The Hoverla Trip

Nearly every Ukrainian has a dream of conquering this mountain. It is the highest mountain peak and entire Ukraine can be viewed from it. It is the most popular touristic place in the country for those who love climbing peaks. When the weather is shiny and nice, it is filled with tourists, though the mountain is climbed in any season and any weather.

The height of Hoverla is 2061 meters. The mountain itself is located in among Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia regions and 17 km from the border of Romania.

Regardless of the legend, the name Hoverla originates from the Romanian language meaning “stiff rising”, however, in Hungarian it means “a snow mountain”. In fact, there is snow all the year round, even during summer.

It is mostly covered with Alpine tundra and shrubs. At the foot of the mountain, there is one of the Prut River sources.

According to the legend, in ancient times, there were two people in love – Prut and Hoverla, and the father of the girl Hoverla, an old dreadful molfar (a person with purported magical abilities in Hutsul culture), found out about it. Since he was against it, he turned his daughter into a huge mountain. When Prut learned what happened to his lover, he cried. So since then, the Prut River starts flowing from the slopes of Hoverla.

Climbing Hoverla is quite comfortable as there is mainly plain ground. The beauty from the peak that can be seen is indescribable. You can only see it and feel it on your own.

It is no wonder that Hoverla is such a major attraction for tourists. Every year, thousands of people conquer the summit. The most appropriate time for climbing is the beginning of May and the end of September. Other times, there are can be higher risks, so only experienced alpinists are allowed to climb.

Since Hoverla is located around the restricted area, you will need a specific pass card from the administration of the Reserve ahead of time.

Tourists must follow the rules: no fire, no garbage, no camping, no picking berries, herbs or mushrooms.

There are several routes for climbing Hoverla. It all depends on the level of your physical fitness.

However, regardless of the type of route, you do need good physical conditioning as you will be walking up for many kilometers. At the 1 500 meters height, you may lack oxygen.

Generally, in a good weather, it takes 3 hours to climb the peak. Hoverla keeps the love for Ukraine in your heart forever.