Mount Kalnytsia

Kalnytsia (Slovak: Kalnica) is a 1,004 m mountain on the state border between Ukraine and Slovakia, in the Bukovské vrchy, part of the Bieszczady. It lies in the south-western part of the Kremenets massif (1,221 m), about 1.3–1.4 km from its summit, above the confluence of the Kamianytsia and Stuzhytska rivers. The nearest village in our catalogue is Stuzhytsia, about 7 km away.

Neighbouring summits: Kamenna (1,201 m) about 1.4 km to the north-west, Patskova Kychera (872 m) 1.5 km to the south-west and Velyka Ravka (1,304 m) 2.8 km to the north-east. Here the border separates Ukraine’s Uzhanskyi National Nature Park from Slovakia’s Poloniny National Park, and the slopes on both sides are protected by Stuzhytsia nature reserves.

How to get there

We do not have a waymarked route to Kalnytsia itself yet. The closest is the loop Stuzhytsia – Mount Kremenets – Stuzhytsia (17 km, about 1,060 m of ascent), which passes about 540 m from the summit. The routes Stuzhytsia – Mount Kremenets (8.4 km) and Stuzhytsia – Mount Kremenets (16.1 km) pass about 1.3 km away. From Kremenets an unmarked track runs along the state border to Kalnytsia.

Water, shelter and safety

There is no water at the summit: the nearest spring on our map is below Mount Kremenets, about 1.9 km to the north-east, at around 1,130 m (condition unknown). There is no shelter nearby, so carry water and gear. The mountain lies in the border zone and inside the national park: carry your passport, do not cross the border and follow the park rules. The nearest summit with our 7-day forecast is Parashka, about 63 km away: weather on Parashka. In an emergency call 112 or 101 — contacts of the nearest units are on our mountain rescue page.

Interesting facts

• The Stuzhytsia reserve dates back to 1908, when the Austro-Hungarian authorities began protecting the old-growth forests of the upper Uzh.
• More than 3,000 ha of the park’s beech–fir–sycamore old-growth forests were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007.
• Near Kremenets and Velyka Ravka, at 1,200–1,280 m, an intact upper tree line survives, with crooked, sabre-bent beeches.

Photos: Lichinga, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.