We invite you to spend four days in a house surrounded by snowy mountains and climb two mountains of the Chornohora Ridge (the highest in Ukraine, literally means Black Mountain). Hoverla and Petros are especially charming in winter.

Winter hike in the Carpathians is suitable for people with normal physical training. All you need is the right clothes and shoes, a balanced diet with a thermos of hot tea, and a guide that will show the safe path. We are ready to take responsibility for these!

You can have a different attitude towards winter in the city, but it’s hard not to love winter in the Carpathians. We will be in the real winter mountains with deep snow, frosty fresh air, black sky, and an incredible buzz of silence. But there will be no difficulties of the cold season of the year: no freezing in the tent at nights, no crossing snowdrifts with a heavy backpack behind your shoulders.

And another nice bonus: you can warm up in a sauna in the evenings  Needless to say, that sauna bathing after a workout is very beneficial to a human’s mind and body.

We’ll live in the village of Lazeshchyna in Transcarpathia region. Our wooden house has a toilet, a bathroom, a kitchen equipped with a gas cooker, electricity. Its location is perfect for a radial ascent to Hoverla and Petros mounts. That’s why we will be hiking only with small backpacks.

The evening program includes sauna bathing, dinners with traditional dishes, conversations and mountain stories, board games and guitar singing, looking at the moon through a telescope.

HIGHLIGHTS

 hiking in a winter wonderland in the Carpathian Mountains, which combines comfort and physical activity;

 spending four days surrounded by the highest mountains of the Ukrainian Carpathians;

 climbing the highest mountain of the Ukrainian Carpathians, and one of the most-climbed mountains in Ukraine – Hoverla (2061 m);

 challenging yourself during the hiking to a quite complicated peak – Petros (2020 m);

1 DAY

  5 km  + 200  m

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We meet in Ivano-Frankivsk at 10 am, from where we take a mini-bus to the mountain village of Lazeshchyna.  Upon arrival, we settle in the house, have lunch and go for a kind of acclimatization – hiking to the nearest hill. During this hike, we are checking the comfort of clothes and shoes to be ready for more difficult climbs in the coming days. The guide also explains the technique of climbing in winter and safety rules.

After the walk, we return to the house, have dinner and prepare for tomorrow’s climb. If we are lucky with the weather, we will go outside on a frosty evening and look through the telescope at the moon and stars.

2 DAY

  15 km  + 1150 m

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DAY HIKING TO HOVERLA

Every morning we wake up at 5 o’clock, not wasting a short winter light day. After breakfast and warming up our muscles we start hiking to the highest peak of the Ukrainian Carpathians. We take with us only small backpacks with sandwiches and thermoses with tea.

You don’t need mountaineering skills for climbing Hoverla; the difficulty will be similar to an ordinary summer trip with a big backpack. The trail leading to the top has a length of about 7 km (4 hours).

In the afternoon the goal will be reached! We’ll be at the highest point in Ukraine. From Hoverla you can see far: all the Chornohora ridge is in front of us. Our way down will take less time – about 3 hours.

3 DAY

  15 km  + 1180 m

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DAY HIKING TO PETROS

Our plans of the third day include early waking up and ascent to Petros. One should not underestimate this peak, which is only the fourth highest in Ukraine. This mount is considerably more complicated. Its eastern slope was given a category of difficulty 2A (comparing to Hoverla’s 1B).

Before leaving we have breakfast and put everything needed in small backpacks (snack, a thermos with tea, extra clothes).

The trail to the summit smoothly leads to the valley Golovcheska (1400 m) with a hut where we’ll have dinner and gain some energy before a steep climb.

Then we go on the crest, which connects Petros and Hoverla and begin a steep ascent. The angle of inclination on average is more than 50º, so you need to be especially careful. This part of ascent will take about an hour.

The landscapes of Petros are definitely not worse than of Hoverla. From the top, you can see even the Romanian territories in the south (of course, when the weather is clear).

Our way down will take about 3 hours.

4 DAY

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On the last day, we will have breakfast, say goodbye to the mountains (or not) and leave the house.

Here are some options for the continuation of this day:

• to take a train from Lazeshchyna (to Kyiv, Lviv);
• to go skiing in Bukovel or Dragobrat;
• to go to Ivano-Frankivsk by our bus together with guides.

START / FINISH

You meet the guide at the Ivano-Frankivsk railway station at 10.00 or in the village of Lazeshchyna at 13.00.
We can also pick you up in the villages on the way from Ivano-Frankivsk – Yaremche, Vorokhta, etc.
Return to Ivano-Frankivsk at about 17 p.m.

WHAT DO YOU PAY FOR

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• all meals from lunch on the first day through lunch on the last day;
• house rent;
• work of English-speaking hiking guide;
• National park permits;
• rent of group equipment (first aid kit, gas, etc.).

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:

• transfer from Ivano-Frankivsk to the village Lazeshchyna and back (it depends on the number of people in a group, up to 500 UAH);
• personal equipment, clothes, and footwear;
• sauna etc.

WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU

• A small backpack for radial climbing (you will need to take a day snack, thermos, extra clothes). Up to 35 litres.
• Sunglasses or ski mask: protection from wind, frost and sun (which is especially bright due to the snow around).
• Water bottle. Thermos (1-2 l) for tea / warm water.
• Flashlight (you can use your phone’s flashlight if it is powerful enough). We start the hike early in the morning when the stars are still in the sky, so you will need to light your way.
• Hiking gaiters: so that snow does not fall into the shoes.
• Crampons, snowshoes: whether they are needed depends on the weather conditions on specific dates of the hike, so when booking a hike, we will inform you about it additionally.
• Trekking poles (optional, but it’s easier to hike with them).

COST OF EQUIPMENT RENTAL:

• Flashlight – 60 UAH / all days.
• Snowshoes – 280 UAH / all days.
• Shoe covers – 100 UAH / all days.
• Crampons – 120 UAH / all days.
• Trekking poles – 100 UAH / all days.

CLOTHES:

1. Warm pants. Ski trousers are best suited.
2. Thermal underwear.
3. Two pairs of shoes. One pair is durable hiking boots, the second one may be lighter. You need a spare pair of boots when the other one is wet.
4. Storm jacket. For walks and replacement, you can take also a down jacket.
5. Fleece warm sweatshirt. Woolen or flax sweaters are not recommended.
6. Warm gloves.
7. Warm hat and scarf (balaclava, buff).

Other items:

1. Spoon, bowl, mug (only in case of staying in a bunkhouse accommodation,we will inform additionally)
2. Hygiene items.
3. Individual prescription medical kit. 
4. Swimsuit, flip-flops for the sauna.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Ivano-Frankivsk – Lazeshchyna village – walking around;
Day 2: Kozmeshchyk/Lazeshchyna – Gropa mountain valley, 1400 m – Goverla Mountain, 2061 m – Kozmeshchyk/Lazeshchyna;
Day 3: Kozmeshchyk/Lazeshchyna – Golovcheska mountain valley, 1500 m – Mount Petros, 2020 m – Kozmeshchyk/Lazeshchyna;
Day 4: return to Ivano-Frankivsk.