Author: Ivan Shymkiv, Ukraine
This was my first hike, so I prepared for it and took everything I needed and things I didn't really need, but as it turned out, it was all needed after all)
The route turned out to be great, and we were extremely lucky with the weather — not a hint of rain. On the first day we stopped on a mountain meadow under the open sky. We were lucky enough to admire the starry sky and shooting stars, as the clouds cleared completely for the night; the evening was very atmospheric.
The next day started calmly, nobody rushed anyone anywhere. A tasty breakfast and coffee with biscuits, drunk slowly to the sounds of the morning Carpathians waking up together with us.
The steep climb to Vukhatyi Kamin, despite the difficulty, turned out to be the most picturesque part of our route. I would come back here again: incredible landscapes and endless raspberries and blueberries.
Then the ridge and Pip Ivan with the White Elephant.
The wind wasn't strong, so we decided to have lunch on the summit and spend a little more time there, admiring the beauty of the Carpathians.
The descent to Lake Marichejka is a real test; I didn't think going down could be harder than going up. But an atmospheric dinner and heartfelt conversations by the campfire took away the fatigue and relaxed us for a good rest. By the way, I haven't slept as soundly in a long time as during those two days in the mountains!
