We invite you to spend four days in a house surrounded by snowy mountains and climb two mountains of the Chornohora Range (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 safe paths. 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 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, joint dinners, endless talks and mountain stories, games and guitar playing.

HIGHLIGHTS

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

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

 hiking in a winter wonderland; 

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

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

 experience incredible feelings in the evening sauna after an exhausting winter ascent!

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.

  5 km

 + 200  m

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After meeting in Ivano-Frankivsk or Lazeshchyna village we’ll settle down in the house near the Kozmeshchik tourist base.

After having lunch we’ll go to have a kind of acclimatization – hiking to the nearest hill. During this walk, everybody can check the comfort of clothing and footwear for the ascent to Hoverla the next 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.

  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.

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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.

We meet in Ivano-Frankivsk city at 10.00, or in Lazeshchyna village at 13.00.

We finish in Ivano-Frankivsk around 17.00.

COST

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• house rent;
• English-speaking hiking guide;
• all meals from lunch on the first day through lunch on the last day;
• National park permits;
• first-aid kit.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:

• transfer from Ivano-Frankivsk to the village Lazeshchyna and back;
• personal equipment, clothes, and footwear;
• sauna at the end of the day.

WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU

1. A small backpack. 
2. Hiking gaiters. 
3. Sunglasses or ski glasses.
4. Thermos for 1-2 liters.
5. Sleeping bag (only in case of staying in a bunkhouse accommodation, we will inform additionally)
6. Crampons (we will inform you about their necessity additionally). 
7. Trekking poles (not necessary, but it’s more comfortable with them). 

Everything from the list above is available for hire.

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.