Ascending Hoverla and Khomyak
Why this tour?
Been there, done that — you can’t say this about the Ukrainian Carpathians without having visited Hoverla, the highest peak of the country. In this 2-day walk you will experience two significant Carpathian ranges, the highest Ukrainian mountain range Chornohora («Black Mountains»), and wild and stony Gorgany. At the same time, the walk is relatively easy, as we spend the night in the hutsul lodge.
2 days
141 €
per person
all inclusive
on request
Khomyak Mountain
Vistas seen from the Khomyak summit
Stone fields in Gorgany
Vistas seen from the Khomyak summit
Zhenetsky Waterfall
Zhenetsky Waterfall
Hoverla Mountain
Chornohora Range and Hoverla Mountain
Hoverla Mountain
Lake Nesamovyte
Petros Mountain, viewed from Hoverla
Tour description
day 1
Ascent to the summit of Khomyak Mountain and the following descent to Zhenetsky Waterfall (8 km)
- departure from Lviv (7:00)
- transfer to Tatariv village
- walk to Khomyak Mountain through Homyak Meadow
- snack break
- ascent to the summit of Khomyak Mountain
- descent to Zhenetsky Waterfall
- transfer to a lodge and check-in
- dinner
day 2
Ascent to the summit of Hoverla Mountain across Lake Nesamovyte (15 km)
- breakfast in the lodge
- check-out
- transfer to Zaroslyak tourist camp
- ascent to Lake Nesamovyte
- snack break
- ascent to the summit of Hoverla Mountain
- snack break
- descent from Hoverla Mountain
- return to Lviv (appr. 22:00)
Price includes:
- bus transportation
- meals during the hike
- overnight stay and meals in a lodge (dinner and breakfast)
- guiding services
Price does not include:
- equipment rent
- extra drinks and meals
- travel insurance
Special Terms
The program of the tour is designed for physically healthy people who are interested in outdoor activities. The average distance of the daily walks is 8-15 km. Sections of rocky terrain or sometimes with snow may increase the complexity of the path. The tour is of low level of complexity and recommended to those who have the experience of day-long mountain walks. During the tour, everybody carries his/her own backpack with personal equipment and a share of common food supply for the group. Overnight stay in a lodge.
Higher in the mountains, the temperature may be significantly lower than that at the foothills, and strong winds may occur. Unpredictable weather changes are possible, too.
The guide reserves the right to make changes in the program depending on the weather or the condition of the participants.
Recommended Equipment
- Backpack for hiking (40-50L for women, 50-70L for men) with a rain cover
- Tent
- Sleeping pad
- Sleeping bag (comfort rating 0..+5 Cº)
- Light trekking shoes and a spare pair (sandals or sneakers)
- Socks (1 pair per day, 1 spare pair)
- Thermal underwear (top, for spring or autumn season also bottom)
- Light pants (long, not shorts!), for spring or autumn season wind stop pants
- Fleece jacket or sweater, two for spring or autumn season (1 light and 1 warm)
- Light hat (cap, buff or bucket hat); warm hat for spring or autumn season
- Light wind stop gloves (for spring/autumn)
- Waterproof and wind stop jacket
- Raincoat (poncho)
- Sitting mat with a fixing belt
- Plastic bottle of water (1,5 L or more); a thermos for spring or autumn season
- Individual dinner set (spoon or spork, mug, pot, knife)
- Headlamp
- Cellphone
- Trekking poles
- Personal portable first-aid kit and toiletry
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Set of clothes for transfers during the tour (shoes, socks, underwear, outerwear): please mind that the clothes after hiking may be wet or dirty
Highlights
Gorgany is one of the wildest and most exotic parts of the Carpathians. Gorgany landscapes have quite an unusual structure: middle-height (1400-1600 m asl average), but with drastic elevations. There are not many green meadows with the flocks of grazing sheep, like everywhere else in the Carpathians. Instead, in this desolate corner, you will find stunning summits, covered with vast stone fields. Local people call these stony formations «gregoty», mimicking the sound of rolling stones; hence the name of the range. This type of terrain is not found anywhere else in the Carpathian mountain system.
Khomyak Meadow is one of the classic Carpathian meadows, used as pastures by the local population. The landscapes are sensational, with the picturesque views of sheep herds and authentic shepherds’ summer sheds.
Khomyak Mountain is a picturesque summit, reaching 1542 m asl, and a popular hiking destination. The summit enjoys impressive panoramas in all directions, including Chornohora, the highest mountain range in Ukraine. The slopes of Khomyak are covered with stunning stone fields, which is a characteristic feature of the Gorgany range.
Zhenetsky Waterfall (or «huk», — this is how local people call all the falls, mimicking the sound of the falling water) is located on the Zhenets river, a headstream of the major local river Prut. It is a relatively young fall, which appeared in the result of a flood in the 1950s. The cascade height is 15 m.
Chornohora range is the highest mountain range of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The main range stretches approximately 40 km between the rivers Chorna Tysa (Black Tysa) in the west and Chorny Cheremosh (Black Cheremosh) in the east. Chornohora possesses all the highest mountains in Ukraine, so-called «two-thousanders» (the mountains above 2000 meters asl). The Ukrainian «two-thousanders» include 6 peaks, namely Hoverla (2061 m), Brebeneskul (2036 m), Pip Ivan (2028 m), Petros (2020 m), Hutyn Tomnatyk (2016), and Rebra (2002 m). In the mid-war period, Chornohora was a state border between Czechoslovakia and Poland, who gained independence after the disintegration of the Austrian-Hungarian empire. Here, you can still find the trenches of WWI and the burial places of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, operating on these territories during and after WWII. Now Chornohora serves as an administrative boundary between Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattya regions of Ukraine.
Hoverla Mountain is the highest peak in the Chornohora range and the highest mountain in Ukraine (2061 m asl). It is located on the administrative boundary of two Ukrainian regions, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattya, 17 km from the border with Romania. The mountain has the regular conic shape. Around Hoverla, there are other five highest mountains of the Ukrainian Carpathians, so called «two-thousanders» (listed above). The first touristic ascend rout to Hoverla was opened in 1880. Annual mass ascents are held on the Independence Day of Ukraine (August 24) to celebrate the occasion.
Lake Nesamovyte or «Fierce Lake» in Ukrainian, is one of the highest glacial lakes of the Ukrainian Carpathians, located 1750 m asl. The lake is relatively small and shallow, with the length of 88 m and the depth of only 1-1,5 m. Nonetheless, it has a notorious reputation; one of the local legends says that if disturbed, it will send down a storm upon the travellers so you better restrain from swimming and throwing stones into it!
Accommodation
A lodge in Mykulychyn or Tatariv village.
Meals
Dinner and breakfast in a lodge and snacks for lunches.
Rules
- No alcohol during the active walking part of the tour
- Please stick to the tour schedule and do keep up with the group
- Do not litter and take your waste with you
- Children under 16 should be accompanied by adults
Language
English / German / Polish, and Ukrainian with consecutive interpretation to the aforementioned languages.
Video from the previous walk:
3-4 September 2016
Additional information:
If you want to spend some time in Lviv and arrive before the tour, we are glad to offer the following services:
- transfer from the railway station or airport
- booking accommodation in hotels
- guided tours
- advice regarding your stay and leisure time in Lviv — don’t hesitate to ask!
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