On some days, Ukrainian Viacheslav Rosolovskyi, 32, wakes up before dawn, packs a giant backpack with essentials, has a good breakfast and leaves his home.
By sunrise, Rosolovskyi has already hiked high into the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukraine, walking through the tall, dewy grass.
“I go hiking whenever I have spare time,” Rosolovski says. “It’s an exciting experience.”
Rosolovskyi is a skilled hiker. He had his first journey at 10. Over the years, he has experienced some of the world’s best known hiking routes and even conquered Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe.
The Ukrainian now prefers trekking — a more complicated hike done off the trails and taking several days — and is sure Ukraine can surprise even the most sophisticated travelers.
“There are many spots off the beaten path and great trails for both beginners and experienced hikers,” Rosolovskyi says.
Another Ukrainian, 25-year-old Vasyl Struk, agrees.
Struk is also a big fan of hiking, but unlike Rosolovskyi, who goes hiking for fun, Struk earns a living by it. He is a guide at a hiking camp in Zakarpattia Oblast.
“Almost every Ukrainian oblast offers beautiful places, hills or trails,” Struk says.
And while quarantine restrictions are still in place and traveling abroad is limited for Ukrainians, domestic hiking can become a great way to enjoy the summer and explore the wildest parts of Ukraine.
Carpathians calling
Although there are many places to go hiking in the area around Kyiv, like Glider Mountain or the quarries in Korostyshiv, a town 100 kilometers west of Kyiv, Struk says the Carpathians are best for this kind of leisure.
Travelers from Kyiv can take a train or car to get to Zakarpattia Oblast. Intercity trains from Kyiv to Ivano-Frankivsk are the fastest: it takes eight hours and a one-way ticket costs about Hr 430–870 ($15–31). An intercity train to Lviv takes five hours, a ticket costs Hr 320–660 ($11–23).
Struk, who works at the Bilyi Slon (or White Elephant) camp in Dzembronia, a small village in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast some 730 kilometers south-west of Kyiv, says those tourists who want to go hiking for the first time shouldn’t go to the mountains alone.
“It’s always better to go with guides,” he says.
Bilyi Slon offers various hiking tours with guides for all tastes and budgets. A six-day tour across Chornohora, a mountain range that includes the highest mountain in Ukraine Hoverla, costs Hr 3,290 ($118).
Other options are two- and three-day hiking trips across mountains Pip Ivan or Shpytsi. The price for these trips ranges from Hr 1,190 to 2,490 ($42–89) per person. It includes the services of guides, transfers to different villages, snacks, rental tents and overnight stays in houses up in the mountains, as well as health insurance.
According to Struk, Bilyi Slon always welcomes travelers who have their own equipment, but can also provide it. Travelers can rent backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, and other equipment at the camp.
The most important equipment for hiking, however, is shoes, Struk says. He usually asks tourists to put on the most comfortable pair they have.
Also, Struk says that many guides, himself included, speak English and often lead hiking tours for foreigners.
A woman sits near a tent as she enjoys the sunset over the Carpathian Mountains in Zakarpattia Oblast in August 2016. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Experienced hikers can go to the mountains alone.
According to Struk, it is better to travel from Ivano-Frankivsk to the surrounding oblast and stay in nearby villages and towns like Tatariv, Vorohta, Dzembronia or Yaremche, which are closer to the mountains.
“There, tourists can stay overnight after arrival and start the journey early in the morning,” Struk says.
Those willing to travel without guides should think about the equipment beforehand, as there might be no rental services in the remote villages.
Although it is possible to buy maps with all the trails right in the villages or towns where the hike starts, these maps will likely be in Ukrainian.
Maps in English can be found in the shops at the main railway stations or at special stores with equipment for travelers located in all big cities.
Besides a GPS navigator, Rosolovskyi also suggests taking a good old compass. “I feel safer with it,” he says.
Chornohora mountain range
Ukraine offers many options for those willing to hike in the Carpathians: Mount Hemba in Polonyna Borzhava and Mount Pip Ivan Marmaroskyi in the Marmaroskyi mountain range offer some of the most pleasant and scenic hikes in the region.
But there are some summits across Ukraine’s western mountain range that offer even more than just an exciting hike.
“You can discover new scenery and get to know locals and their customs while hiking in this area,” Rosolovskyi says.
One can start their journey at the Chornohora mountain range, which is the highest in the Carpathians. It is home to Ukraine’s highest mountain — 2,061-meter Hoverla.
Hoverla and Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi, also called the Black Mountain (2,020 meters), are the most popular destinations in this mountain range.
Usually, a Hoverla hike starts at Vorohta village. Besides access to Hoverla, Vorokhta also offers easier hikes along the banks of the Prut River and through the woods of the Carpathian National Nature Park.
To reach the village, drive south from Ivano-Frankivsk along the H09 highway, then turn left at the fork in the road in the middle of the village of Tatariv.
Even though it’s the highest mountain in Ukraine, hiking to Hoverla isn’t that complicated, according to Struk.
This hike, however, might take a whole day: tourists usually start at 8 a. m. and finish at around 6 p. m. Also, bear in mind that, due to the higher altitude, the weather in the mountains can be quite cool even in summer.
It’s also almost impossible to get lost while hiking around Hoverla — signs and directions are everywhere on the trail.
Hiking to Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi is more complicated. The most popular trail here starts at Dzembronia and leads through Mount Smotrych.
It is possible to complete the hike in one day, if starting early in the morning and keeping stops to a minimum.
However, experienced hikers prefer spending several days going toward Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi, following the trail through mounts Hoverla, Petros and Breskul.
Those who conquer Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi are rewarded with breathtaking views of the nearby mountains and can take a picture of the White Elephant ruined observatory right on the top of the mountain.
Beginners, on the other hand, can try hiking to 1,728-meter Sheshul, a high mountain located right next to another peak, Petrus, which is 2,020 meters. The hike from Kvasy village to Sheshul is around 15 kilometers, which takes about four hours.
A man hikes to the summit of Mount Pip Ivan Marmaroskyi in Zakarpattya Oblast in August 2016. Zakarpattya Oblast, with its picturesque Carpathian Mountains, is the best region in Ukraine for hiking. Due to COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, this summer season might be the perfect time to go hiking in the Carpathians. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Most complicated hikes
According to Struk, the Gorgany mountain range offers the most difficult hikes in Ukraine.
“(Gorgany) is known for being steep and rocky with complicated routes,” Struk says. “But I love it.”
Hiking to Gorgany rewards those who follow the serpentine paths to its top with incredible views. There are many trails and mountains suitable for hiking there, including such mountains as Grofa, Makovytsia, Syvulia, Dovga, Syniak, Yavirnyk and Homyak.
The last one, Homyak Mountain, is among the most popular with hikers in the region.
Over 1,500 meters high, it is known for its beautiful conic shape as well as the statue of the Virgin Mary that crowns the mountain’s summit. Hoverla and Petros are also visible from the top of Homyak Mountain.
The hike begins at the roadside in the village of Tatariv, a one-and-a-half-hour drive south from Ivano-Frankivsk on the H09 highway.
Another option here is Syvulia Mountain, which is the highest mountain of Gorgany — 1,836 meters. To reach the summit of this mountain, one would need to start in the Stara Guta village and spend two days on foot.
But the result is more than just satisfying: As soon as one breathes in what’s believed to be the purest Carpathian air and sees breathtaking views of the nearby mountains, the tiredness after this long hike disappears right away.
Mountain Makovytsia might offer the easiest hike in this mountain range: Only 984 meters high, it offers spectacular views on the picturesque mountain landscapes. The trail toward Makovytsia starts near a souvenir market in Yaremche, a town some 50 kilometers south of Ivano-Frankivsk.
One can also see Homyak, Yavirnyk, Petros and even Hoverla from the top of Makovytsia. This hike is suitable for families with children and those who have only started going hiking and do not yet have much experience.
For Struk, however, hiking is more than just a sport. He says that, apart from its physical benefits, hiking also contributes to people’s overall well-being.
“It’s a great way to explore nature and yourself,” Struk says. “It’s like a reboot.”
Rosolovskyi agrees: “At the end of the day, when the sun goes down and you stand above the clouds, it’s simply amazing.”
