Spálený vrch (1313 m) is a quiet, forested summit in the heart of the Hrubý Jeseník range, part of the Keprník massif, offering a genuinely wild hiking experience far from crowds. There is no marked trail to the top, so it attracts hikers who enjoy off-path navigation and solitude.

The mountain features a distinctive, almost flat arched summit ridge stretching about 700 meters, and in fact has two peaks of equal height - the main summit and the secondary Spálený vrch-SV, separated by a shallow saddle. The slopes are covered mostly with spruce forest, with mixed and deciduous patches lower down, and the eastern flank hides a so-called stone sea - a field of rock debris shaped by erosion. Fallen tree trunks from a 2009 windstorm are still visible in places. Due to dense forest, the summit itself offers no views, though the mountain is easily recognizable from neighboring peaks like Vozka or Klínová hora.

How to reach the summit

• Kouty nad Desnou - unmarked route along the Poniklý potok valley, navigation with detailed maps required, demanding terrain
• From the loop road circling the summit dome at about 1290 m, then a short unmarked path of about 100 m to the top

Practical information

• A geodetic survey point with a striped steel marker post stands near the summit, bearing a warning against damage
• No official hiking trail leads directly to the top - reaching it requires good orientation skills
• The entire mountain lies within the Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area

Interestingly, the peak has been proposed as the site for a large pumped-storage hydroelectric plant, a plan still debated between local authorities and environmentalists concerned about the nearby Šerák-Keprník nature reserve.