the number 12, at an elevation of 1,076.28 meters above sea level, with geographical coordinates of . This station is located about 40 meters east of the summit, marked by a steel post painted with alternating white and red horizontal stripes, warning against its destruction with a sign reading Státní triangulace Poškození se trestá (State Triangulation – Damage is Punishable). The Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping, and Cadastre (CÚZK) in Prague reports the highest point of the mountain – the summit – at an elevation of 1,078.7 meters above sea level with coordinates .
Access to the summit begins at the Videlské sedlo pass. From this point, the route leads northeast along the yellow tourist trail for approximately 100 meters to a trail junction. From there, the path continues straight through a clearing, following an unmarked trail for 650 meters uphill until another trail intersection is reached. After a left turn, the path continues for about 170 meters to the summit area, where the summit rock is located roughly 100 meters to the left of the path.
Geologically, the massif of Javorový vrch belongs to the unit[12] and is composed of metamorphic rocks, mainly blasto-mylonites (biotites, chlorites, and muscovites), igneous rocks, mainly meta-granitoids, and sedimentary rocks, mainly meta-conglomerates.[13]
The summit and slopes of Javorový vrch are located to the northeast of the European watershed boundary, thus belonging to the Baltic Sea basin. The waters from this part of the Hrubý Jeseník range flow into the Oder river basin, fed by mountain streams near the mountain, including the Bělá, Skalní potok, Střední Opava, and Česnekový potok streams. Several short, unnamed streams, tributaries of the Skalní potok and Česnekový potok streams, originate from the slopes of Javorový vrch. On the eastern slope, at an elevation of about 990 meters above sea level, there is a small marshy area. Additionally, on the western slope, about 800 meters northwest of the summit, at an elevation of about 860 meters above sea level, lies a spring called Studánka Pod Videlským sedlem,[14] located near the Zlatá stráň road, about 100 meters from the higher loop of road no. 450. Due to the relatively gentle slopes, there are no waterfalls or cascades on the mountain.
The summit and its slopes are located within a designated protected area known as the, established to protect rock formations, landforms, plant life, and rare animal species.[15]