Mount Malyi Kanusiak

Malyi Kanusiak is a 1,620 m peak of the Gorgany range in the Kalush district of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. The mountain has a regular cone shape and rises between the valleys of the Petros and Limnytsia rivers and the Kotelets stream, a tributary of the Moloda. To the south-west a saddle links it with neighbouring Velykyi Kanusiak (1,642 m); Hrofa (1,748 m) rises to the west and Kin-Hrofetskyi to the north-west. The nearest village is Osmoloda, about 6 km away.

Up to about 1,450 m the slopes are covered with spruce forest; higher up come scree fields and dwarf mountain pine, known locally as zherep.

How to get there

Our site has no marked route to Malyi Kanusiak, and there is no well-trodden path to the top either. The most convenient approach is from Osmoloda, where our routes in this part of the Gorgany begin, or as part of a day over the neighbouring summits — Velykyi Kanusiak and Hrofa. This is a hike for experienced walkers: without a path, progress through dwarf pine and boulders is very slow.

Water, shelter and safety

On our map the nearest springs are about 800 m from the summit (among them the «Krynychky» spring), with several more lower down towards Osmoloda. There are no huts or shelters near the top, so plan to camp or stay in the village. Choose a day with good visibility and carry a track in your navigation app, enough water and warm layers. In an emergency call 112 or 101 — mountain rescue works around the clock.

Interesting facts

• The two Kanusiaks, Velykyi and Malyi, stand side by side joined by a saddle, so from the Plistse meadow they look like a pair of summits.
• Other spellings of the name also occur — «Kaniusiak», «Konusiak»; reference books and hiking maps use «Malyi Kanusiak».

Photos: Rbrechko, CC BY-SA 4.0; Tanya Troyan, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.