Just Maria gaining height

Report on winter hike on Carpathians Montenegrin mountains 3-7 January 2015. Author: Denis Yanov. Rating: 5 The trip went great and I am very happy. There were hardships and joy, terrible cold and hot baths, icy winds and fascinating fires, great company and incredible scenery of mountains and forests. I thank tourclub OutdoorUkraine and all who have shared with me that positive that I got in a hike! August 27, 2014

Summer. The end of August. He stood on the top of the mountain and the sun pleasantly played on his skin. Peering at the nearby peaks, he said to himself: "I'll be back!" And he returned....

January 3, 2015. These days....

the first Day. The beginning of "operation snowflake"

One experienced traveler told me once: "Winter Hoverla is summer Elbrus". I was not in the Caucasus, but I can say for sure that the Carpathians in winter is not an easy walk. Not an easy one.

The first day started by tradition in Ivano-Frankivsk. The group gathered quickly boarded the bus and went into the arms of the mountains. Before landing, I was persuaded that the sleeping bag must be a minimum temperature of -10 comfort, I had a sleeping bag with comfort -5. I decided to play safe and to hire more reliable spalicek and thank biscuits, how grateful I was to myself for this act later.

Arriving at the checkpoint and traditionally thatcauses squad "Simply Maria" started lifting (about the marvelous name of the squad I will discuss later). The objective of the first day - the top Kukul (about 1500 meters). The rise was unexpectedly steep and difficult, as for the first day. The body is still not used to the load, and they have crept up unnoticed in the form of slippery snow and heavy backpacks. We have reached the peak when the moon had risen above the horizon. Exhausted the first day of the lifts our little flock has arrived for the night in a shepherd's hut (kolyba).

I hurried to the event, when he began to rejoice in the fact that overnight will be in the house, away from the cold wind, which is not a joke was played on top. The house was flushed all the winds and had a leaky roof (snow literally rained on our heads when we ate and sat near the fire). Something like drying clothes and getting ready to sleep all fled bags and it was a dream, if it can be called so, because in the morning conversations, it became clear that the record for sleep was the man who slept for 5 hours (believe me, he was incredibly lucky if he managed to sleep so much time in the cold).

To somehow keep warm we slept in wolmera on each bunk. Thus ended the first day, which brought the first of the complexity and the realization that we were not at the resort.

second Day. A beam of heat in the Kingdom of ice

Only sunlight broke through the clouds, and the group "Simply Maria" was ready for new tasks. Dense Breakfast and thanking our house for the hospitality we have gone further along the Montenegrin mountains. The forest welcomed us with fabulous scenery that seemed to have to be on carefully retouched pictures. This nature is hundreds of times more beautiful that can show you any picture. After a long ascent of the first day was a long way down the second day. During the descent group met on their way 100-year boundary columns, which celebrated old Poland and Czechoslovakia. Yes, we went in Transcarpathia, where before and Ukraine was not and now another time zone.

Reaching the tourist shelter we decided to relax in the heat and treat yourself to a bath. Special thanks to the owner of the shelter Cosmedic - Misha, who gave us the opportunity to relax after a 2 day journey. Take a steam bath in the most desperate and began to dart out wipe snow and dive into the hole (yours truly was one of those "vidshadow"). The second day was kind of like the contrast on the background first. We fully rest and gain strength before the third day. Alarming team instructor: "Tomorrow we get up early and go up a lot" foreshadowed new challenges and hardships that I will never forget until the end of his life....

third Day. Endless night

Abandon all hope ye who enter here the incoming

The third day was hellishly difficult, and it began with a loss. In the unit "Just Mary" appeared first loss. Two of us caught a cold and had to go with the route. We were sad to lose comrades, but with body temperature +39 degrees not much navoyuesh. Saying goodbye to Jenny and Tanya we slim next moved on.

We took off at a height of 974 feet. You can say the lowlands by the standards of the Carpathians. It was 8 in the morning, the weather was nice and our lack of wind and deep snow. As you climb the forest became thicker, and ate up. The giant ate their snowy tops of sheltered us from the gusts of cold wind. Even at the height of 1400 meters we played in the snow and jumped in the snow, arranged photo shoots and enjoyed life and snow as 10-year-old kids.

This all changed starting height above 1600 meters. The higher we climbed the picture became darker. The dense forest has disappeared and the snow increased. With no oil cold wind began to take the reins in his cold hands. Sensing something was wrong "Simply Maria" beginning to warm up. In the course went for more bandages, balaclavas and scarves.

At an altitude of 1700 meters squad caught up with a group of snowboarders who decided to ride from the summit down. The snowboarders were completely depleted, every second was just sitting on the snow, the biting wind. Glass sight of their guide talked about the fact that their rise has ended. Bit of frustration and fear of the unknown was passed to me. I think each of us has doubts whether to continue to rise or not. Armed with snowshoes and pulling the ski mask squad moved up.

The picture on the way to the top of the mountain stood before us, truly apocalyptic. An exact copy of the story about global cooling. Remnants of vegetation and ate completely disappeared under piles of snow. Where were the trees? were icy snow cones. The wind rose to a hurricane, visibility 5 meters maximum (I only saw the neighbor's front and rear, everything else was in "milk"). Each meter was difficult. Where once we walked 100 meters for half an hour (up), at around 1800 meters this distance was covered three times longer.

I thought the hurricane, the winds, zero visibility, heavy backpack and stiff fingers is the end of my suffering, but a new problem appeared. Overcoming another snow slope we started to fall in the snow belt. To Atropatena from this hole you need to make great efforts, which almost does not remain. Having met another group of tourists before the final assault on the peak of the mountain I had a small hope that we will go upstairs without backpacks, as did a group of Dnepropetrovsk, but the squad "Just Mary" not "trained for 10 years to find an easy way out.

After a couple minutes we moved in another high-altitude climb. Recent accidents 100 meters lasted for all eternity. One of the team members began to panic and he Polokhalo, but fortunately nothing happened. Peak Hoverla (2061 m) was an absolute triumph of snow, ice and frost. I had thoughts sfotkatsya there, but fear to freeze their fingers overpowered me. Minute feeling glad to conquer the mountain began the descent.

I thought the climb was difficult, but the descent gave him a head start. To deep snow and frosty, knocking down the wind added ice. Icy and spiked snow stones on the slopes of mount n-TES the number of times they would try to throw us down. One of us not lucky enough to slip over and start to slide down, but the detectives "Simply Maria" were selected for this complex operation, to take the position. Lightning jerky sticks Elena was able to slow down and already climbing up to stand on his feet to continue the descent. Downstairs and off backpacks at the weather station we were grateful to the instructor, all things visible and invisible forces (and ourselves) that we were able to climb and descend from the highest mountain of Ukraine in very adverse and harsh winter conditions.

Exhausted but happy we dispersed to their rooms, and allow themselves to be long-awaited dream....

fourth Day. General frost

The morning started much later than the previous day. It began at 9:00, and someone at 10:00. We relaxed. A well-deserved rest and time to think over done gave us strength to continue our hike.

Gathering his strength, we said goodbye to meteorologists and started dumping height. Light we got to the tourist Parking lot and started to put up tents. Nisanka was comfortable in a geographical sense. Here is not the wind blew and it was a lot of water from a spring. Darkness descended upon the earth and it is the Holy Night. Christmas! A little podsuetivshis we got kutu and traditionally divided it between group members. Kutya was a success. I such a delicious ever ate.

But the Carpathians decided to give us another surprise. A farewell kiss.

Throughout the campaign, windless period of time, the temperature fell no lower than -10 degrees. On Christmas night the temperature dropped to -30. Some of us have promedical thought to throw the idea to spend the night outside in -30 and go to CPR for rescuers, but members of the squad "Simply Maria" such a temperature as not to break! All slept in tents and all lived to see the morning!

fifth Day. Christmas morning

Christmas morning we were like manna from heaven. It helped us to be free from frosty fetters and again to be ready to perform its tasks. Having drunk a Cup of tea and icy fingers gathering equipment group "Simply Maria" went to meet the bus in the village of Vorokhta.

After 4-5 hours walk we reached our final destination, where we took a helicopter to the mainland"

Mission accomplished!

Results

The trip went great and I am very happy. There were hardships and joy, terrible cold and hot baths, icy winds and fascinating fires, great company and incredible scenery of mountains and forests. I thank the firm Outdoor and all who have shared with me that positive that I got in a hike! Fortunately, on my adventures were not over, and they continued in Lviv on the next day, where I visited a 1000 and one architectural wonder of this city, went down in the coffee mine was up at city hall