Features of hiking in the Carpathians
On the pages of this site I often write about how hiking is simple and absolutely anyone can do. It's time to write a little about the difficulties.
The Carpathians, as a hiking area, are characterized primarily by their harsh, changeable climate.
Spring here begins at the end of May. There is snow on the northern slopes until mid-June. Therefore, a trip to the Carpathians during the May holidays is a real winter trip with all the ensuing consequences, such as the danger of avalanches, terrible cold at night and walking in deep snow during the day. The Carpathians in May are only suitable for tourists with experience in winter hiking.
Starting from mid-June, a completely summer trip to the Carpathians is possible. It's warm during the day, you can wear shorts and a T-shirt. At night, with some stretch, you can get by with a demisison sleeping bag. However, do not relax - the weather can turn bad at any moment. This usually happens in the afternoon. The picture is literally like this - every morning there is sun, every evening there is a thunderstorm. Thunderstorms are very dangerous here. They are accompanied by hurricane winds that can break tents and numerous lightning strikes. Every year, people die as a result of being struck by lightning in the Carpathians. If there is the slightest chance of a thunderstorm, you must turn off mobile phones, hide metal objects and immediately descend from the ridge into the valley. You need to be especially careful on the route along the Montenegrin ridge, there is open terrain and it will take more time to shelter from the elements.
Sudden cold snaps accompanied by snowfall and hail are possible. In such conditions, your rain protection should be something more serious than a plastic cape. Moral preparation is also of great importance in bad weather. Panic and loss of self-control are unacceptable and in many ways deadly.
Severe weather conditions are not the only obstacle on the way for the brave conquerors of the Carpathians :)
The path itself is often full of obstacles. In the forest these are trees fallen by the wind, on the tops there are shaky stone placers. Above the forest zone, thickets of dwarf coniferous trees begin - creeping mountain pine about one and a half meters high. The paths in the dwarf forest quickly become overgrown and it takes a lot of effort to get through them. In addition, you cannot walk in the dwarf with equipment hanging on the external sling of the backpack. Otherwise, the equipment runs the risk of being lost or damaged.