A great choice for a weekend hike in the Carpathians is to climb Mount Petros (2020 m). The ascent is gradual and the views are amazing.

Petros is located near Hoverla in the Rakhiv district of the Zakarpattia region. It ranks fourth in height in the Ukrainian Carpathians (after Hoverla, Brebeneskul and Pip Ivan) and certainly not the last one in terms of landscapes. From the top, you can enjoy the views of Chronohora ridge – the highest ridge of the Ukrainian Carpathians, as well as Svydovets and even the Romanian mountains.

1 DAY

13 km  +1100 m

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Our route starts from the source of mineral water Burkut.

If you come to Kvasy by train, you can reach it by railway, heading in the direction of Ivano-Frankivsk.

Up from the source, there are several paths: we focus on a large unfinished building of the recreation centre.

Red markings lead to the top of Petros . On the first day, you need to gain 1100 m altitude, but the ascent is long, and therefore quite simple. The road passes the Menchul mountain meadow and the Shumneska mountain meadow and traverses the mount of Sheshul.

It will take about 7 hours to get to the place of camping site near Petros.

2 DAY

 14 km  + 450 m

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It is better to go to the top of Petros as early as possible: until the landscape is clouded. To the top – no more than two hours. The path up is picturesque and wide.

Petros peak with stone placers (the name of the mountain comes from petrós – stone) and subalpine vegetation. On the mountain is a half-ruined chapel and a cross. It is said that it is because of Christian symbols that lightning often strikes here – in Perun Mountain.

From the top we descend on a blue marker through the mountain Petroskul to the village. Ash.

A shorter route leads from the Shisa mountain meadow along green markings to the Svydovets railway station (part of the village of Yasinya), where you can take a suburban train.

The descent will take about 6 hours (4 – to the west “Svidovets”).

START / FINISH

We meet at the railway station in Ivano-Frankivsk city in the morning. Then we go by private bus to Kvasy village, which is the starting point of a hike. The distance between Ivano-Frankivsk and mountain village is 125 km and 2,5 hours of road.

We return to the railway station in Ivano-Frankivsk near 8 p.m.

WHAT TO EXPECT

About the difficulty. It is suitable for beginners and accessible to any physically healthy person.

If you join us, then you go on a multi-day trek in which:

• Each person carries his own gear, clothes and a part of group products in his backpack.
• We stay in tents.
• We cook food on fire or using gas burners.

Note:

the guide can change the pre-agreed tour plan if the weather conditions become worse, someone feels bad or some other adventures happen. 

WHAT TO TAKE

You are packing for the hike by yourself, but with our advice. After booking a hike, we will send you a detailed list of recommended clothing and equipment. We will also tell you what is best to take (temperature of the sleeping bag, the comfort of the backpack, the endurance of the tent, etc.). 

WHAT DO YOU PAY FOR

You pay in cash when meeting with a guide in Ivano-Frankivsk; prepayment is not required for foreigners. 

What’s included

• meals from lunch on the first day till lunch on the last day;
• transport (including a drive from Ivano-Frankivsk);
• guide’s job;
• national park fees;
• use of gas and group equipment (cooking gear, first-aid kit, etc.).

What’s NOT included

• personal equipment (tent, sleeping bag, backpack are yours, but you can rent).

RENTAL COST

• place in a tent: 105 UAH / 3 days;
• sleeping bag: 150 UAH /3 days;
• backpack: 150 UAH / 3 days;
• sleeping mat: 30 UAH / 3 days;
• trekking poles: 90 UAH / 3 days.

WITH WHOM

The size of the group is from 4 to 10 participants. Usually, we hike with small teams (up to 6 people): it’s easier to find a common language, more comfortable to go at one pace. And also it is a requirement of the ecological principle leave no trace in the wild.

WHAT ABOUT WEATHER

The weather in the Carpathians is changeable, so any forecast is unreliable. Before the particular date of the tour, we’ll try to tell you what weather to expect as accurate as possible.

On average, in the Carpathian Mountains during the warm period of the year (May-September) the temperature is + 15 … + 20 degrees in the daytime and + 3 … + 7 in the night. If the day is cloudy and rainy, then the temperature in the afternoon and at night is approximately the same: + 5 … + 15. The general principle of weather formation in the mountains is as follows: with every hundred meters of the climb the temperature decreases, and the number of precipitation increases.

The rains here fall three times more often than in the other part of Ukraine; and in May and September, frost is possible at night. The wettest month in the year is June, the driest and warmest is August.

There are a lot of rains, so you should not save on waterproof clothes and gear. Also, it’s often windy: a good jacket and a sturdy tent are obligatory.

Day 1: village Kvasy – meadow Menchul – meadow Shumneska;

Day 2: mount Petros, 2020 m – meadow Shysa – town Yasinia.