Photos and videos of Mount Khomyak

Brief overview

How to get to the top of Mount Khomyak?

Today, there are 5 routes to the top of this picturesque mountain. Among them, the best is the one that starts from the village of Tatariv. It is most convenient to start climbing Mount Khomyak right on the outskirts of the village of Tatariv near the road to Bukovel.

This path to the top is only occasionally interrupted by mountain streams and mossy stones. The foot of the mountain is surrounded by a beautiful mixed forest. The middle part of the route passes through coniferous forests and meadows. The top of the mountain is decorated with picturesque scatterings of stones.

Approximately 80% of the route up the mountain is a quiet walk along the forest serpentine. After that, you should make a stop for a short rest and a photo session in the middle of a picturesque meadow called the “Khomyak Valley”. This meadow is a wonderful alpine pasture. There are several kolybas here, where in summer you can buy excellent organic cheese, which Hutsuls make in front of tourists according to ancient recipes. In addition, you can replenish your drinking water supplies from the hospitable Hutsuls.

After a break in the meadow, the last 20% of the route to the top begins. It’s worth noting that this part of the journey to Mount Khomyak is the most difficult. Here you begin a rather steep climb along a rocky path surrounded by juniper thickets.

However, the strength and calories spent during the conquest of the mountain are worth the impressions of the incredible landscapes that open up at the very top of Khomyak.

If you have the strength and time to continue your journey along the Gorgan ridge, you can visit such picturesque peaks as Synyak (1665 m), Malyi Horhan (1592 m), Dovbushanka (1754 m) and Vedmezhyk (1737 m) in 3-4 days.

But most tourists conquer Mount Khomyak as part of a one-day tour. And then, if you wish, you can go down to the picturesque waterfall located nearby Zhenetskyi Huk or go down to the village of Polyanytsia. It is worth remembering that the last bus to Ivano-Frankivsk leaves this area at approximately 7 pm.

 Walking route

On the map

What to take on a hike to Khomyak?

Despite the ease of the route, you should be well prepared for the hike to Mount Khomyak. Firstly, you should arm your feet with high-quality trekking boots or sneakers with thick soles. Secondly, you should remember about the temperature difference between the foot and the top of the mountain, so even in summer you should wear sportswear. Thirdly, you should definitely take half a litre to a litre of water with you, and if you want to collect water from a mountain stream, you should do so with the neck of the bottle downstream to minimise the chance of debris getting into the bottle. Fourthly, you should take all the essentials with you, namely:

• rucksack;
• headgear (from the sun);
• raincoat;
• sufficient food supply;
• good camera;
• torch;
• cash;
• first aid kit;
• toilet paper.

If you intend to spend the night in the mountains, it is best to pitch your tent in the Khomyakiv valley. The advantages of this place are the presence of a flat surface, the proximity of a source of drinking water and a forest with dry branches for a fire.

An additional convenience is the presence of wooden tables and benches near the huts. In spring and autumn, an additional option for overnight stays are the kolyba on the meadow, which Hutsul shepherds keep open for the convenience of tourists.

If you want to conquer the top of Mount Khomyak in winter, you should remember that this area is an avalanche hazard, as evidenced by the relevant signs on the meadow. In the spring of 2010, a tourist was killed in an avalanche on the northern slope of the mountain.

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Tours and excursions