Drahobrat ski resort
Drahobrat is Ukraine's highest ski resort, with a base elevation of about 1300 m. This puts the entire resort in the zone of high snowfall and stable snowpack. In the mid-2000s Drahobrat was the first ski resort to open its lifts and the last to turn them off - usually around May 1st. At the same time, blizzards and low visibility were more common than at other ski resorts, which could keep you off the slopes for considerable amounts of time. When the clouds cleared you would be rewarded with the best views of any Carpathian ski resort. Drahobrat is located in the region with the most dramatic peaks in the Carpathians. Just across the valley is the Chornohora ridge with Ukraine's highest mountain, Hoverla, at 2061 m.
At Drahobrat you can enjoy up to 350 m of elevation drop. Five or six tow lifts from 350 to 1000 m in length reach up the mountainside as far as the summit of Stig mountain at 1703 m. The skiing is as wild as it gets in Ukraine. The "resort" began as a hikers' refuge (turbaza) back in Soviet times and was steadily expanding, with new lodgings being built from year to year.
In the 2004/2005 ski season one ride on a lift cost 4 UAH (80 cents). Day passes were available. Lines were nonexistent on weekdays, and slopes were generally groomed.
Accommodations
Drahobrat is located 18 km away from the nearest civilization, so the only place to buy food or rent equipment is directly at the resort. Also, there is no "private sector" of locals' homes to stay at, just a collection of hotels and small private inns. Hot water, electricity, and hot meals are available everywhere.
The long road to Drahobrat
In the mid-2000s the only way to get to Drahobrat was to take a winding, treacherous unpaved mountain road in an old Soviet UAZ or GAZ. With all the snow and deep ruts, this could be a harrowing experience. But that was part of the novelty of Drahobrat: getting there was almost like going on a pilgrimage. Die-hard Ukrainian skiers usually said that Drahobrat was their favorite Ukrainian resort!
UAZ "taxis" waited for you and other skiers at the bottom of the road in Yasinya, which was then about a 2-hour bus or taxi ride from the Ivano-Frankivsk train station. You could also get there by the snail-paced narrow-gauge diesel train (4 hours) from Ivano-Frankivsk. If you had a group of people, it may have been easiest to rent a minivan in Ivano-Frankivsk (you'd find them at the bus/train station) for around 200 UAH to take you to Yasinya. The ride up to Drahobrat cost 80-120 UAH per car. There were rumors that an aerial tramway might be built to bypass the road up the mountain and make the resort more accessible.
All this means that Drahobrat is not a place to spend one day at and then try somewhere else. If you're coming on the train from Kyiv, the soonest you'll get there is around noon the next day, and you'll need to leave soon after noon on the way back to make the evening train back to Kyiv. You'll get the most enjoyment from Drahobrat and its beautiful surroundings and aura by spending 3-5 days there.
www.skiukraine.info