Hot peppers

I don’t know if I agreed to this adventure if I knew in advance what difficulties I would have to overcome, but now, after its completion, I can say absolutely definitely - I liked it. Quite unexpectedly for myself, I found myself in conditions that required the full exertion of all my strength - both physical and moral. And it was great.

When you return to the office after a week spent in the mountains and all your colleagues ask the question “How was your vacation? Beautiful mountains? At first you don’t know how to answer such a question. And the point is not that you don’t know the answer, but that the beauty of the mountains simply cannot be described in words. Yes, they are of no use, because here any epithets will be unnecessary: ​​just look into the eyes of a person who has just descended from them - they are still filled with their bluish haze, the green plush of the slopes and the white veil of clouds floating under their feet. They are so different: warmly illuminated by the sun, when every ridge, bend and depression in the rocks is clearly visible; and frowning through the fog, covered in a milky haze; and sometimes majestic and menacing in moments of bad weather and torrential thunderstorms... They are mysterious and unpredictable: you can walk a few meters and the landscape changes beyond recognition, like a reflection in a distorting mirror.

Mountains give endless inspiration. This is a wonderful combination of physical fatigue, incredible elation and moral relaxation. You can only love hiking in the mountains because of the wonderful, interesting, brave, incredibly beautiful people with whom you can discuss eternity and dreams, smile from the heart and say something stupid or clever, make wishes while looking at the starry sky, for people whom you remember a long time later and who forever occupied a piece of your heart.

Yes, my introduction to the story about my eventful vacation turned out to be long)) As is clear from it, I did not go either to the Cote d'Azur or to the occupied Crimea, just like not to one of the points in the southern direction, with the goal of plunging into the arms of the blue waves and soaking up the sun. I wanted to go on a hike for a very long time, but somehow there were always excuses: either there was no equipment, or company, or strength... But this time I made a clear and informed decision, sent an application for the “Highest Peaks” hike from OutdoorUkraine, bought a backpack, a sleeping bag and everything else - there was nowhere to retreat!

Ternopil-Frankivsk

Since there is no direct train from Dnepr to Ivano-Frankivsk, I had to go with transfers, which was an excellent reason to take a closer look at Ternopil, through which my route lay. I began to be surprised even at the Dnepropetrovsk station, when, stepping out onto the platform, I saw just a horde of people with backpacks of different sizes and backpacks of all colors of the rainbow - I could not imagine that a good half of my fellow travelers would go to the Carpathians, choosing just such an active type of summer holiday! They were all very surprised when, having become separated, they heard that I was going on a hike with people whom I had never seen, and traveling to the meeting place on my own (they actively tried to drag me into a hike with them), and then they generally widened their eyes when they heard about my fellow traveler-defender Profilka). In general, the 16-hour journey went quickly and easily, thanks to the guys with whom I said goodbye in the morning at the Ternopil station and went to see the sights of this city with my huge and heavy backpack. After only 40 minutes of walking to the bus station (you need to buy tickets for the evening), I realized that the idea was not very good and left my luggage in the storage room - it should be noted that after this manipulation Ternopil became much more colorful and picturesque)))

The city is not very big, but very colorful and interesting. Most of all, I was pleasantly surprised by the huge number of green spots: a lot of parks, flower beds and fountains - finding a quiet and cozy corner for relaxation is not difficult!

Well, all good things come to an end sooner or later, so it’s time for me to leave, especially since everything further promises to be even more picturesque. In the evening, after 3 hours of driving on dead roads, I reached Frankovsk. By the way, it was already dark, and I didn’t quite know how to get to the hostel + my phone was dead. It was then that I once again became convinced that the residents of Western Ukraine are much more responsive and friendly than ours: they not only told me which direction to go, but also took me on a tour to my destination!

There were almost no guests in the hostel - just a couple of Kievites who decided to stay in the city for a day after their hike to the highest points of the Carpathians (exactly the one I’m going on). That’s why, despite the importance of the next day and the need to get a good night’s sleep, I listened to stories about the mountains for half the night and looked forward to the morning with great impatience. The only thing that worried me a little was the stories that the weather was simply terrible when the guys finished their hike - but I was mentally prepared for the rain, so it didn’t really scare me then...

Day 1

Waking up early in the morning, I had time to have breakfast and walk leisurely around the city, moving towards the railway station where we were supposed to meet with the group, which, according to the organizers, was supposed to be 7-9 people. When we gathered on the steps of the main entrance, it turned out that instructor Oleg from OutdoorUkraine, who was supposed to lead us along the Montenegrin ridge, injured his knee and we were combined with another group from another site. As a result, a crowd of 28 people loaded onto buses and went to our starting point - the village. Lazeshchina. On the spot, we quickly divide the food, stuff it into backpacks, adjust the layout of things for the last time, adjust the seating position and begin to climb an even wider mountain road, and already at this simple stage it becomes clear that there are people who did not calculate their strength when choosing this type of active recreation - the group stretches for almost a kilometer and those who go ahead sometimes have to stop and wait for those lagging behind. But everyone understands this, and such costs are not uncommon in large groups. Taking into account the above-mentioned circumstances, Yura and Andrey (our instructors, mothers, fathers, and closest relatives for the duration of the hike) decide to set up camp in Kozmenshchik and in the next couple of days go on radial hikes without backpacks, otherwise at the rate we are now we won’t get far.

The evening passed quickly, and everyone, tired from the trains and the road, went to their tents so that tomorrow morning, with new strength and good mood, they would set off to conquer the peaks. And only three guys and two girls ended up in a camp laid out on the ground and for half the night they looked at the stars, made wishes and ate dried fruits, thriftily prepared by Ruslan - in the following days this group, very calm at first glance, will become a thunderstorm for the entire camp and will be called “Honey Badgers”, in honor of fearless animals who are not afraid of absolutely nothing and know how to show perseverance and cheerfulness in any incomprehensible situations)) In general, explain This is almost unrealistic for someone who does not belong to this top five: I tried when I arrived home - it didn’t work))

Day 2

Today is the first full day of hiking (except for the fact that we leave our backpacks at the camp) and there is not a hint of clouds or rain in the sky. Hooray! Being unaccustomed to it, it is quite difficult to walk along steep climbs uphill, but after the first hour of walking it becomes much easier, but nevertheless the group again stretches over a decent distance, since we rested on Hoverla for about an hour while we reached the “tail”. I can’t say that I somehow admired the highest point of Ukraine, although the weather was wonderful and the nicest views opened up, BUT it feels like you’re at some crowded party (where, by the way, they sell hot tea/coffee/nuts), and not at the highest peak of the Montenegrin ridge. But, nevertheless, despite all the negative aspects, I can give myself a “tick” about conquering Goverla, there is a group photo and a source of pride. I was unpleasantly struck by the huge number of all kinds of steles and pedestals on the top of Goverla: here you have a Trident painted with the inscriptions “Vasya was here”, and a cross, and other garbage - everything is so shabby, scratched, scary.

Of course, everyone was tired, and it was a decent stomp back, but during lunch we still begged from Yura “to climb Petros today,” although not everyone decided to do it, since the instructor warned that the climb from the side we had chosen was 8 times more difficult than the climb to Hoverla. There wasn’t much time left before sunset, so we almost ran to the foot of Petros, and then a steep climb began, on which you not only admired the views that unfolded with each new meter, but tested yourself and your willpower.

Each step was very difficult and at some point you already think that’s it: it’s time to turn around and this kind of pastime is not for you, and there is absolutely no point in killing yourself like this, and you forgot to turn off the iron at home. You think about it, you think, but you grit your teeth and climb up, and when it seems to you that you’ve already reached the top and half a step away and you’ve conquered it, a new hill opens up and new meters that need to be overcome to reach 2020. But what pride do you feel when the goal is achieved!!! At the top, as expected, there was a wooden chapel and a twisted cross, and despite the clear weather, a terrible wind was blowing - the windbreakers that everyone had been carrying unnecessarily all day finally came in handy.

And then there was a long and tiring descent, a delicious dinner and songs with a guitar until late at night. They asked Yura if he had any other tourists who demanded to climb the two highest peaks of the Carpathians in one go - he said that it was an individual tour for 3 professional athletes. Level! I remember that when I was tired and contentedly zipping up my sleeping bag, heavy drops of rain began to fall on the tent...

Day 3

To be honest, just yesterday we were all surprised that the Carpathians had wonderful weather for two days in a row, without a single hint of rain, so this morning’s downpour was perceived without much surprise. Nevertheless, preparing breakfast, packing things and walking around the camp with cold, heavy stones dripping on you is not the greatest pleasure. The group has a lot of optimism, the strength and zeal to storm the mountains after yesterday’s “feat” is even greater, but the instructors cool our audacity with possible options for our movements and warn in advance that we will see a lot of mud and rain over the next days. Everyone agreed (and those who disagreed remained silent), packed their backpacks, pulled on their rain covers and hit the road.

To be honest, I don’t know where we were going, but if yesterday there was a physical fitness test, now it’s harder in the moral aspect: why are you swimming in the mud, climbing to the top, grabbing any roots and bushes, getting wet through and through impenetrable forests, it’s very difficult to understand (especially if you know that this is the prospect for the next 2 days). In order to somehow distract from the sight of clay under our feet, everyone was looking for porcini mushrooms along the road, which, by the way, were enough for two cauldrons of soup.

When we saw a sign late in the evening that said that there were 45 minutes left to go to the Zaroslyak sports base, there was a group of people who wanted to (5 honey badgers in their head) run in the opposite direction 1.5 km one way to the old Austrian cemetery and then catch up with the rest of the group closer to the parking lot. So the reserves of the human body are truly incomprehensible! We will finally be convinced of this tomorrow, but for now we are setting up camp, warming ourselves with mulled wine in the souvenir shop adjacent to the base, and trying to dry our things over the fire. It is very difficult to do this in conditions of incessant rain). Since everyone was tired, dinner turned out to be somewhat crumpled% everyone tried to quickly eat and go to bed, and only the five of us were left sitting by the fire and chatting about everything, especially since we managed to get delicious homemade wine and honey in honeycombs (we are honey badgers), which made incredibly delicious mulled wine.

Day 4

The morning “pleased” us with a wet tent and the bottom of our sleeping bag, but even this did not force us to get out of it faster to face the rigors of a new day, since judging by the knocking on the tent, the rain not only intensified, but also partially turned into hail. During breakfast, it turns out that not everyone wants to go further (our guides promised the hardest and longest trek of 10 hours, if possible with lunch, but maybe without it) - 4 guys are going here, including my two neighbors in the tent, so now I have to drag it alone, and given that it is completely wet, this is an additional 5 kg. I accept this fact somehow calmly (which came as a surprise to me), although the loaf of bread fit into my backpack with difficulty. But there is nothing to do, there is nowhere to retreat and we begin the journey... We need to walk at a good pace, despite the complete wetness, cold and wind, because by lunchtime we must get to Lake Nesanovity. For myself, I noted that the walk was quite bearable for me, since I never tired of admiring the beauty of the nature around me, and I could easily carry on a conversation with the guys; we even managed to lie down and relax while we waited for the rest of the group at the turns. And then a kilometer-long steep climb began and life stopped seeming like honey, especially when near the lake itself you realize that in order to swim you don’t have to take anything off - you’re soaked to the skin, and the wind is blowing between your ribs.

Despite the threats from Yura and Andrey that we were sorely short of time for lunch, we still managed to have a snack and gain at least a little strength before the grueling 6-hour road to Bystrets. After lunch there were a couple more climbs: from Nesamovyty to the ridge, and then to the town of Shpitsa and the town of Rebra (insanely fascinating and charming places), and then long descents, on which it is less dangerous to run than to walk). The road seems so endless that at some point you understand that the purpose of your existence on earth is to go forward, but why, where and when the end point will be reached are rhetorical questions. At such moments, you understand what true friendly support is - it was thanks to my dear honey badgers and our absolutely idiotic jokes that this day became one of the most eventful and brightest in my life, and despite the difficulty of the path, the lack of bridges at the crossings, and falling into the water, it was easy.

In the evening we finally got to the kolyba, lit the stove and began to dry all our things - this is all great, of course, but to be honest, I felt much more comfortable and familiar in a tent and sleeping bag than on a wooden bed).

Day 5

You can call it a lazy, friendly day) Everyone was so tired from yesterday’s pandemonium that they had no desire to run somewhere on the radial road with such changeable weather, so after breakfast we, our small but most friendly team, went to look for a store, which, according to stories, was located 6 km from our temporary shelter. Judging by the backpack we were dragging back, a grandiose feast awaited us, but for now we had to cover the last kilometer under a sudden downpour. By the way, it rained until the evening, so we decided not to go to the radial and enjoy the beauty of the mountains from the gazebo.

Day 6

The last morning in the Carpathians came somehow very unexpectedly quickly: there was a feeling that you didn’t have time to walk along the narrow paths of the meadows, the sharp rocks of the mountains and the needle-like carpet of forests, didn’t breathe enough of the fresh and invigorating air, didn’t eat the most delicious delicacies in the world - camp porridges and soups, didn’t completely wash yourself with unexpected downpours and see all the stars, etc. This desire to remember exactly where your sleeping bag/tent/clothes are drying, and even more so, did not make you want to collect all these things around the house and sheds. The biggest surprise was the weight of the backpack - my shoulders were so accustomed to the weight of wet things that when dried, the total load was reduced by half! Raza - you could run and jump freely in the mountains with it. Well, then, a quick breakfast. Some people eat their favorite oatmeal with condensed milk, while others saved buckwheat from dinner and nibbled on the porridge, while for others just tea was enough, because what awaits us next is civilization with all its gastronomic diversity.

Three hours of travel and we are at the Ivano-Frankivsk railway station. A place where a week of travel brought people from completely different parts of Ukraine and beyond, people who became so close to us over these 6 days. A place where some people had tears in their eyes because of the upcoming separation; a place where promises were made to see each other again, no matter where: on hikes or in cities; a place where everyone thanked someone for coming into their life and teaching them something. In the meantime, I’m buying myself a train ticket to Lvov, carefully choosing one of the latest flights in order to spend longer with my already honey badgers: we celebrate our successful descent from the mountains in the “Ten” and at the 100-meter race, contentedly “wagging” our backpacks on our shoulders.

Lviv

On the train to Lvov, I had two whole hours to try to collect in my head all the bright pieces of this crazy week, to try to remember every feeling I had, but they turned out to be few - but it’s not for nothing that I’m going to the city that I love most and in which I’m best able to think, analyze and sort things out))

It was a wonderful weekend, but even my beloved Lviv was somehow different this time - mysteriously sad; or was it I who was already completely different - this week in the mountains changed me internally, an amazing peace reigned in my soul, but at the same time I was very sad that they were no longer close. If suddenly, there are a couple of photos from Lviv

Results

Our entire trip now seems short, but intense, a moment. Did you like it? Mostly, yes. All that was left was the feeling that everything was somehow very fast, that “we weren’t there,” that we didn’t have time to tell or find out something. There were also people in our large group who didn’t like everything and who were literally seething with bile because the route was not followed, that because of this there was a heavy load, that some peaks were not seen.

Yes, I was also upset that we didn’t see the Brebeneskul and Pop Ivan mountains, the Brebeneskul Lake surrounded by a majestic amphitheater, we didn’t walk much along the ridge, but this was not due to the whim of the instructors, but to the weather conditions, the general readiness of the group and other objective reasons. I came to the conclusion for myself that “passed or failed”, “was or wasn’t” is far from the most important thing. It is important how you walked, with whom you walked; our communication and pleasure are important; the good mood you gave to other participants. The very “incompleteness” of the hike already generates a desire to “complete it” in the future, and the unique beauty of the Carpathian nature evokes an even greater desire to return and see new places.

I don’t know if I agreed to this adventure if I knew in advance what difficulties I would have to overcome, but now, after its completion, I can say absolutely definitely - I liked it. Quite unexpectedly for myself, I found myself in conditions that required the full exertion of all my strength - both physical and moral. And it was great.

In conclusion, I would like to sincerely thank for the wonderful company of the guys who were with me all these days, and especially our instructors Yura and Andrey and the group of honey badgers, namely Ruslan, Vitalik, Natasha and Artem, who were the sponsors of the good mood of the entire “Hot Peppers” squad! With each of them I can easily go to reconnaissance, to a radio station or to a restaurant. Just let them call.

For anyone who is hesitant to go hiking or not, I can say with confidence that only those who have never been on a hike don’t like going on a hike. Anyone who goes camping at least once will no longer be able to deny themselves this pleasure. Because no vehicle can get to where your feet can take you.

there are more photos from this hike here http://katinred.livejournal.com/25794.html