Tourist map of Gorgany

This page hosts a large JPEG scan of a Gorgany tourist map at 1:50,000 scale (a Ukrainian "500-meter map"): one file covering the whole massif from Osmoloda to Yaremche. Below: what edition it is, the cartographic base, how reliable the trails are, and modern alternatives worth buying or loading on your phone.

What map is this?

The file gorgany_map.jpg (~13 MB, roughly 9100×6300 pixels) is not a single printed sheet but a digital mosaic of several 1:50,000 tourist maps stitched into one overview image. Such "glued" versions have circulated among hikers for years for OziExplorer, laptops, or reference viewing.

The cartographic style is clear: a Soviet topographic base (USSR General Staff 1:50,000 sheets, 10 m contour interval) with modern tourist overlays - coloured route lines, Ukrainian labels, WGS-84 grid, springs, shelters, and mountain-rescue phone numbers. The legend fragment (Bratkivska - Hropa - Ruska ridge) matches the Central Gorgany sheet from the series now published by the Stezhky i Mapy (Trails and Maps) project.

Coverage on one file is wide: from Nadvirna and Osmoloda in the west through Bystrytsia, the central ridge (Grofa, Popadia, Ihrovets, Syvulia, Bratkivska, Hropa, Dovbushanka) to Yaremche, Bukovel, and peaks Syniak, Khomiak in the east, plus Ust-Chorna in the south-west. For field trips this monolith works as an overview; for mountain navigation you should carry separate up-to-date sheets (see below).

Publisher and series history

Ukrainian publishers have produced Gorgany tourist maps since the 2000s. Timeline (from Stezhky i Mapy authors):

• 2006 - "Gorgany", co-edition with Polish publisher Compass and PTTK (2 sheets, Polish);
• 2009 - "Gorgany. Polonyna Krasna. Svidovets" (Konting / Ruthenus);
• 2011-2013 - Aurius sheets (Svidovets, Chornohora, etc.);
• 2012-2017 - Assa series (Western / Central / Eastern Gorgany, Gorgany forelands);
• since 2017 - Stezhky i Mapy, author and publisher Vasyl Gutirak (stezhky.org).

Our scan matches the Assa / Stezhky i Mapy look, but the exact reprint year cannot be read from the JPEG alone. It is an archival scan for download, not an official publisher PDF.

Cartographic base

Underlay: General Staff topographic maps at 1:50,000 (Soviet-era, updated contour data). Overprinted:

• marked hiking routes (red, blue, green - matching paint in the field);
• extra trails from GPS surveys (Stezhky i Mapy adds hundreds of kilometres absent on Soviet sheets);
• Ukrainian labels (and English on newer prints) for peaks, tracts, villages;
• mountain-rescue numbers and route stats (distance, ascent).

Scale: 1 cm = 500 m. Contours every 10 m - standard for Carpathian 1:50,000 hiking maps.

Trail accuracy

Relief, streams, and summits on the Soviet base change slowly - reliable here.
On-the-ground marking (tree paint, posts) fades in Gorgany and is not refreshed every year; many old blue/red blazes are gone. Use compass, terrain, and GPS, not paint alone.

Logging roads and new paths shift faster after cuts, heavy rain, and resort development. The scan lacks recent routes near Bukovel, new skid trails, and updates from 2018-2024 found on fresh Stezhky i Mapy sheets (e.g. Central Gorgany reprint, 2021).

Main ridge routes (Grofa - Ihrovets - Syvulia - Bratkivska - Hropa; ascents of Syniak and Khomiak from Yaremche or Tatariv) have been stable for decades, but local detours, fords, and slope changes after storms may differ from the line on the map.

Bottom line: for a serious trek carry a recent printed sheet or digital map with current trails; our JPEG is a useful free overview and backup, not your only navigation source.

Alternative Gorgany maps

Printed (recommended for trekking)

• Stezhky i Mapy - four 1:50,000 sheets: Western, Central, Eastern Gorgany and Gorgany forelands; ~80-160 UAH (laminated). Most complete for Ukrainian Gorgany; sold at Gorgany, Terra Incognita, Top Rope, and other outdoor shops.
• Assa (laminated) - earlier series by the same author; some shops still stock leftovers, but new trips are better served by Stezhky i Mapy.
• Aurius / Ruthenus (Czech / Polish, 2009-2013) - quality sheets for Svidovets and eastern Gorgany; limited Ukrainian labels, increasingly rare.
• Compass / PTTK (2006, Poland) - historic two-sheet edition; Polish language, no modern Bukovel trails.

Digital

• OpenStreetMap + apps (Organic Maps, OsmAnd, Locus Map) - free; Gorgany trails are community-maintained, often newer than this scan, but marking standards vary.
• Mapy.cz - solid topographic base for the Carpathians, tourist paths shown, offline mode.
• Soviet General Staff 1:50,000 scans (free online) - accurate relief, but no tourist trails and outdated forests/roads.

Download the scan

Download the Gorgany map (13 MB, JPEG). Suitable for wide-format printing or tablet viewing; GPS georeferencing for navigators is not included in this archive.

Gorgany treks with Outdoor Ukraine

Every year we run Gorgany trekking tours - multi-day ridge routes with guides, without having to plan logistics yourself.