Winter climbing on Hoverla and Petros 2026 - in the huts
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Winter Hut Peaks
Most of you have probably already visited the highest mountain of the Ukrainian Carpathians - the well-known and beloved Hoverla. Most climbs take place in summer, but we offer you to climb Hoverla in winter. Even if you have no experience of such climbs, but have a great desire to climb the highest peak of Ukraine, you are on the right track. With us, your dream will come true!
IMPORTANT! Due to the peculiarities of the relief of Mount Petros, you will need crampons for a safe winter climb. If you do not have your own, we will give you a rental.
Sometimes winter Hoverla is not very hospitable to climbers and shows all its stormy mountain character - it covers everything with thick fog, covers it with snow, blows it away with wind and tests it with frost... But, in most cases, she is in a good mood, which allows us to climb to the top and admire the unique beauty of the landscapes of snow-capped mountain ranges, admiring and being proud of ourselves. And after such a heroic event, in the evening we will have a warm Hutsul bath and a delicious gala dinner in our hut.
After Hoverla, we offer to climb its neighbor - Mount Petros. This mountain is less popular, but even more severe. Winter climbing on Petros is a real challenge that we will face together!
The climbing program has been finalized several times, we tried to make it as safe and comfortable as possible. Snow drifts, mountain peaks over 2000m high and a hot bath after the climb are waiting for you
The consultant who provides instructions before the hike has been on this route herself and will tell you all the details from her personal experience!
Travel with experienced teamleaders behind the scenes who will share life hacks of camping life and interesting stories.
Accommodation in a cozy house in the forest, located in a mountain valley near Hoverla.
We do not cancel or reschedule groups. If the consultant has given you the go-ahead to buy a ticket, you can buy it. The program will not be canceled through our fault.
The teamleader will meet you at the Ivano-Frankivsk train station, and you will go with him to the house and go to the mountains.
More than 25,000 participants have already gone with Kuluar and 98.7% were satisfied. We are sure you will be too!
We meet at the train station in Ivano-Frankivsk. We get acquainted, and together we take a bus to the Kozmeshchyk tourist shelter, which is located at the foot of Hoverla. On the way, we pick up the participants who came to the village of Yasinya. If the road permits, we will be driven directly to Kozmeshchyk, and if not, in the village of Lazeshchyna we will need to get into a four-wheel drive vehicle and drive to the house where we will live for four days. The comfort is minimal, but the main thing for us is to climb Hoverla in winter, and to have a place to spend the night in warmth and comfort. We check in, have a little rest after the road and go to explore the surroundings, walk a little on the way to Hoverla. The guide will check your basic equipment and preparation, tell you about the peculiarities of winter hiking. Thus, you will be able to understand and feel what awaits you tomorrow. We go to bed early, because we will go to the mountain at dawn. Attention: Although we book accommodation in advance, there are times when there are no vacancies in Kozmieshchyk, and we will have to live in Lazeshchyna and travel from Lazeshchyna to Kozmieshchyk and back. This is especially true during the New Year and Christmas holidays.
Today is a big day for us. Therefore, we have to get up early in the morning, even in the dark. We have a hearty meal and set out on the road to Hoverla. The beginning of the ascent is quite gentle and passes through the forest. Then the angle of inclination becomes greater, and we begin to feel that we have arrived in the real mountains. The ascent is quite steep and slippery. Therefore, reliable shoes are a must! Passing by the shepherds' sheepfolds abandoned for the winter, leaving behind the snowy forest, we come to a small plateau, from where Hoverla opens in all its glory. It seems like another half hour, and we are at the top. But not quite so. We reach a wooden house, where we catch our breath before the last push, refresh ourselves with hot tea, and head to the top of Hoverla.
Congratulations, you are well done and can be proud of yourself, because not everyone can boast of a winter climb to Hoverla! And now, having overcome all the stormy emotions, look around and once again make sure that you could not even imagine such landscapes and no photos or videos can convey what you felt and saw with your own eyes. By the way, you shouldn't stay too long, otherwise you might freeze. So we take a quick photo, set up a festive table with bacon sandwiches and hot tea, congratulate each other on the victory once again and start to go down. The way back down is much easier and faster, because you can simply get off at the fifth point. In the evening, we take a steam bath and share our impressions. The day was a success!
We don't waste any time and go for a winter climb to Petros. This is the fourth peak of the Ukrainian Carpathians, and the climb is shorter than the one to Hoverla, but more difficult and dangerous. After a long ascent to the foot of Petros, we will come to a clearing with houses where shepherds live in summer and graze sheep and cows on the slopes of the mountains. The views here are incredible and breathtaking. It remains to gain a couple of hundred meters and we are at the top! But do not relax, the slope of the mountain is much steeper - you need to be as attentive and careful as possible, unquestioningly obey the advice and instructions of the instructor. And here it is, the top! From Petros, you can see Hoverla and the entire Montenegrin ridge perfectly. On the descent, be as careful and collected as possible. You will remember climbing Petros much better than Hoverla, because it is more difficult and extreme. But in addition to new sensations, you will get the basic skill of walking in crampons on the slope, which will help in further hikes and more difficult climbs.
Today is a day of rest. We slowly get ready and head to Ivano-Frankivsk. On the way, we can stop at the Yablunivsky Pass or in Yaremche to buy souvenirs and gifts. When we return to Ivano-Frankivsk, we traditionally go to cafe - "Desyatka", to celebrate our hike.
To participate in the hike, you must be free of diseases that are not compatible with active tourism: the list here
The difficulties of winter climbing should not be overestimated, but they should not be underestimated either. The success of the event largely depends on the weather, and we hope it will smile on us. In most cases, it does :)
Depending on the weather conditions and general wishes of the group, the teamleader has the right to make changes to the route.
The difficulty of this route is above average. That's because we'll face possible difficult weather conditions (temperatures 0...-15, visibility 20-30 m, wind 10-20 m/s), sometimes deep snow, a considerable distance (17-18 km) and elevation differences (+-1150 m), steep icy slopes on Petros. Special features: accommodation in lodges, possibility of reaching the peaks 60-70%, crampons are often needed on Petros.
As always, we recommend buying tickets in advance, although there are often still seats available on trains a week before the start of the hike. You need to buy a ticket so that you can be at the Frankivsk railway station by 10 am on the day of the hike start. A slight delay is acceptable. Buy a ticket back in the evening, preferably after 18:00, then you will still have time to walk around Frankivsk and sit in one of its pubs. Make sure to book your tickets in advance, as the number of tickets and trains is limited, and it is not comfortable to travel by bus. The issue becomes especially relevant on the eve of 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 meets in Ivano-Frankivsk. The time is set according to the last participant to arrive, usually at 10 am. Approximately 5-7 days before the hike we will send the exact time of the meeting and the team leader's contacts in a common chat.
Unlike summer climbing Hoverla, we live in a house, not in tents. We stay in the Kozmeshchyk tourist shelter, which is located near the foot of Hoverla. The houses are wooden, warm, comfortable, with shared rooms for 3-4 people. Most of the beds are double. There is a shower with hot water and a toilet inside. Near the house there is an excellent Carpathian bath, as well as a kolyba with delicious Hutsul dishes. The only small disadvantage is that the electricity is from a generator, so it starts on schedule.
Here are some photos of the house where we will be staying:
You are probably wondering what we will eat during the program. We can tell you right away that you don't need to worry. We order meals from the owners of the house where we will live. From previous practice, it is very tasty and nutritious. The hostess cooks, 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 as a snack, as well as dried fruits and candied fruits at the rest stops.
There will be mobile communication and Internet on part of the route, and not on the other. You will be able to charge your cell phones and cameras in the lodge in the evening (powered by a generator). When staying in a mountain lodge on Kozmeshchyk, the connection is weak (Kyivstar), there is no Internet. Allow yourself a couple of evenings off from the Internet :)
The program provides for mandatory additional costs for transfers. You can check the amount with a consultant, as it depends on the cost of fuel and is constantly changing.
There are also optional expenses. Participants buy dried porcini mushrooms, souvenirs, and sometimes have dinner at a restaurant (for example, the legendary Ten). We recommend bringing at least 1500 UAH with you. The maximum is up to you.
We limit the number of participants in the group. In order for a place to be reserved for you, you need to make an advance payment of 2000 UAH. The rest of the amount is given to the team leader at the meeting. Conditions for turning over advance payment and methods of payment =>>
