This report is about the tour: Highest mountains
Review of the hike along the route “The Highest Peaks of Ukraine”, which took place in August 2010.
I can talk for a long time - I received a lot of positive impressions. But as they say, “I’ll be brief” and tell you about the hike in general terms.
I’ll say right away that the weather tested our strength and we resisted. The organizers warned that the climate would not be constant, but even the experienced ones did not expect this. Thank God everything ended well - everyone returned safe and sound, there were no incidents.
The goal of our hike was to capture the Carpathian beauty and fully enjoy it. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Taking into account the fact that we (me and my wife) had never been to the mountains other than the Crimean ones and were going on this kind of tour for the first time, we prepared accordingly based on the conversations of “knowledgeable” tourists on the Internet. As it later turned out, the percentage was 50%.
Thanks to instructor Friedrich (a separate discussion about him), we rented two sleeping bags on the spot (I’m convinced they must be our own and certainly not summer ones), two backpacks, raincoats and a two-person tent (and it is advisable to purchase these things in advance).
We met with the group at the railway station, boarded the bus and rushed to the starting point of the route, so to speak, to the treasured heights. The group consisted of 13 people, which included: a family of four (Russia), a young couple (Russia), a brother and sister (Ukraine), two girls (Russia), the two of us (Ukraine) and our guide, Friedrich (he is from Lvov).
As it turned out, everyone had some experience in hiking, and this was evident not only from the stories of those present, but also from the “tuning” - navigators, good hiking shoes (not sneakers like ours), suits, raincoats, sticks, tents, burners, food with reserve for every day, etc. Despite the difference in experience and age, the atmosphere in the group was warm. The guys were sociable and cheerful.
Our instructor Friedrich also had this many years of experience. The man is very sociable and I can’t imagine any other guide in the mountains. In difficult moments, he helped, did not let those lagging behind hang out at the end, helped in word and deed. During smoke breaks and on vacation, he told many different stories and did not let him feel sad from fatigue. The versatility of his stories began from everyday life, like how to cook caramel soup while camping, and ended with the hadron collider. In general, an instructor is what you need. Well done, Friedrich!
Of the seven days, probably only half of the day turned out to be sunny, during which it was possible to take at least something in the photo. Otherwise there was rain and fog, and in places there was impenetrable “milk”. The temperature is not summer, but when moving around you pay little attention to it. What can you do, the mountain climate is unpredictable... Even with all this, we felt some kind of pleasure from the heights, from the space, from the atmosphere around us.
As a result, I will say that we received even more than we expected - a positive charge for the year ahead. And then you remember the difficult moments with a smile. We have attached several photographs to the story; perhaps someone will see themselves.
Tourists with experience - Arthur and Olya.