This report is about the tour: Ghost Valley 🗓 February 8, 2014
Looking back, I remember with a smile the day when my mother showed me the OutdoorUkraine website, which she found completely by accident. After a short consultation, we decided on our first hike in Crimea - “Water and Stones”.
This was followed by reading reviews, purchasing equipment, which I will describe later, and... here we are standing at the Simferopol train station, wondering which of the tourists passing by will be in our group. Soon a decent crowd of 15 people had gathered. There were guys from Russia, Ukraine, and even Belarus among us. We hastily introduced ourselves, distributed provisions and set out towards the long-awaited adventure.
Speaking about the technical details of the hike, I would like to say a few words about equipment. I went hiking with a new backpack, sleeping mat, seat, trekking poles and thermal socks. Honestly, I haven't regretted a single purchase. I'm planning to buy quality shoes for my next hike - my sandals slipped a lot on the descents and my sneakers got soaked the first day and, after three days of frantically trying to dry them, they were left on a tree. I also recommend bringing a headlamp, good sunscreen, and light utensils. Don’t even think about leaving the tick repellent – there are as many of them in the forest as there are mosquitoes.
During the hike, we faced water in the form of rain, rocks in the form of steep slopes, and even the wind, which blew away several tents on the last night. Nevertheless, for a week now I have not been able to recover from the delight I received over these 6 days. Climbing North Demerdzhi, the mysterious Emine-Bair-Khosar cave, swimming in the icy Jur-Jur - every day was unique, bringing new emotions. I remember evening gatherings around the fire with great warmth. What could be better than a cup of aromatic tea, fun games and heartfelt stories?
When answering questions from friends about the hike, I always start by talking about the physical activity we encountered from the first steps. Although I can’t call myself weak, my legs hurt terribly for the first couple of days. Therefore, I advise everyone to realistically assess their physical capabilities and pay attention to the indicated difficulty of the hike. But despite this, I am sure that the next trip will definitely take place!
