Mt Hoverla is the highest mountain in Ukraine even though it is only about 6000 ft high. We wanted to climb it and read in our guide books that we had to register in advance. The office was closed for the Independence Day holiday on Wednesday when we drove through Verhokta. We determined to come back and stay the night in a hotel so we could get to the office when it opened at 9a. When we finally found a room, our balcony neighbors were a young couple from Kyiv who had climbed Hoverla that day and told us that we could register at the guard station entering the national park. (The owner of this building had good business sense putting a restaurant in the half basement, two small businesses and the entrance to the apartments on the first floor, two floors of apartments and the top floor with 4 hotel rooms and 2 bathrooms.)
This was our first site of Hoverla--the taller mountain on the right.
This is the trail display. We decided to hike up the shorter steep trail (3.5km), and then back on the gentle trail (4km)--opposite what was recommended. I would much rather go up steep when I have more energy and down gentle when I have less! It was a good decision. It took us about 2 1/2 hours each way.
The steep route up is obvious on the ridge to the left. The gentler route goes along the right over the "small Hoverla". We did see some mountain wildflowers in this area--blue penstamon and fireweed.
Various markers at the top!
We were on our way out at 4:45 when we saw the clouds had lowered over the top of the peak! We wondered about all of the hikers who were still on the trail, many with children, and hoped they were already on their way down and below the clouds. We know some backpackers were staying on top.
