Each team leader is a professional in their field, and participants who are strangers to each other at the start of the route become one team by the end.
Nature, regardless of the season or weather, will present you with interesting challenges and has something to impress even the most experienced.
So, without unnecessary worries, carefully gathering my equipment, I aimed to pack a 65-liter backpack for a six-day hike, considering that it could be frosty in early June.
As it turned out, I thought everything through correctly except for the mat.
Considering the inflatable winter mat and foam, the latter was lighter, but later I regretted it because it turned out to be insufficient insulation, especially when spending the night near mountain lakes.
The total weight of the backpack was about 17 kilograms until we met with the group and team leader Oksana Mikhnovich at the Kuluar warehouse on the day of departure.
Oksana generously bought food and shared it among the participants, which added a few kilograms to my backpack and dashed my hopes of losing some weight during the trip.
But this is only a small part of the positive experience you will have if you are lucky enough to go hiking with Oksana. Why lucky? Because she rarely leads groups and combines team leadership with her work as a Kuluar consultant.
Oksana is one of two team leaders I know who does not assign duties, takes on all the work of preparing food, always manages to do her own work, and helps others.
For example, I was pleasantly surprised that she prepared delicious sandwiches for everyone at home before the start of the route, because usually the first lunch is prepared on site.
I think it is unfair that the company's management rarely appoints her as a team leader.
Oksana has significant potential; she is intelligent, beautiful, cheerful, kind, young, energetic, and sociable.
On the route, we have seen time and again that Oksana can negotiate with anyone about anything.
I am personally extremely grateful to Oksana, because she has saved the day twice, and thanks to her, the trips took place.
In winter – because she took one of the participants down on the first day, who couldn't go any further, and this time, because she agreed to lead our group instead of another team leader.
I wish Oksana to continue to unlock her potential, become self-confident, do what she has to do without fear, because even if something doesn't work out now, it will make her stronger next time.
With Oksana on the route, we always had extra time in addition to the planned program. Those who wanted to could go down to Lake Vorozheska, where we stopped for three hours and walked through the forest to the mountain near the Legions Pass.
The route itself also added to the positive emotions.
Not too difficult in terms of distance, but very interesting. Overnight stays are planned in comfortable and beautiful locations.
Especially on the last night near the Raifalovets River and the source of the most delicious mineral water.
We always had access to water sources and firewood for campfires. We were especially pleased with the firewood left at the overnight stop near Lake Apshynets.
One of the gems of the route is the mountain lakes. There are several of them along the route: Vorozheska, Herishaska, Apshynets — extremely picturesque, with crystal clear cold water.
For thousands of years, they have been filled with meltwater and give life to many creatures and plants.
It is extremely peaceful and pleasant to relax near the mountain lakes to the sound of splashing water and birds singing after long transitions, sharp ascents, and descents, of which there are many on the route.
The route includes ascents to mountain peaks, one of which is the beautiful Blyznytsia Mountain, 1,881 meters high, and Zhandarm, 1,763 meters high, near Dragobrat.
From a distance, they are mesmerizing, looking like giant frozen sea waves made of stone.
Part of the route runs through a cozy forest and historic area, where the borders of World War I passed 100 years ago. In some places, there was still snow on the road.
But the route would not have been so enjoyable without difficulties.
Thanks to optimizing my backpack, for the first time on a hike, my back didn't hurt, but my legs did.
We were drenched by rain, buffeted by strong winds, our fingers froze, the sun burned, insects bit mercilessly, branches pricked us, stones hit our feet, and on some descents we even fell.
But looking back at the path we had traveled and the peaks behind us always relieved our fatigue and lifted our spirits.
On the first day of the hike, the group was attacked by shepherds' Alabai dogs protecting their flock.
Also, at one of the locations in the forest, walking a little behind the group, I heard a roar similar to a chainsaw, but short.
Hoping that it was not a bear roaring, I quickened my pace, looking around.
I often imagine what I would do if I encountered a bear, but hearing even a sound resembling a roar in the forest is an incomparable feeling of fear and joy that I did not encounter a bear.
It seems that our human nature is best suited to such trials.
I have often been amazed at how the body adapts to extreme mountain conditions.
In urban areas during the cold season, it is easy to get sick without a scarf.
Meanwhile, in the mountains, I did not get sick despite the icy wind, wet feet, and breathing in the frosty air.
Because somewhere inside the body, a potent mixture of adrenaline and various hormones is produced, which accelerates and activates the body to its fullest.
Researchers say that about a million years ago, during the most difficult times on the planet, there were up to a thousand individuals who were distant ancestors of modern humans.
If this is true, then they could have passed on their main program—survival—to future generations. In my opinion, those who have gone through the process of survival know the value of their own lives and appreciate the lives of others.
Considering that the emotional state, like the physical body, needs exercise and training, which is always sufficient in mountain hiking, but in everyday comfortable life with all the amenities, you will not get such a range of emotions.
So tune in to the right program and fill yourself with emotions and life in hikes with Kuluar.