Svidovets

Meeting of the group in Ivano-Frankivsk at the railway station. Transfer to the village of Kevelev (about 130 km - this is at least 3 hours of driving). From here the walking part of the route begins - an ascent along the stormy Gropinets River. At first there will be a forest around, but after 2-3 hours the trail will lead us to the Gropa meadow (polonina - mountain pasture), where cattle graze freely all summer. We will spend the night in this pasture. If possible, we will buy fresh milk and cheese from the shepherds.

Early in the morning (this way there is less chance of encountering a cloud) we will begin our climb to the top of Mount Bliznitsa (1880m). The trail goes through a classic alpine valley - lush meadows surrounded by mountain spurs (the so-called cirque). At some point we leave the bottom of the cirque and continue along the ridge. Having conquered the double peak of Bliznitsa, we will continue to move along the Svidovets ridge, which looks very soft and picturesque thanks to its smooth shapes and fresh grass. Overnight in the area of Mount Stog (1704m) under which lies the famous ski resort Dragobrat.

  We continue moving along the Svidovets ridge. For now it’s more like a walk - the road is flat and wide, without climbing. It goes easily and freely. Peaks and lakes fly past one after another: Kotel, Dovgyaska, Tataruka (1707m). Now it’s time to go down from Svidovets. We go to the Okole pass, which is the border between Gorgany and Svidovets. The largest tributary of the Danube, the Tisza River, begins here. We will spend the night at this pass.   

Through a dense coniferous forest, smoothly turning into thickets of elfin wood, we climb Mount Bratkovskaya (1788m), which already belongs to the Gorgany massif. Unlike the grassy Svydovets, the peaks here are dominated by stone placers. The old Polish-Czechoslovak border runs along the ridge, marked by mighty stone border posts. We have to cross Mount Gropa and traverse the peak of Durnya, which is overgrown with impassable zherep (elfin conifer). By evening we will descend from the ridge on the other side of the mountains.

We go down to the Pantyr meadow. The road passes through a humid, almost tropical coniferous forest (a strange combination). We jump over bumps and cross puddles for about an hour :) From the Pantyr meadow a normal road begins, along which we will head to the Legion Pass. There is a huge cross here in memory of the fallen Polish soldiers. The surrounding forests are dotted with crumbling trenches and dilapidated dugouts - a legacy of several wars that swept through the peaceful Carpathians in the last century. We spend the night at the Legion Pass. 

  Our hike around Svidovets has come to an end - in the morning we begin to “get out to the people.” Our goal, the village of Bystritsa, is not so far away, but local roads often look like rivers, which somewhat reduces the speed of movement. We walk along the Rafailovets River. In Bystritsa we take a local bus (or order a direct minibus) - we go towards Ivano-Frankivsk. We will be at the railway station no earlier than 18:00. If possible, get tickets for the latest trains.