How it happens?

Most of our customers have never hiked in mountains. They can hardly imagine what a trekking trip is and how it is organized.

In this article we will try to describe to you the whole process – starting from arrangements by e-mail and preparations for a trip and ending with saying goodbye after happy travels. We hope this essay will help you get prepared for the upcoming trip.

Correspondence and tour ordering

On our website you can find the Tour Schedule. Please, choose a tour and date you like and fill out the application form for a trekking trip. We will confirm the receipt of your application form and send you a questionnaire for a trip participant. While filling your questionnaire you are welcome to ask any questions you may have about the future trip organization, essentials and equipment needed, etc. 

To confirm your participation in a hiking tour you will need to buy tickets and inform us about the date of your arrival and the train number (instead of advanced payment).

A group will be put together with all those who applied for the trip. Then, we will figure out the amount of food needed for the group during the trip and buy all necessary food provisions.

Group Meeting.

 As soon as we know the time and date of arrival of all the participants we will appoint the time and place of the group meeting. Usually, the group meets about a week before the trip. As a rule, we meet right at the train station in Simferopol (for tours in Crimea) or Ivano-Frankivsk (for trips in Carpathians). Also, we will send you the phone number and picture of your guide. We have an excellent team of professional guides. 

At the appointed time the group will meet. The guide will share the food provisions among all participants (about three or four kg per person) and check everyone’s equipment. After that all group members will be offered to read and sign the rules of conduct during the tour. Then a minibus, trolleybus or a train (depending on your hike trail) will take you to the trek start. It usually takes about an hour and a half to get to the point.

Upon the arrival to the trek start the guide will briefly repeat the rules of conduct during the trip, check the equipment and help to adjust your backpacks if necessary.

Trek start.

At the very beginning it may seem difficult to hike. Your backpacks may suddenly seem very heavy and a path may look like a band of obstacles. You should know that it’s quite normal for the start. You just need some time to get used to new conditions and in a day or so you will certainly feel much better. And by the end of your trip you will be able to run with your backpack on and will easily leave your guide behind. But to make this a reality you need to walk very slowly during the first days of your trip to give your organism enough time to adapt to new conditions.

By the end of the day hike you will set up a camp. Your guide will allocate the duties. Some will gather firewood, others will go to a spring to bring water or start making fire. Meanwhile the others will put up tents. The guide will always be there to help, if necessary. He will also take all necessary food provisions from those who carried them and will organize the meal cooking.

  When the dinner is ready everyone will be invited to enjoy the meal. 

During the evening tea by the fire all of the group members will introduce themselves to each other. They will tell a few words about themselves, their interests and hobbies. Then the guide will tell about the plans for the next day and answers the questions.

The most important thing on a multi-day hike is friendly atmosphere within the group. This is the key moment not only for the future impressions from the trip, but also for the hike safety. That is why it is necessary for all hikers to do their best to create close and warm relationship with the group. From the very first day of the journey the group members should try to be easy-going and friendly with each other. After all, there’s just one week to know each other.

Daily routine.

  We get up early, at about 7 a.m. The fire is started. While the breakfast is being cooked, everybody is packing the camp. You have about three hours to pack up. At 10 a.m. everyone should be ready to depart. 

So, the trip is under way. During the walking part of the day we take 15-minute breaks every 40 minutes of hiking. During uphill hiking we make many more stops. On the halt it is necessary to take off your backpacks to loosen up your shoulders, back and neck. In the middle of the day the guide will announce lunch time. At lunch bivouac we make no fire. Usually we have sandwiches and water for lunch (each hiker carries about two liters of drinking water). Usually we hike from 10 to 15 kilometers a day. But these “trekking kilometers” differ from those “urban ones.” The average pace of walking in mountains is just two km/h.

While trekking the group enjoys beautiful natural environments: caves, waterfalls, gorges and ancient ruins. The guide will tell you the history and some tourist stories about those places.

Changes in itinerary.

We’d like to note that the itinerary posted on our website can be changed during the trip, if necessary. Depending on the weather conditions, physical state of the group, and requests of the group members and other factors, the guide can decide to change the route. The guide’s task is not to follow the schedule by any means, but to be flexible to provide a safe trip. Meanwhile, he will certainly do his best to show you as many magnificent places as possible. Do not forget that much depends on you as well. Your ability to quickly pack up your rucksack in the morning and meet the rules during the trek may help to see more during the hike.

Saying good-bye.

  Every day of the journey is full of new events and impressions, unlike your usual city life. But finally the trip is coming to an end. It’s a little sad, but the gentle Black Sea is ahead, which makes you feel much better. 

At the last breakfast of our trip we exchange phone numbers and e-mails. Over the time spent together a group of separate individuals transforms into a happy and united team. Most of hikers make friends during such mountain trips.

As a rule, trekking ends at the seaside in one of the resort towns. You may put up a tent right on the beach or lodge at the resort. You can take a minibus to get to the train station.

Write a story.

  Upon returning home, please write us a story about your adventure and we will post it on our website. It is important to write it right upon your coming home while impressions are still fresh. 

Your essay will help our potential travelers to learn what a hike is and how it all happens.