Climbing at North Moravia

North Moravia combines mountain climbing in the Jeseníky with crags in the uplands to the south towards the Moravian Gate. Hrubý Jeseník in the Olomouc and Moravian-Silesian regions is the highest range in Moravia, topped by Praděd (1,491 m); it is built of gneiss, amphibolite, granite and slate and lies almost entirely within the Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area. Known rock formations include Čertovy kameny and Petrovy kameny, and important climbing spots include Rabštejn, Skály v Ludvíkově, Psí hlavy, Vyhlídka and the rocks near Bělá pod Pradědem. On the Polish border the Rychleby Mountains follow with Smrčník, Sedm skal, Smolný vrch (Venušiny misky), Vysoký kámen and Žulová.

Further south lie the Oder Hills and Low Jeseník (Kružberk, Bradlo, Dobřečov, Potštátské skály) and the Moravian Gate area with Helfštýn, Štramberk and Černotín/Hluzov. Trad climbing with fixed protection and your own cams dominates in the Jeseníky and Rychleby Mountains, sport climbing on vertical and slabby walls in the Oder Hills and around the Moravian Gate. Many crags lie in protected areas – check current restrictions, including seasonal closures for nesting birds, with the Czech Mountaineering Association and the Jeseníky PLA administration before visiting.