Rules for staying in the Chornohora's border area, hiking up Pip Ivan Mountain

Route to Mount Pip Ivan

There are several routes to climb up Mount Pip Ivan:

1. From village Dzembronia via mounts Vuhatyi Kamen or Smotrych
2. From village Shybenne via Lake Maricheika
3. Along the Chornohora, going from mount Brebeneskul
4. Through mounts Vaskul and Stig, if you go from the Marmarosy (this pass is now closed)

To make it easier to navigate, I've added a link to the Mapy.cz, where two of these routes are marked. Note: I strongly recommend using this map and not using the Muscovite program Maps.ME, the Czech map is way more accurate and has more markers.

If you climb from Dzembronia's side, I'd recommend to leave all your belongings in the tourists hut "Smotrych" and make a radial trail through Vuhatyi Kamen, of course, if you aren't planing to pass the whole route and come down to Shybenne, in this case it is better to rely on a tent.

The entire route is well marked, so you won't get lost. The main thing is the right timing, to be sure that you don't go in the dark, because this is where the adventure begins. By doing this, you are adding work for rescuers, especially when it`s winter hiking.

Rules for staying in the Chornohora's border area

I've told you about the route, now let's move on to the rules of stay, both in the border area and in the mountains. I know that more experienced travellers will not be interested in this, but I will continue.

There are really simple rules, which may be useful to the ones who has no hiking background:

• It is important not to go solo if you have not much experience in hikes.
• Do not litter in the mountains, take everything with you in your pocket.
• Before going out, check the route, if it is more than 15 km in summer (or 10-12 km in winter), then think about whether you can do it in daylight.
• Find out the rescuers' phone number in advance and take a first aid kit with you, just in case.

Regarding the rules of stay in the border area:

• You need to have a military registration documents (military ID, military registration card, Reserve+ application), if you don't have them, you will not be allowed to enter, even if you apply for a tourist permit. This rule applies only to men.
• 5 days before the hike, you need to fill in an application and send it to the administration of the 31st border detachment.
• After sending the application, make sure that your letter is received and handed over to the checkpoint in Dzembronia, otherwise you may not be allowed to pass.
• There are cases that even if you have done everything correctly, you will not be allowed to pass because you look suspicious, it may happen if you are going as a male company.
• In the application, you should indicate the route you will take, where you will spend the night, when you will return and you must stick to this plan.
• You also need to have a printed copy of the application that you sent to the post office with you, which can help if your letter gets lost in the database.
• At the checkpoint, you will be asked to wait from 20 minutes to 2 hours, but after waiting and checking the trunk of the car, you will be able to move on.

Preparation of travel documents

There are the details of how to fill out the required application and where to send it. The application should be sent to email [email protected]. The application have to be signed, so you need to send a scan or photo of the application with your signature.
The title of the letter is the following: Application_Registration for a hike to Mountain Pip Ivan_date

The text of the letter: I am sending you an application for a permit to stay in the border zone of Ivano-Frankivsk region for the following tourist route: Dzembronia village - Mount Vuhatyi Kamen - Mount Pip Ivan - Mount Smotrych - Dzembronia village. Time period: from _ to _. The application file and signature are attached to the letter.

Tourist hut near Smotrych

I would also like to write about a nice bonus of the route: a chic tourist hut has been built under the Smotrych mountain, and we highly recommend to stay for a night in this place, it is atmospheric, and most importantly, comfortable and cozy. One night per person costs 600 UAH. This is much better than spending the night in a tent or in a village, where you will be accommodated for more money with worse conditions. Of course, it's up to you to choose, but we recommend this hut, a beautiful place which resembles mountain shelters in the Alps and Tatras. And one more tip, come there on weekdays as there would be less people and it's a pleasure to be in silence of nature.