Hiking with “Adventure Carpathians”
Why to take a guided tour with us?
The mountains cover quite a large area and tourism has been developed only in some villages nearby skiing resorts. Otherwise it’s mostly densly forested area with few marked paths, so venturing on a proper hiking trip you have to be good with a map and a compass and have your own food supply and a tent. Locals in the villages usually are friendly but they do not speak any English, so the communication can be a problem.
If you take a guide you’ll be sure that you will not get lost, and that you will have a option to get back safely to the civilization in case the weather turns out badly. The Carpathians are not very high (up to 2000 m) but in the case of bad weather they can be quite rough and as any other mountains require good equipment, experience and responsible behavior.
The Carpathian Mountains are really beautiful and we want you to fall in love with them as we do.
Carpathian Mountains Travel Advice
11.09.2005, Werner Veegh and Anneliese Neuwirth, Austria
It may sound strange to go from a country like Austria, known for its mountains, to a trekking tour in the Ukrainian Carpathians, however, we not only wanted to restrict our visit to Lviv, but we also wanted to get to know the country’s nature as well.
Hiking in the Ukrainian mountains is not comparable to hiking in the Alps, since shelters and signposts are almost completely lacking. These trekking tours are therefore almost impossible to do without at least rudimentary knowledge of the language, knowing the area or being guided.
Our guides were two very nice English speaking students at Lviv University, who knew the area very well and were of help. They even cooked for us at a romantic camp fire in the woods. Unfortunately we were surprised by heavy rains in the mountains and got terribly wet. Nevertheless, it was a great experience we would not want to miss. During the long walks we had many interesting talks with our guides about their native country, the political situation and the revolution last winter.
21.09.2005, Alexa Chopivsky, NBC Universal, USA
Bring sturdy hiking shoes! In the Karpaty, you’re not always hiking on a fixed path. Much of it is freewheeling to the summit (think The Sound of Music). The Karpaty are the most beautiful hiking I’ve ever done. It’s a brilliant green, it’s clean, it’s not touristy. There are many opportunities for impromptu swimming but read the signs carefully in the event that swimming is forbidden - or risk getting fined 37 HR by the Park Rangers. They are unyielding. You can bring tents, but it’s also possible to sleep in scattered wooden huts, provided they’re not occupied by another group when you arrive. It’s also fun to visit the little villages scattered throughout the region - be prepared to share the roadways with the cows! In village stores you can buy the local dessert made of sunflowers - khalva.
19.02.2005 The Guardian (UK). Andrew Evans. Author, Ukraine: The Bradt Travel Guide
My advice is to go! The Ukrainian Carpathians have remained an undisturbed corner of Europe, and offer inspiring views and great trekking.
A few pointers. The best time for hiking is in late May, early June, or else in September/October. Summers can be rainy, and in August the area is packed with Polish and Ukrainian tourists. Consider travelling overland from Hungary or Poland, or else fly directly into Lviv, Ukraine - a city not to be missed. To avoid a lot of hassle, I suggest travelling with an agent who is familiar with the area. Not knowing Ukrainian is rarely an issue - Trans-Carparthia is an area that has belonged to over six different countries over the last century, and the people are polyglots, while the younger generation all know enough English to make your path easy. You’ll also have a much easier time getting around if you take the time to learn the Cyrillic alphabet.