Our story is about a picturesque and interesting corner of the Carpathians, where you can walk along wide mountain meadows, explore secret trails, feel the power of a waterfall, eat wild berries to your heart's content, and soar into the sky on a paraglider... It's all Borzhava. A developed network of marked hiking trails and convenient logistics make this region a popular destination for many hikers.
Due to its southern location and average mountain height, the climate here is significantly warmer than in most of the Carpathians. In general, the Borzhava ridge is open, mountainous, and the upper boundary of the forest is at the level of 1200 meters. The forests are predominantly beech, with an admixture of coniferous and other deciduous species. In the season, there are many blueberries on the slopes, and raspberries, blackberries, and various mushrooms below.
Borzhava is a mountain range located in the Zakarpattia region, in the southwestern part of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Its length is about 50 km, the average height is 1200-1600 m, the highest point is Mt. Stoy 1681 m. There is a good road on the northern side of the ridge, and several villages, most of which have hotels or private estates.
Logistics are quite convenient, you can get there by train from many cities in Ukraine: Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv. You need to get off in the village of Volovets, which is located on the western side of the mountain range. There is also a good highway from Lviv to Zakarpattia.
The highest peak of Borzhava, Stiy, is not on the ridge itself, but on one of its side spurs. To get up here, you need to make a lot of effort and make a radial transition from the mt. Velykyi Verkh. During the Soviet era, a radar station operated here to conduct radio reconnaissance in the "countries of the West." Nowadays, only the foundations of the radar domes and the abandoned buildings of the military unit down the slope remain. According to some legends, in ancient times there was an occult place on the top where pagan rituals were held. And even now, some people feel that it is a "place of power", perhaps because of the mountain's special location and dizzying views.
From the villages of Volovets or Pylypets, you can visit another peak worthy of attention - Mount Play. It is home to one of the two Ukrainian alpine weather stations, which operates year-round and provides useful information about weather conditions and snow conditions in winter. Vyacheslav Chornovil used to work here as an observer, as evidenced by a memorial sign installed in 2007.
One of the most interesting locations in the region is the Shypit waterfall, which is located on the northern slopes of the ridge, near the village of Podobovets. After enjoying the coolness and beauty of the waterfall, you can climb the trails a little higher. Among the beech forest, near the stream, you will find various bizarre buildings, real Indian wigwams and extraordinary people among them. From May to October, a real forest town of representatives of various subcultures grows here: yogis, hippies, neo-pagans, and esotericists. In the summer, an informal festival is held that brings together dozens or even hundreds of people from all over Ukraine and beyond. The culmination of the event is the Summer Solstice on June 20-21 and Midsummer on July 6-7, which is filled with rituals, a big bonfire, and a mystical atmosphere. Unfortunately, at this time it is noisy, crowded and not always clean.
In the warm season, you can see colored wings in the sky above the ridge. Paragliding is another type of active recreation in Borzhava, full of unique impressions that will take your breath away. Due to its relief, winds and convenient logistics, this region is the most popular place in the Carpathians for this sport, so national competitions are often held here.
If you don't have the courage, you can get above the ground and look at the mountains from above on the cable car that connects the village of Pylypets and the slopes of Mt. Gemba. There are several cafes at the top station, among which the interesting Suriya tea house with exotic drinks and dishes stands out. After enjoying the flavors and strengthening your strength, in half an hour you can reach the very top of Mt. Gemba.
The Borzhava mountain range is rich in beautiful hiking routes, both for 1 day and for several. Not only the ridge itself is picturesque, but also the traverse and forest trails. For example, we can recommend a wonderful trail from Mount Ryapetska to Mount Play. In general, there are a lot of trekking options here, so let's look at some of the most popular ones.
If you want to hike the entire Borzhava ridge, from Volovets to Mizhhiria, it will take about 4-5 days. The second half of the ridge is lower, but no less interesting, the trail often goes through the forest and there are much fewer people there.
The KULUAR travel club offers you the most favorite routes:
It's probably a matter of taste, but spring and fall are still the best time to visit this region. Of course, the most popular period is summer, but during this season it can be quite hot, there are many travelers and blueberry pickers on the ridge, and jeeps and ATVs are noisy. It is difficult to enjoy the beauty and be alone with nature in such conditions.
It's quite different in the spring: there are fewer people, nature has recently woken up, and the fresh green color is sometimes diluted with white snowballs and splashes of mountain flowers. Life is bustling around and you want to live with it and move forward. Borzhava's trails are free of snow earlier than other high ranges, so you can plan a spring hike from late April or early May.
The autumn Borzhava is extremely beautiful and soulful here... Autumn comes in late September and lasts until early November. A variety of colors and shades, clear air, many sunny and dry days, you can still eat berries and pick mushrooms. The nature is calm and elegant, the leaves dancing in the wind evoke a philosophical mood and admire the beauty. You should not miss this.
In winter, Borzhava is visited by skitour and freeride enthusiasts. From the village of Pylypets, a ski lift can take you to the northern slopes of Mount Gemba, from where it is not far to the ridge. But you need to be careful, because winter Borzhava is one of the most avalanche-prone places in the Carpathians. There is also a risk of losing orientation in conditions of very limited visibility and descent to the southern slopes of the ridge, from where the way to "civilization" is difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, we recommend that you be careful, monitor the weather forecast, the state of avalanche danger and have the necessary equipment for orienteering and emergency situations.
Author of the article: Ivan Kucheryavyi, team leader in the Carpathians
