Climbing to the top of the highest peak in Ukraine (Hoverla Mount) is an exciting adventure, a difficult challenge with great physical exertion, but also a significant event that is worth your effort.
Hoverla Mount (translated from Romanian as “difficult to reach”) is part of the Ukrainian Carpathian mountain system on the border of Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpatska regions. Height of Hoverla Mount is 2061 meters.
The nearest localities are Vorokhta (40 km), Yasinya (23 km), Rakhiv (50 km).
To enter the territory of the Carpathian National Natural Park you need to pass through the checkpoint, which records the number of visitors. Here you will have to fill out a small form and pay the fee.
It is better to start climbing in the morning. It often rains in the afternoons.
The most popular starting point for climbing to Hoverla is Zaroslyak tourist base, located at the altitude of 1 100 meters.
You can reach this tourist base on foot, by bike, bus or car.
There is a small parking near the Zaroslyak base.
It is important to know that the road to the base is not asphalted, filled with stone, so you need to drive carefully.
At the beginning of the ascent you will see the scheme of possible climb routes.
The green route is more gently sloping (about 4 km long), the blue one is more difficult (3,5 km long).
Groups of tourists are accompanied to the top by the guides, but an independent ascent is also possible. After all, there are marks along the whole route. And you won’t get lost, if you follow them.
Moreover, a lot of people climb to Hoverla: children who have only recently learned to walk, active young people, mature people, as well as grandfathers and grandmothers. So you won’t be alone. Some tourists climb, accompanied by their pets, who are not far behind, and sometimes even ahead their masters.
We highly recommend you to take for your climbing: a cap, sunglasses, comfortable shoes (you have to jump from stone to stone very often), water, snacks to re-fuel your energy, a backpack, where you can put a windbreaker, warmer clothes (it is often much cooler and windy at the top). Be sure to take raincoat with you, because the weather in the mountains is very changeable and it can rain at any moment.
It is important to understand that climbing to Hoverla requires considerable effort and it is advisable to have physical training in advance (for example, brisk walking, running, gymnastics).
The ascent lasts about 3,5 hours and can be divided into three levels:
- relatively light walk along the forest and Prut river,
Some tourists set their tents at the foot of the Hoverla Mount.
2. then the forest vegetation smoothly comes into the juniper bushes.
3. and finally – the most difficult, steep, rocky ascent with grass vegetation.
The peak of Hoverla Mount!
The descent from the mountain is faster than the ascent.
You can ride the last hundreds of meters by the Zip Line attraction.
Author (c): Iryna Melnyk
Photos (c): Nick Melnyk