Author's travels to the Carpathians

Individual hiking, how does it work?

It's very simple, we continue to organize trips to the mountains, but now we don't gather large groups, but make trips on request from one person. This allows us to be more flexible in choosing the route, increase comfort and make the trip really cool. The average group that applies is 2-3 people who know each other well, sometimes it's a couple or friends who want to go to the mountains and are looking for a guide. Sometimes the group doesn't even know where they want to go, and they just book a secret trip, then we choose a good place ourselves, and you discover the route during the trail. A secret trip is even more interesting and intriguing, of course, we will agree on the necessary equipment, difficulty and duration of the hike in advance.

For less spontaneous tourists, we have a list of routes that you can familiarize yourself with, look at photos, and only then choose where you want to go. There is also a third option: you name a mountain or a ridge, and we will build a route, of course, we will not drive through closed border areas.

The conditions of the trips do not change, everything is turnkey: transportation, accommodation, food, equipment, but the comfort is higher. For instance, instead of taking buses, we get to the beginning of the hike by crossover - only on roads, we don't drive in the mountains and we don't tolerate this. You can choose your accommodation: a guesthouse, a kolyba, a hotel or a tent. Camping food is only sublimates, no dried substitutes. We provide general equipment, but do not confuse it with individual equipment.

In this article, we will describe all the nuances of hiking in as much detail as possible, so you can find answers to all your questions.

Routes and types of travel

To make it really interesting, we have 3 types of trips: open, secret, and customized. Let us explain the difference:

Secret trip - you do not know where we are going and what route we will take, it is a complete improvisation for you, we choose the area that fits your description and prepare the route. We agree with you in advance on the duration of the hike, the complexity and the list of necessary equipment.

Open trip is a list of routes we offer you, you can view the program, route, photos, read about these mountains in advance and prepare yourself.

A custom trip is a route that you want to take and which is not on the list of proposed ones, there may even be mountains where the guide has not been before, in this case we prepare a route just for you.

The list of routes to choose from, the length of the route can be adjusted, as well as the time of passage:

100 Peaks (after the War):

• 50 days and 770 km, half of the route is now closed for tourists.

Chornohora:

• Hike to Pip Ivan, Bilyi Slon Observatory
• Rebra, Shpytsi and Lake Nesamovyte
• 7 Peaks: from Pip Ivan to Petros
• The highest mountain of the Carpathians - Hoverla
• Hike to Petros
• Lakes of Chornohora: Brebenskul and Nesamovyte

Gorgany:

• Western Gorgany: Yayko-Ilemske and Arshytsia
• Gorofa and Lake Rosokhan
• Wild Gorgany: Popadia Ring
• Central Gorgany: Velyka Syvulya and Igrovets
• Southern Gorgany: Impassable part of the Carpathians
• Eastern Gorgany: Syniak and Khomyak
• Zaprutski Gorgany, Mount Rotylo
• Hidden Mountains: Yavirnyk-Gorgan
• The most picturesque route: Pishkonya, Mount Negrovets
• Hiking to Mount Strymba and Lake Synevyr

Borzhava:

• Hiking to the Velykyi Verkh
• Stig - the highest peak on Borzhava
• Walking along Borzhava from Volovets to Pylypets
• Mount Tsytska and the meteorological station Play

Svydovets:

• Alpin Lakes of Svydovets
• Velyka Blyznytsia and Gendarmes
• Across Svydovets

Pokutsko-Bukovyna Carpathians:

• Crocuses on Kukul
• Polonyna Borsucha and Mount Kukul
• Best views of Chornohora: Kukul and Kostrycha

Skole Beskydy:

• Hiking for beginners: Mount Parashka
• Easy hike to Mount Lopata
• To the Sich Riflemen on Mount Makivka

Watershed Ridge:

• Climbing Pikui
• Hiking along the Watershed Ridge

Polonynski Beskydy:

• Mount Yavirnyk and the best mountain shelter in the Carpathians

There is a lot to choose from, we can re-plan each of these trips just for you, or combine something unique and very interesting. If you haven't found the right route for you, contact us and we'll create one.

Organizational questions, complexity and comfort level

As for the organizational aspects, we will discuss the main questions that may interest you.

1. The number of participants - we are ready to take from 1 to 8 people, but if you have a larger company, we will discuss this individually with you.
2. How to sign up for a hike: you need to notify us in advance (2-3 weeks before the hike), agree on the exact date, route, start and finish points, and pay 50% of the trip cost.
3. The starting point of the trip is always in Lviv. We can meet you in Lviv and go to the mountains together, we can pick you up on the way or meet at the beginning of the hiking route, as you prefer. It should be understood that the cost of the trip does not change.
4. Transportation: we use a 5-seater crossover or minivan, where the guide is a driver and 4 passengers, if there are more of you, we can take a minibus or a full bus.
5. Nutrition: the guide does not prepare home-cooked meals for you, but we can book meals at a hotel or guest house. These meals are not considered to be camping meals and are not included in the price of the trip.
6. Camping meals are always freeze-dried dishes (borscht, rice with vegetables, bolognese pasta, tom yum soup, etc.), which are complemented by a sweet snack, sandwiches and coffee/tea.
7. Diseases and allergies - if you have any chronic diseases or allergies, you must inform the guide in advance, and if you do not eat certain foods, you must also inform about this.
8. First aid kit - we provide a basic first aid kit, but if you know that you are prone to certain diseases and need specific medications, you should provide yourself with them.
9. Accommodation - we live in guest houses, tents, tourist shelters, hotels or kolybas, it all depends on the route, because not everywhere in the mountains there is an option for comfortable accommodation and in this case only a tent remains. The choice of accommodation on the route depends on the guide and the planned hiking route. The price of the trip does not change depending on the type of accommodation.
10. Rules of behavior: during the hike we do not allow the use of any enemy symbols (occupiers), we communicate politely and on a first name basis, alcoholic beverages are consumed only in small doses, we do not allow quarreling and insulting anyone. It is forbidden to litter and violate the rules of behavior in the protected area.
11. Difficulty of the hike - we give our recommendations and explain how difficult the route can be, if you do not have enough experience, we may refuse to take a certain route because it will be too difficult for you, but at the same time we will offer the best option.
12. How to prepare physically for the hike - here our advice will be very simple, you just need to walk and walk 5-10 km a day, this will be enough to feel comfortable in the mountains and make the hike a pleasure for you.
13. Improved comfort level - this option is also possible, but this type of trip and its content is fully discussed individually.
14. The cost of the trip does not change in cases of refusal of transportation (since the guide will be driving from Lviv), or the difference between living in tents and guesthouses (since the guide needs to spend more time and effort to arrange the camping utilities when sleeping in tents). The basis of the trip cost is the guide's services.

Price of the trip and what is included in the price

The calculation of the trip price depends on the number of people and days in the trip. This is the standard price and it does not change if you choose to get to the hiking route yourself or if the route includes overnight stays in tents or guesthouses.

The price includes:

• Guide services
• Transfer by car
• Meals during hike, breakfast and dinner during the accomodation
• Group equipment (gas cylinders, jetboil, first aid kit)
• Accommodation (tents, kolyba, hotel or guesthouse)

Not included in the price:

• Meals outside the hiking part and agenda (cafes, hotels, guesthouses)
• Additional accommodation outside the program (hotels, glampings)
• Entertainment (horseback riding, zipline, sauna, spa)

The price may be recalculated if you book a trip for a larger group of people and have a specific request for a hotel, glamping, or restaurant.

Refund conditions! If you paid for the trip, but changed your mind for any reason and notified us 1 week or more before the trip, we will refund 100% of the advance to your GRA bonus account. If in the period of 7-5 days before the trip, then 50%. You can use the bonus money for any of our trips by paying for its cost with bonus money. You can use the bonus money within the next 4 years from the date of travel, and you pay the negative difference in the cost of the chosen trip.

There is no refund if you are unable to go on the trip and you notify us later than 4 days before the trip.

Our guides

To get to know us a little better, here you can see who theGRA team is, and you can also view our guides, each of whom has a short description of themselves, links to social media, and articles written by that particular guide.

During the trip, the guide will become your companion, you will be able to learn a lot and ask everything you are interested in. Prior the trip, you will directly coordinate all the organizational aspects of the trip. Each guide knows how to provide first aid, speaks English, knows the area well, and can protect you from wild animals or drunken companies of other tourists. Here's a little life hack: 2-3 such individual hikes, and you will be able to walk confidently in the mountains and even organize trips for your friends.

Necessary equipment

Now let's move on to the most important part of trip planning - your equipment. What to take with you to the mountains?

Clothes:

• comfortable trekking pants and a pair of spare ones
• shorts
• change of socks
• two spare T-shirts
• thermal underwear
• fleece
• windbreaker, raincoat or poncho (preferably 2 in 1 - membrane jacket)
• down jacket
• cap or panama hat
• wind buff
• beanie and gloves for winter hiking

Equipment

• sleeping bag (comfort +3 in summer, -5 in winter)
• pad
• headlamp
• backpack (45+ liters)
• raincover for backpack
• seat pad
• trekking poles
• hiking shoe covers for winter hikes
• tent (we can provide or you can bring your own)
• sunglasses or snow mask
• microfiber towel for long hikes
• airtight bags

Footwear:

• trekking sneakers
• trekking sandals
• high tracks for winter hiking
• slippers for the hut
• crampons for winter hiking
• snowshoes for winter hiking

Tableware:

• spoon
• plate
• cup
• thermos for winter hiking
• 1.5 liter water flask

Other:

• personal medicines and hygiene products
• power bank
• sunscreen
• documents (passport, military registration or permit)

This is a complete list for winter and summer hiking, before the trip the guide will orient you what exactly from this list you need to have, everything will depend on the route you choose.

Book a hike

To sign up for the hike, just write to us in one of the messengers or email: [email protected]

Telegram: https://t.me/GRAtrip
Facebook: facebook.com/gra.ruh
Instagram: instagram.com/gra.travel

In the message, please indicate the desired dates of the hike, the number of people and the route or description of the place you want to visit. You will be contacted immediately to agree on all the details, as well we will send the details for a 50% advance payment. Full booking is only possible after the advance payment.

Phone number for communication:
Monday - Friday from 10:00-18:00
Andrii: +380938440478

See you in the mountains!