Many people have been to Hoverla in the summer, but climbing it in winter is a completely different experience. We offer a new two-day winter tour with an overnight stay in a house. In most cases, participants in this programme are tackling a winter route for the first time, so you can also join in if you are prepared for an early start, a 14 km hike with a small backpack, and the understanding that the hike will take place in harsh conditions 🗻❄️
Is this suitable for you? Join Kuluar for a winter climb up Hoverla on a weekend during the 2025–2026 season 💚
On the second day, after returning from Hoverla, you return to your rooms, where you can take a shower, and a late check-out from the rooms has been arranged.
The first and second days of the programme include travel by UAZ, so there are no additional costs for off-road transfers. Only tickets and transfers from Ivano-Frankivsk are paid separately. The price also includes dinner after climbing Hoverla — in other programmes, it takes place in a restaurant and is usually an additional expense.
The consultant who provides instructions before the trip has been on this route herself and will tell you all the details from personal experience!
Travel with experienced Kuluar team leaders who will share hiking life hacks and interesting stories.
We do not cancel or reschedule groups. If the consultant has approved the purchase of a ticket, you can go ahead and buy it. The programme will not be cancelled due to our fault.
Over 25,000 participants have already used Kuluar, and 98.7% were satisfied. We are sure you will be too!
We meet in Ivano-Frankivsk. We get acquainted, and then we all take a bus to the Kozmeshchyk tourist shelter, located at the foot of Hoverla. But in the village of Lazeshchyna, we will need to transfer to a four-wheel drive vehicle, which will take us to the house where we will be staying for two days. Comfort is minimal, but the main thing for us is to climb Hoverla in winter and have a warm and cosy place to spend the night. We will check in, rest a little after the journey and go to explore the surroundings, walking a little along the winter trails. The team leader will check your basic equipment and preparation and tell you about the features of winter hiking. This way, you will be able to understand and feel what awaits you tomorrow. We will go to bed early, as we will be setting off for the mountain at dawn.
Today will be a long day, so we get up before dawn. The team leader will probably ask us to set our alarms for 4 a.m. Getting up early has several advantages, which will become clear in the evening. We have breakfast and set off for the start of the climb up Hoverla.
The first few kilometres follow a gentle path through the forest. Further on, the slope becomes more noticeable. We pass sheepfolds, leave the forest behind and come out onto a small plateau, from where Hoverla is clearly visible. It seems that the summit is close, but there is still part of the ascent ahead.
We stop near a wooden house, rest and drink tea (everyone should have their own thermos).
After reaching Hoverla, we admire the panorama and take photos. It is not worth staying too long, as it gets cold quickly.
We return to the house before dusk. We have time to take a shower and go to dinner. After dinner, we depart for Ivano-Frankivsk. It is recommended to purchase tickets for late trains, around 22:00 or later. Please consult with our team before purchasing.
To participate in the hike, you must not have any illnesses that are incompatible with active tourism: list here.
Depending on weather conditions, the condition of the group and general preferences, the team leader has the right to make changes to the route. Compliance with instructions is mandatory.
Unlike the summer climb to Hoverla, we are staying in a cottage rather than tents. We are staying at the Kozmeshchik tourist shelter, located near the foot of Hoverla. The houses are wooden, warm, comfortable, with 2-, 3-, and 4-bed rooms with single and double beds. Each house has a hot shower and toilet. The owners have a Carpathian bathhouse and a vat. The only minor drawback is that electricity from the generator is turned on in the evening. There is almost no communication, which can be expected during the ascent.
Here are some photos of the cottage where we will be staying:
You are probably wondering what we will be eating during the programme. Let us reassure you that there is no need to worry. We order meals from the owners of the cottage where we will be staying. Based on previous experience, the food is very tasty and nutritious. The hostess does the cooking, and everyone is usually very happy with the food :) If you do not eat meat, dairy or any other products, be sure to inform the consultant in advance. We will find the best option for you. We will take lunch with us in the form of snacks, as well as dried fruit and candied fruit for breaks.
In this programme, participants do not incur any additional food costs. The price includes dinner on the first day, breakfast on the second day, and dinner after the climb. During mountain trips, snacks are provided by the team leader.
We have assessed this route as highly challenging. This is because we may encounter difficult weather conditions (temperatures of 0...-15, visibility of 20-30 m, wind speed of 10-20 m/s), sometimes deep snow, a considerable distance (14 km) and elevation changes (+-1150 m).
You may feel tired after a short sleep or insufficient recovery from the previous evening — let us emphasise once again that we wake up at around 4 a.m.
The pace is also intense: after descending from Hoverla, the group will have dinner, and then travel to Ivano-Frankivsk. The schedule is dynamic, but thanks to this, the route fits entirely into two days — Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, you return to your usual rhythm or work routine.
As always, we recommend buying tickets in advance, although there are often still seats available on trains a week before the start of the trip. You need to buy a ticket so that you are at the Frankivsk railway station by 10 a.m. on the day the trip starts. A slight delay is acceptable. For the return trip, buy a ticket for the evening, preferably after 10 p.m. Be sure to book your tickets in advance, as the number of tickets and trains is limited, and travelling by bus is not comfortable. This is especially important in the run-up to the New Year holidays. If your plans change, you can always return your ticket online or offline. But you will definitely not miss the opportunity to relax in the mountains.
The group will meet in Ivano-Frankivsk. The time will be set based on the last participant to arrive, usually at 10 a.m. Approximately 5-7 days before the trip, we will send the exact meeting time and the team leader's contact details to the group chat.
There will be mobile phone coverage and internet access on part of the route, but not on the rest. Mobile phones and cameras can be charged in the cottage in the evening (powered by a generator). When staying in a mountain cottage in Kozmeshchik, the connection is weak (Kyivstar), and there is no internet. Allow yourself to take a break from the internet for a couple of evenings :)
The programme provides for mandatory additional transfer costs. You can check the amount with a consultant, as it depends on fuel prices and is constantly changing.
There are also optional expenses. Participants buy dried white mushrooms and souvenirs. We recommend having at least 1,000 UAH with you. The maximum amount is up to you.
We limit the number of participants in the group. In order to reserve your place, you must make a prepayment of 2,000 hryvnia. The remaining amount is to be paid to the team leader upon arrival. Prepayment refund policy and payment methods =>>
