Mount Kakaraza

Kakaraza is a 1,559 m summit (1,558.7 m exactly) on the far north-western spur of Chornohora. It rises in the Rakhiv district of Zakarpattia Oblast, about 3 km south-east of the outskirts of Yasinia. The mountain lies within the Chornohora protected massif of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve.

A shallow saddle (about 1,485 m) links Kakaraza with the pasture ridge that runs north-west from Petros. Along this ridge, over the subsidiary summit of Petrosul, you can climb Petros (2,020 m), about 4 km away; Hoverla is roughly 10 km off.

How to get there

Kakaraza is the first notable summit on the way from Yasinia to Petros. Our multi-day route Yasinia – Mount Petros – Mount Hoverla – Mount Rebra – Mount Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi – Dzembronia (47.2 km, about 3,600 m of ascent) crosses it. If you only want Kakaraza, walk the first part of this route from Yasinia and return the same way.

Water, shelter and safety

Our map shows a spring about 550 m from the summit at roughly 1,300 m and another one 800 m away, almost at ridge level (about 1,480 m). A shepherd hut on Polonyna Shysa, reported to be in good condition, stands about a kilometre away. The mountain is in a strictly protected zone: stay on the paths, make no campfires and camp only where allowed. The open ridge towards Petros is windy, the weather changes fast and in fog it is easy to lose the path. In an emergency call 112 or 101 — contacts of the nearest units are on our mountain rescue page.

Interesting facts

• Kakaraza is the north-westernmost summit of Chornohora; to the west, beyond the Chorna Tysa valley (about 10 km), begins Svydovets with its highest peak, Blyznytsia.
• From Kakaraza you can see how the ridge gradually rises towards Petros, one of the highest mountains of Ukraine.