Svydovets

Svydovets

Svydovets is a compact massif of the Ukrainian Carpathians west of Chornohora, beyond the Black Tisza valley. Its landmark is the twin Blyznytsia peaks (Velyka Blyznytsia, 1881 m) and gentle grassy ridges with glacial cirque lakes (Drahobrat, Vorozheska, Hereshaska). On its northern slope sits Drahobrat, Ukraine’s highest ski resort. Below are a map, the peaks and lakes of the massif and tours across it.

Tours

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First trip
Carpathians · 2015
First trip

The hike to Svidovets is my first hike with tents for 6 days. Before this, I had no idea what it was like to walk up and down the mountains for 6 days, with a backpack, live in…

⛰ Svydovets ✍ Roman Kozyi
Every cloud has a silver lining
Carpathians · 2015
Every cloud has a silver lining

I returned home, plunged into work and once again realized that vacation is a different life. And if your vacation is spent in the mountains, it’s a different life with a taste of a…

⛰ Trek in the Marmarosy Mountains ✍ Anna Mylokost
Something extraordinary
Carpathians · 2015
Something extraordinary

Hello Kirill! One of the participants in the hikes with your instructors is writing to you. It’s very difficult to force me to write anything, because I have to spend a lot of time…

⛰ Trek in the Marmarosy Mountains ✍ Oleh Lohe
I want more
Carpathians · 2015
I want more

I'll start with the route - the first impression from the description was so-so, it looked more like a children's route through the valleys, but the reality turned out to be much…

⛰ Svydovets ✍ Vytalyi Frolov
Have a nice weather
Carpathians · 2015
Have a nice weather

Greetings, dear residents of the city who are planning to get their ass off the couch! I hasten to share with you my impressions of the trip to Svidovets. The route was chosen based…

⛰ Svydovets ✍ Liudmyla Shepetovskaia
Over the tops of the mountains
Carpathians · 2015
Over the tops of the mountains

Just returned from a hike to Lake Synevyr, Carpathians. I really liked it. Everything was on the level. I've been hiking since I was 5 years old, so I know what I'm talking about.…

⛰ Svydovets ✍ Ylia Rybachuk
Strength test
Carpathians · 2013
Strength test

Where does the hike begin? From choosing a route, packing a backpack or taking the first step along forest paths? For me, it starts with defining a set of impressions that I will…

⛰ Svydovets ✍ Yulyia Kozyna
It won't be boring
Carpathians · 2009
It won't be boring

Summer. It's time for vacation. And so I also decided to rest. But I’m the kind of person who loves active recreation, so I had to look on the Internet for something to do. The…

⛰ Svydovets ✍ Yhor Hrytsiuk
Усі звіти (8)

FAQ

Where does the name "Svydovets" come from?

There is no firm explanation. One version derives it from the shrub "svydyna" (dogwood), common in the local forests.

How do you get to Svydovets?

The easiest way is via Yasinia and the Drahobrat resort (and on to Blyznytsia), also from Rakhiv and Ust-Chorna. Trains and buses reach Yasinia; Drahobrat is accessed by off-road vehicle or transfer.

What is the massif made of (geology)?

The same Carpathian flysch - sandstones and Cretaceous-Paleogene rock - but with broad, gentle ridges. Glacial cirques hold lakes (Vorozheska, Apshynets, Drahobrat), and the twin Blyznytsia peaks are the massif’s highlight.

How is Svydovets different from its neighbours?

Unlike the rocky Gorgany, Svydovets is smooth and grassy, more like Chornohora but lower. Its signatures are the twin Blyznytsia peaks and Drahobrat, Ukraine’s highest ski resort.

Which rivers rise here?

The massif lies between the Teresva to the west and the Chorna Tysa to the east; the Kosivska and other tributaries also flow from it. All waters belong to the Tysa, i.e. the Danube, basin.

What about the flora and fauna?

The gentle ridges carry subalpine meadows with rare Red-listed plants, and beech and spruce forests below. It is this fragile nature that makes the planned large resort on Svydovets so controversial.

Is there a reserve here?

The eastern part is the Svydovets Protected Massif (about 1500 ha) within the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, with restricted access. The rest of the ridge is open to hikers, but since 2021 there has been a dispute over plans to build a ski resort on Svydovets.

Tours on the map

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