This report is about the tour: Highest mountains 🗓 August 29, 2010
A story about a hike to Goverla (the “Highest Peaks” route), August 29, 2010.
In Ivano-Frankivsk we met with the rest of the hike participants and our guide Alexander. The group gathered was small - 6 people together with Sasha, all wonderful, sincere people, and we managed to meet and become friends already in the hour when we were waiting for the bus to depart. So the statement “bad people don’t go camping” is one hundred percent true! So, we took a bus to the village of Kvasy, where we stocked up on very tasty mineral water, and set off on our way to our first overnight stay. The weather pleased us; along the way we managed to admire the surrounding nature. And the next morning an amazing picture awaited us - there were clouds in the valley below, from above it looked like whipped cream on a saucer:
The local shaggy cows on low legs, which walked to the pasture, filling everything around with the ringing of bells, were in great harmony with the surrounding nature. Today is our first serious hiking day - we are going to Petros. The weather is excellent, the sun is shining, visibility is simply excellent, and even despite the rather difficult transition for a city dweller unaccustomed to stress, the mood is excellent, the heart constantly skips a beat with admiration for the beauty of the surrounding nature.
Along the way, we saw with our own eyes the famous Ukrainian “chervona rue”:
All city problems and troubles have long been swept out of your head by the fresh Carpathian breeze, and finally that blissful feeling of finding your true self comes when you feel harmony with the world around you. I usually go on vacation to nature, away from civilization and its bustle, precisely for this feeling. So, we climb Petros, the picture from there simply defies description - thanks to the clear weather, the entire Montenegrin ridge and Hoverla are in full view!
After we've had enough of the views, it's time for another test - a rather steep descent from Petros, stories about which Sasha frightened us along the way. The descent is really steep, but thanks to the fact that the weather has been good the last few days, it was even easier for me than the previous climb. Although in fairness it is worth noting that in wet weather this descent is indeed quite dangerous and would certainly leave a lasting impression.
Unfortunately, this period of excellent weather ended - it rained all night, apparently the Carpathians want us not to relax and see them in different weather. In a thick cloud we walk to the nearest house, where we will have breakfast. Apparently, now we find ourselves in exactly the same place of accumulation of clouds in the lowlands that we admired yesterday morning. I must say, it looked better from above than from the inside . But today we are climbing the highest mountain in Ukraine - Hoverla! Well, we wanted adventure - here it is! Fortunately, there is no rain, just very damp, but because of the fog you can hardly see anything - but this is already sad.
The bad weather scared away many tourists and on Hoverla we find ourselves in splendid isolation, although according to Sasha’s stories it is usually very crowded here. The weather is getting worse, and the descent from Goverla, although not as steep as from Petros, is not easy for us. A strong wind begins, in places so strong that it knocked me off my feet several times; at times it was impossible to take a single step. Yes, now I understand how lucky we were with the weather yesterday when descending from Petros. However, the wind gradually subsides and we descend safely. On the way to the parking lot, we see a sunlit area further ahead - as proof of the changeability of the local weather.
At the evening stop, we are joined by the second guide Oleg, who brightens up the impressions of a difficult day with delicacies and interesting stories.
The next day we make a short, easy trek, because due to harsh weather conditions we decided not to climb Brebeneskul. Therefore, in the evening we have quite a lot of free time to talk a lot, and the game of “contact” with guessing the planned words brought our already friendly team together even more.
It’s been raining quite heavily all night again, which doesn’t want to stop even in the morning and therefore spoils our plans again - the climb to Pop Ivan is cancelled. But we make a short climb to see the famous Nesamovitoe Lake, where, according to local legends, the souls of suicides live, and swimming in this lake causes a storm. It looks like someone just recently took a swim in this lake, because the weather is deteriorating before our eyes, the rain is replaced by snow, under which the swamp is squelching due to the wet weather... To be honest, walking through this mess in trekking sneakers was quite unpleasant, so I advise everyone to get boots /T2⟧. In addition, when it rains, all the paths turn into streams, so those who wear sneakers are guaranteed constantly wet feet. But, on the other hand, this snow added a little more extreme and new impressions to our hike, so that we felt like we were on a real Carpathian hike with all natural phenomena.
It’s just a shame that the lake is almost invisible – but in the pictures it is so beautiful!
We emerge from the snow and continue our route along a relatively flat road - steep descents and ascents are unsafe in such weather.
By evening we are already returning “to civilization” - we spend the night in tents, but under a wooden canopy on a flat floor:
A nearby shop will diversify our evening menu, and in a cozy restaurant, those who wish can try the famous Ukrainian borscht with donuts and potato pancakes with mushrooms. After a morning trek through the snow, these evening gatherings in the restaurant were especially pleasant. In the evening we exchange contacts, because over these few days we have made friends and don’t want to lose touch. In the morning we collect our things and along the asphalt road, which has already become unusual, we set off to the bus to Ivano-Frankivsk. There, not far from the station, we arrange a farewell dinner, and then our paths diverge - some stay for another day to walk around cozy Ivano-Frankivsk, others hurry home.
Izotova Elena, Vitebsk, Belarus.