Mount Riapetska

Riapetska (1210 m) is a summit of the Polonyna Borzhava massif on the Polonynian Ridge of the Ukrainian Carpathians. It lies in Mukachevo Raion of Zakarpattia Oblast, on the north-eastern spur of Borzhava that descends from Velykyi Verkh towards the valleys of Podobovets and Huklyvyi. The village of Podobovets is about 3.5 km to the east, Huklyvyi 4.7 km to the north and Volovets 7 km to the north-west.

Riapetska is modest compared with the main Borzhava summits, but it sits at the junction of two marked routes and is therefore familiar to many hikers coming to Borzhava from Podobovets, Pylypets or Volovets. 2.6 km to the south-west rises Veliky Verkh (1598 m), the central peak of the massif where the two main Borzhava ridges meet.

Getting there / routes

According to Ukrainian Wikipedia, two marked routes cross the summit:

• green — from Pylypets to Huklyvyi; in OpenStreetMap it is mapped as «Pylypets – Volovets», and on our site it is described as Zelenyi Pylypets – Volovets;
• blue — from Velykyi Verkh to Podobovets, part of the «Volovets Pass – Vovchyi» route.

Riapetska is a handy waypoint for hikes to central Borzhava. From Podobovets you can climb Velykyi Verkh and return — Podobovets village – Mount Velykyi Verkh – Podobovets village, or carry on over Velykyi Verkh and Stii to Vovchyi — Podobovets village, via Mount Velykyi Verkh and Mount Stiy to Vovchyi village. From Pylypets there is a loop over Gemba and Velykyi Verkh — Pylypets village, via Mount Hemba and Mount Velykyi Verkh to Pylypets village. The longest option is Synevyr Pass, via Mizhhiria, Mount Zhyd-Mahura, Mount Hemba and Shypit Waterfall to Volovets from the Synevyr Pass via Mizhhiria and Zhid-Magura to Volovets. The portal vpohid.com.ua suggests a day route over Riapetska, Pylypets – Velykyi Verkh – Hymba (17.4 km, about 8 hours), and a two-day Borzhava crossing from Svaliava to Pylypets.

The nearest water is on the slopes of Velykyi Verkh: Spring below Mount Velykyi Verkh (8) and Drinking water below Mount Velykyi Verkh are about 900 m from the summit. Less than a kilometre away stand the pylons of the Podobovets ski lifts.

The view from the top

Our sources do not describe the panorama from Riapetska in detail. The map shows that its nearest neighbours are Velykyi Verkh to the south-west, Mala Hymba and Gemba to the south, Plai to the west, with the valleys of Podobovets and Huklyvyi below to the east and north; vpohid.com.ua marks two viewpoints over Podobovets near the summit.

Nature and history

Borzhava is the longest mountain meadow in Zakarpattia: the massif stretches for almost 50 km. It is built of flysch, mostly sandstone. The upper tree line is formed by beech forest at 900–1200 m, although scientists' reconstructions show that it once ran much higher, at 1450–1500 m. Riapetska lies right at this boundary, where beech forest gives way to meadows.

The Borzhava meadows are almost entirely covered with bilberry: from July to September locals pick the berries here, called «yafyny» in Zakarpattia; lingonberry and bog bilberry grow too. About 1.6–1.9 km south of the summit, on the Pylypets river, lies the Shypit waterfall, one of the best-known natural sights of Borzhava.

Safety, season and rules

The Borzhava crests are exposed to the wind, the weather changes quickly, and thunderstorms are frequent in summer — do not stay on the ridge when one approaches. In winter the slopes are snow-covered, and near the lifts you may come across ski runs: do not walk on them while people are skiing. The best hiking season is from late May to October; August is bilberry time.

Respect the shepherds and light fires only at established fireplaces. In an emergency call 112 or 101; rescue contacts are on the page mountain rescue.

Photos: The Dear Deer, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.