Kékes
Kékes [ˈkeːkɛʃ] is Hungary's highest mountain, at 1,015 metres (3,330 ft) above sea level.[1] It lies 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) northeast of Gyöngyös,[2] in the Mátra range of Heves county. It is Hungary's third most popular tourist attraction, after Lake Balaton and the Danube, and has a number of hotels and skiing pistes. The Kékestető TV Tower stands at the summit.
| Kékes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,015 m (3,330 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 774 m (2,539 ft)[1] |
| Listing | Country high point |
| Coordinates | 47°52′44″N 20°0′37″E |
| Naming | |
| English translation | Bluish |
| Language of name | Hungarian |
| Geography | |
  Kékes Hungary | |
| Location | Heves county, Hungary |
| Parent range | Mátra, Western Carpathians |
The name Kékes is derived from the mountain's often bluish colour. In Hungarian, the word kék means 'blue', while kékes means implicitly 'bluish'.
History
It is home to the former Pauline Monastery of Kékes.
Climate
Kékes Peak is the highest altitude region in Hungary, so it has the highest altitude weather station in the country. Although the mountain is still classified as a temperate humid continental climate (Dfb) according to the Köppen climate classification, it is very close to a subarctic climate (Dfc). Unlike cities in the plains such as Miskolc, which is also classified as a humid continental climate (Dfb), it is closer to a oceanic climate (Cfb) and may even be subtropical humid (Cfa). The annual average temperature of Kékes is 6.4 °C (43.5 °F), which is about 5 °C (9.0 °F) lower than that of Budapest or Miskolc. August is the warmest month with an average temperature of 16.4 °C (61.5 °F); January is the coldest month with −3.4 °C (25.9 °F). Temperature extremes ranged from −22.6 °C (−8.7 °F) in 1987 to 31.4 °C (88.5 °F) on July 20, 2007.
| Climate data for Kékestető (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1973−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) |
13.9 (57.0) |
21.0 (69.8) |
22.4 (72.3) |
25.6 (78.1) |
29.7 (85.5) |
31.4 (88.5) |
30.4 (86.7) |
25.8 (78.4) |
22.0 (71.6) |
17.4 (63.3) |
12.5 (54.5) |
31.4 (88.5) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −1.4 (29.5) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
3.4 (38.1) |
10.1 (50.2) |
14.6 (58.3) |
18.0 (64.4) |
20.0 (68.0) |
19.9 (67.8) |
14.5 (58.1) |
9.3 (48.7) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
9.3 (48.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.4 (25.9) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
0.6 (33.1) |
6.3 (43.3) |
10.9 (51.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
16.3 (61.3) |
16.4 (61.5) |
11.3 (52.3) |
6.6 (43.9) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
6.4 (43.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −5.3 (22.5) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
3.7 (38.7) |
8.0 (46.4) |
11.5 (52.7) |
13.4 (56.1) |
13.9 (57.0) |
9.1 (48.4) |
4.6 (40.3) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
4.0 (39.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.6 (−8.7) |
−19.8 (−3.6) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−9.7 (14.5) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
1.0 (33.8) |
4.5 (40.1) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−13.0 (8.6) |
−18.7 (−1.7) |
−22.6 (−8.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 41.5 (1.63) |
50.0 (1.97) |
47.9 (1.89) |
58.9 (2.32) |
94.3 (3.71) |
82.2 (3.24) |
105.7 (4.16) |
80.5 (3.17) |
67.6 (2.66) |
66.2 (2.61) |
67.2 (2.65) |
52.0 (2.05) |
814.0 (32.05) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.9 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 8.2 | 10.3 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 97.8 |
| Average snowy days | 10.8 | 10.8 | 8.6 | 5.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 6.9 | 10.8 | 55.9 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 84.1 | 82.0 | 77.0 | 68.1 | 73.0 | 74.3 | 72.2 | 70.3 | 75.9 | 81.6 | 84.7 | 82.7 | 77.2 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 89.8 | 100.1 | 144.2 | 174.7 | 221.0 | 238.9 | 268.0 | 237.9 | 189.4 | 166.7 | 97.4 | 77.4 | 2,005.4 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 33 | 36 | 40 | 43 | 48 | 51 | 56 | 55 | 51 | 51 | 36 | 30 | 46 |
| Source: NOAA (snow days and sunshine 1967-1994)[3][4][5] | |||||||||||||
Road cycling
For road bicycle racing enthusiasts, the mountain can be climbed by two main routes.
- South from Gyöngyös: 839 m over 17.8 km. This is the most famous and difficult ascent.
- North from Parád: 775 m over 16.9 km. About equal in difficulty as the Bédoin ascent, but better sheltered against the climb.
Tour de Hongrie stage finishes
| Year | Stage | Start of stage | Distance (km) | Category | Stage winner | Yellow jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4 | Balassagyarmat | 202.2 | 1 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Damien Howson (AUS) |
Damien Howson (AUS) |
| 2020 | 4 | Miskolc | 187.8 | 1 |  Attila Valter (HUN) |
Attila Valter (HUN) |
| 2019 | 4 | Karcag | 138.1 | 1 |  Krists Neilands (LAT) |
Krists Neilands (LAT) |
| 2016 | 4 | Karcag | 144 | 1 |  Chris Butler (USA) |
 Mihkel Räim (EST) |
| 2015 | 4 | Karcag | 146 | 1 |  Andi Bajc (SLO) |
 Tom Thill (LUX) |
| 2005 | 6 | Mátraháza | 3.4 (ITT) | - | Tamás Lengyel (HUN) |
Tamás Lengyel (HUN) |
| 2005 | 5 | Mezőkövesd | 93 | 1 |  Glen Chadwick (NZL) |
Tamás Lengyel (HUN) |
| 2004 | 5 | Mezőkövesd | 148 | 1 |  Anatolij Varvaruk (UKR) |
 Zoltán Remák (SVK) |
| 2003 | 5 | Mátraháza | 3.4 (ITT) | - | Tamás Lengyel (HUN) |
Zoltán Remák (SVK) |
| 2003 | 4 | Miskolc | 127.3 | 1 |  Matija Kvasina (CRO) |
Zoltán Remák (SVK) |
| 2001 | 3 | Tiszaújváros | 174 | 1 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Mikoš Rnjaković (SCG) |
Mikoš Rnjaković (SCG) |
References
- "Kékes". Peakbagger.com.
- G. Z. Földvary (1988). Geology of the Carpathian Region. World Scientific. ISBN 978-9971-5-0345-1.
- "Kekesteto Climate Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- "Global Surface Summary of the Day - GSOD". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- "Időjárási napijelentés = Ezhemesiachnyi meteorologicheskii biulleten = Monthly weather report = Bulletin mensuel de temps = Monatlicher Witterungsbericht". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
