The most popular peaks to ascend in the Carpathians are all higher than 2.000 metres. They are Goverla, Pop-Ivan, Petros, Brebeneskul and other equally attractive summits.

The peak that has always been and undoubtedly will be the most popular one among the tourists is Goverla (2061 m) though not everybody likes persistent crowds of tourists and piles of rubbish around. The mountain is on the territory of the Carpathian National Preserve that is why the entry is paid.

At the foot of the mountain there is the "Zaroslyak" holiday camp with 10 wooden houses where tourists can spend the night. Those traveling with tents can also pitch them there. The tourists are taken to the camp by vehicles. The path length from the camp to the mountain is about 10 km.; the height of ascent is more than 1100 m. There are two roads there, one leading to the Pozhizhevskaya mountain valley, the other (through the forest) – to the Zaroslyak one from where you can see Goverla. Not far from the holiday camp there is another fork with one road leading straight forward and the other – turning to the right and leading to Petros foot (it will take you 2-3 hours of walk). The last and the most difficult effort and here you are – at the highest point of Ukraine from where you can see a panorama of all the surrounding mountains on many kilometers around.

 When descending it is better to take another way – thus you can take a good look at the surroundings and the mountain itself from different sides. Besides you can visit the Prut River with its famous waterfall of about 80 m. high. The route through the Pozhizhevskaya mountain valley is easier and more picturesque. The road lies through Breskul Mountain (1911 m).

You can also reach Goverla from Lazeshchyna railway station. It is the easiest but the longest way. The path length is about 15 km.; the height of vertical ascent is 1300m. The path length from Ust-Goverla is about 15 km.; the height of vertical ascent is 1470m.

Another peak that you can ascend from the “Zaroslyak” holiday camp is Turkula (1933 m). The path lies through the Pozhizhevskaya mountain valley – from the main mountain range of Chernogorya past the kettle with Lake Nesamovyte and straight to the peak.

One of the tourists’ starting points is the Belaya Tisa River valley stretching for many kilometers between the Chernogorian mountain range and the Marmarossy. There are several villages in the valley such as Bogdan, Usteriki, Ust-Goverla, Lugi. All of them are from 5 to 10 km. away from Rakhiv. From Bogdan village tourists usually ascend the Marmarossy, especially Pop-Ivan and Petros. The ascent to the latter will take you from 7 to 10 hours; the path length is about 10 km. You should go along the Tissa river valley, then ascend the rocky spur of Petros between two river tributaries and here it is – the peak from where you can see a magnificent panorama of the Marmarossky mountain range.

The ascent to Pop-Ivan (1936 m) will take you about 10 hours (the path length is 16 km.). Take the same way as when ascending Petros. But there is also another way to get to the peak – from Rakhiv over Menchul. The ascent will take you about 11 hours; the path length is 20 km. The road goes over Menchul peak and you’ll have to bypass several other peaks as well. There is also almost an equivalent road from Kostylivka village and two roads from Delovoye village – the easy one (about 14 km. long, will take 7-8 hours) and the long one (about 18 km.) that lies through sawmill where tourists can spend the night.

If you want to ascend Petros Mountain (2020 m., the Chernogorskiy mountain range), you may also use two routes – the one from Yasinya village (the path length is about 11 km.) and the other – from Kvasy station (the path length is about 15 km.). The road goes over Menchul and Shesul peaks and it is worth your efforts – there is a magnificent view on the whole Chernogorskiy mountain range, Goverla and part of the Svidovetskiy mountain range from the top of Petros Mountain. The third way is from Lazeshchyna railway station or from Bogdan village. The path length is about 20 km.

The Pop Ivan Mountain is famous for the remains of the observatory that are on its top. This observatory, now destroyed to walls, was built by Poles as far back as before the Great Patriotic war. The mountain height is 2022m. To ascend it you may take a route starting from Dzembron village (the path length is about 15 km.; the height of vertical ascent is 1300m.). The first part of the route you may ride in your car but the rest you’ll have to go on foot – past waterfall in the Dzembron source to the Chernogorskiy mountain range and then along the well-trampled path straight to the mountain peak from where you can see adjacent Menchul (1998 m.), Brebeneskul, Gutin Tomnatik and Goverla. Far to the south you can see the Marmarossky mountain range – Pop-Ivan Marmarossky, Petrosul (1861m.) and Ferkeu.

There is also another route starting from Ust-Shibenyi and lying past picturesque Lake Maricheyka. The first several kilometers of the route (up to the forestry) you may ride in your car but then you’ll have to go on foot past Shurin Mountain straight to the lake, then past Maricheyka mountain valley to the saddle between Pop Ivan and Shurin and further to the peak. The path length from Ust-Goverla is 18 km.

Starting from Ust-Goverla you may ascend not only Pop Ivan and Goverla but also Brebeneskul Mountain (2035 m., the path length is 16 km.; the height of vertical ascent is 1400m.). Lake Brebeneskul is located not far from that place. The other route to this mountain (the path length is about 13 km.) starts in Bystrets village and goes past waterfall behind the village, then past several streams, the forest in the Gadzhin hole, past rocky cliff that can be seen from far away and then it divides into two routes of different complexity leading straight to the mountain top.

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