Hoverla - all hiking routes

There are five more two-thousanders above Chernogora, which in good weather can be seen from the top of Hoverla. The most spectacular is austere Petros (2020 m), standing alone opposite, and on the other side of the ridge look ribs (2001 m), Gutin-Tomnatic (2017 m), Brebeneskul (2032 m). At the very end of the ridge rises Pop Ivan Montenegro (2028 m) with a unique building of high-altitude observatory on top.

Hoverla – hiking routes

There are at least six ascent routes to Hoverla. How to choose the best and the most beautiful one? We’ll tell you about popular variants and show you all the nuances of these hiking routes.

There are several settlements at the foot of the mountain, from which you can start ascent Hoverla. The best way to get there is by bus or by car from Ivano-Frankovsk. The shortest way to get to the top is from Zaroslyak mountain sports base; there are also quite popular ways of getting up from Lazeshchyna village and Kozmeshchyk village.

Other popular solutions are from Yasinya and Kvasiv with ascent to Mt Petros, much less popular is the long serpentine route from the village Goverla. Travelers who decide to climb all the two-thousanders of Ukraine during a hike through the Carpathians, usually ascend or descend from Hoverla toward Breskul, in which case Hoverla is an intermediate peak in the five-to-six-day hike.

Route to Hoverla from Zarosliak

From Zarosliak to the top of Hoverla there are two routes. They have  blue and green marking. Another yellow leads to the middle of the Montenegrin range to the Turkul peak and Lake Nesamovite. The green route to Hoverla is longer, but it is flatter; the blue marker leads to the summit straight ahead, in some places on a rather steep path.

To see more, if the weather is good, we recommend climbing to the summit by the blue route and descending by the green route. This will save your knees, because then the descent will be a little more gentle. If the weather changes for the worse during the ascent or you don’t have enough time – choose the way you ascended, so you won’t get lost.

The route starts from the three-story sports base, which can be reached from Ivano-Frankivsk through Vorokhta. But the last 12 km of the route will have to be covered either by your own car or by a private transfer, because regular buses don’t go to Zarosliak. Passing the mountain stream Kozmiesky, the first kilometer of ascent you will walk along a path through a picturesque spruce forest. Then the thick and shady forest will be replaced by bushes of juniper and mountain pine. The trail at this point is narrow and quite rocky; you must be careful not to trip, tear or lose your equipment.

After passing the juniper bushes and reaching the eastern shoulder of Hoverla, you will see Hoverla waterfall on your left. This is where the Prut river, which is glorified in legends, starts. After a short rest and admiring the beauty of mountain scenery, which is already open to our eyes, you will have about 250 meters of climbing. It is a difficult but at the same time the most beautiful part of the ascent. You can go down from the top of Hoverla to Zaroslyak along another path, marked in green.

Features of the route to Hoverla from Zarosliak:

• One-way route length by blue marking – 3.7 km, by green – 4.3 km;
• altitude – 770 m;
• ascent takes 2.5 – 3.5 hours, descent 2 – 2.5 hours;
• the shortest route of ascent and descent;
• the opportunity to get to the top of Hoverla and descend from it in just one day
• the most popular route, so it is always crowded;
• the trail is stony and very slippery in some places after the rain;
• you need a transfer to the sports base Zaroslyak or get on your own car;

You can join a group and hike with an experienced Kuluar teamleader at the link: hiking Hoverla in one day from Zaroslyak.

Besides, we have one more route from the side of Zaroslyak. It’s a two-day trek where the participants not only climb Hoverla, but also make hiking to the mountain Nesamovite lake. Overnight stay in tents, and that means sitting around a campfire and real hiking romance is guaranteed! See the details on the page for ascent Hoverla and hiking to Nesamovite Lake.

Route to Hoverla from Kozmeshchik

The ascent route to Hoverla from Kozmeshchik is longer than from Zaroslyak in terms of time and kilometer, but it is much more picturesque. The trail goes along the north-western spur, where Hoverla is shown in all its beauty as a sharp pyramidal peak. There are views of steep cliffs and steep cliffs that you can approach up close. The northern spur of Hoverla is quite long and has a flat, almost level part, from which you can watch the harsh and impressive Petros from the most beautiful angle.
From Kozmeshchik the ascent to Hoverla goes through a nice spruce forest, and at 1350 m ends up at Gropa Hollow. From Gropa you can already see the peak of Hoverla, surrounded by steep slopes, but the best view of the Carpathian beauty is opened from the gentle part of the spur at the height of 1650 m.

The trail on this route is marked in yellow. There is a small wooden house just below the summit of Hoverla, where it is convenient to refresh and drink tea, or to wait out bad weather. Some people say that the last ascent is the hardest, but others, on the contrary, have warmed up well enough thanks to a fairly smooth ascent from Kozmeshchik, and overcome the last meters to the summit in one breath. But every now and then our breath is taken away by the views, because we are already in the high mountain zone and higher than most of the Carpathian mountain ranges! And all of them – as on the palm!

Features of the route to Hoverla from Kozmeshchik:

• the length of the route in one direction – 7.7 km, the total ascent – 1200 m;
• Smooth ascent with a fairly uniform gain in altitude;
• quite smooth and smooth downhill, where you can fully enjoy the Carpathian landscapes;
• the ascent takes 4 – 4.5 hours, the descent takes about three hours;
• one of the most picturesque routes to Hoverla – views of steep cliffs, steep slopes and deep gorges;
• You can easily get to Lazeshchyna by public transport, where you can walk to Kozmeshchik in two hours, or take a cab;
• the possibility of staying in comfortable mountain cottages in Kozmieszczyk (better than in Zaroslyak) and hiking Hoverla and Petros without heavy backpacks;
• significantly less people than on the trail hiking from Zarosliak, much more wildlife on the way to the summit;

Taking into account all the advantages of hiking Hoverla from the Kozmeshchik side, we developed a great three-day tour, which includes accommodation in a cozy Hutsul hut in Kozmeshchik, lifting without heavy backpacks to the top of Hoverla, as well as interesting excursions to the most beautiful places of the region. Among the excursions there are visits to Probyj, Zhenetsky Guk and Trufanets waterfalls, mineral spring in Kvasy, Bukovel attractions and view locations, souvenir market in Yaremche. Read more here: Hiking Hoverla in comfort + excursions to Bukovel, Yaremche and waterfalls.

Hiking Hoverla from the side of Petros and hiking along the Montenegrin Ridge

For those who would not like to climb Hoverla alone, and want to enjoy the Carpathian Mountains to the fullest, there are two more interesting options of climbing the highest peak of Ukraine. After all, you can go through all the two-thousanders of Ukraine in one hike! The best way is to start the trip from Kvasy, pass the whole Montenegrin ridge from Petros (2020m) to Popa Ivan Montenegrin (2028m) and finish in Shiben or Dzembron. More details about this route can be found in the description of our six-day hike along the Montenegrin Ridge. The route passes through the high Carpathian Mountains and is suitable for both beginners and experienced hikers.

The advantages of the route to Hoverla during the hike along the Montenegrin Ridge

• almost a hundred percent probability of successful ascent to the summit due to the fact that there is a greater number of days;
• the ascent to the summit itself will feel easier, because the first two days of the hike before it will help you to warm up well and get into the hiking rhythm;
• the ascent to the summit will be relatively low, because you will already be at an altitude of about 1500 m above sea level;
• for a few days hike you can fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Carpathian mountains, feel their energy and strength;
• for six days of the campaign is very likely to catch a good weather in the highlands and see the magnificent scenery from an altitude of 2000 meters;
• the opportunity to see the variety of flora of the Carpathians in different weather conditions, to see wild birds and animals;
• to feel the Hutsul hospitality and color, to try Polona cheese and fresh milk right in the mountains!
• Meet interesting people while hiking and spend several days with them in the mountains in an unforgettable atmosphere of hiking;
• find true friends, because all human qualities are best revealed in these conditions, in the mountain hike.

For those who do not have much time, there is an option to climb the two highest peaks of the Ukrainian Carpathians – Petros and Hoverla in three days. The route is convenient to start both in Kvasy and Kozmeshchik. The way from Kvasy is longer but it is more interesting and at the start you can taste the famous mineral water from the spring. The advantage of the route to Petros and Hoverla from Kozmeshchik is that you can go to Petros radial (without heavy backpacks), and then continue your way to Hoverla. The route is recommended for beginners and children as well. Read more about this 3-day variant here: Hiking Hoverla and Petros.

Now you know about all the best variants for hiking on Hoverla 🙂 You can choose which of them suits you best and pack the equipment, because you have very little time left to get your dream come true! 🙂 Have a nice weather and see you on the route!

If on Hoverla – with Kuluar!