Hello dear LocalGuides!!! This post is part of great #TeamChallenge. Each country in the world is amazing, I’m sure. And one day I’ll visit all of them (or almost all ? ). And now I want to invite everyone to come in my beautiful country - Ukraine - with #TeamUkraine.
Carpathian mountains are very huge. They occupied two Ukrainians regions - Prykarpattya and Zakarpattya - and also they are in seven countries.
In Ukraine we have 6 mounts more than 2 km. One of them - Pip Ivan , 2028 metres. I never have been there. And this year I decided to do it - to hike on the top.
Mountain Pip Ivan is second famous Ukrainian peak after Hoverla. Hoverla is the highest mountain in Ukraine, but the way to the top of Pip Ivan is more difficult.
My first big stop is polonyna Smotrych (“polonyna” is a type of mountain meadows in the Carpathians). Local citizens (we call them “gutculy”) make a real Carpathian cheese - “vurda” (soft cheese with a sweet taste) and “budz” (harder smoked cheese). Men (women don’t do it) go to the mountains in Spring and live there during all Summer until Autumn.
Gutculy have cows and goats. Everyday gutculy making a cheese. Their women climb up, take cheese and sell it on the market. Many tourists buy delicious cheese in polonyna and hike.
I can’t describe my feelings but in Carpathian mountains I feel really happy. I see an amazing view and can’t believe that it has been created by nature.
I hiked on the top almost 7 hours. The most important thing on the top is the weather. It changes very quickly. I hoped that the weather will be good. And it was sunny - woohoo.
On the top of Pip Ivan you can see real observatory. It was built in 1938 by Polish government. Observatory is handmade. Local citizens worked hard there. They’ve transported stones by horses. It was very difficult work. But they did it to earn money.
This observatory was one of the most important in Europe. Big telescope was from Scotland. Its diameter was 33 metres. Scientific research was stopped after 1944.
Now observatory is not working as well. There is rescue post now.
Ukrainians are very different. It’s really different people in different regions. There - in Prykarpattya people are very kind, very responsive and friendly. I found a real good friends there.
I hope that everyone can visit this amazing place one day.
