Lake Rosokhan (Osmoloda, Gorgany)

The little-known mountain lake Rosokhan (Osmoloda, Ivano-Frankivsk region) is a hydrological natural monument of local significance with an area of 4.7 hectares. The lake is located on the slopes of the Arshytsia ridge at an altitude of 1120 m and is fed by waters from Mount Verkh-Menchalyk (1554 m).

The dimensions of the lake itself vary depending on the season and the amount of precipitation. The lake has an elliptical shape, with an average length of about 60 m, a width of 20 m, and a depth of up to 4.5 m. There is no distinct inlet or outlet, and the bottom is rocky. The water is cold even in summer and clear, with no signs of microbial life, which may indicate the presence of minerals in the water. According to one version, Lake Rosokhan was formed as a result of a meteorite impact and is now fed by atmospheric precipitation.

Lake Rosokhan encompasses the surrounding area. It is a lake of collapse origin, located in a rocky, tree-less "bowl" that rises 3-5 meters above the water surface, covered with green mosses predominantly of the species diacranum and low grasses.

A wonderful place for solitude by the lake or anywhere in the Gorgany mountains.

The Gorgany mountains are considered hard-to-reach and are strictly protected by law. To get here, you need to gather "a whole Hoverla" of patience )), as well as endure steep, not very high slopes and rocky fields that cover all Gorgany peaks. Others are deterred by the ban on tourist visits to most of the territory of the "Gorgany" reserve.

There are many lakes in the Carpathians, but most of them either have a lot of tours from all corners of Ukraine (for example, to Lake Synevyr) or Lake Maricheyka, past which off-road vehicles take tourists to Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi. Therefore, it is very good that there is still an opportunity to find solitude by Lake Rosokhan.

Incredibly beautiful Lake Rosokhan in the Gorgany mountains is so clean and transparent that you can see every pebble on the bottom, as it reflects the sky and everything around with amazing accuracy. It is not easy to take photos of the lake from different angles, as the shores above the lake are steep and rocky, densely covered in century-old fir trees in places. But we have selected a few more photos from social networks for you.

Once, attempts were even made to breed fish in the lake. But probably due to the water composition, the fish did not survive here. However, it is safe for people to drink. Swimming here is of course very beneficial, but not everyone dares to do so, as the bottom of the lake is very rocky, and the water does not warm above 10-12 degrees in summer. Probably because it is high - 1120 meters above sea level, and sunlight does not penetrate through the steep spruce slopes.

Lake Rosokhan is located near the Arshytsia ridge. It is sometimes confused with the Grofeckyi pond, which can be accessed from the saddle between Konem Grofeckym and Grofa. The pond is much smaller, located lower than Rosokhan, dries up in summer, and the surrounding area becomes heavily marshy.

The route to the lake

Step 1. First, you need to get to Myslivka or Osmoloda. You can reach Myslivka from Ivano-Frankivsk by buses heading to Khust and Uzhhorod. From Kyiv and Lviv, buses go to Dolyna (the same buses to Khust are suitable), and there it is convenient to transfer to the necessary minibus to Myslivka. You can get to Osmoloda via Kalush.

Step 2. It will not be quick and comfortable to walk to the lake. The best option is to walk from Myslivka to Osmoloda via Arshytsia and visit not only Rosokhan but also other lakes - Arshytsia, Ubyte, Zabute, Luzhky. It turns out that Arshytsia is just as much a lake ridge as the Svidovets massif.

• After the Osmolodskiy bridge, turn left along the road by the Moloda river to the Mshana forestry (a few neat buildings beyond Osmoloda) to Rosokhan is a little more than 7 km. The checkpoint (CP) is the bridge at the confluence of the Mshana river into the Moloda river. The condition of the dirt road in this part allows for trouble-free passage of light vehicles. The road takes: 25 minutes to the Kotelets stream (2 km from Osmoloda), a metal bridge; + 10 minutes to the bridge over the Moloda river; +15 minutes to the Luzhak clearing, the monastery of the Studites below, to the left along the way (before the fork that goes right up to the Arshytsia ridge); + 25 minutes to the forestry itself.
• Then, without crossing the bridge, along the Mshana river to the so-called Sklady. CP - an unfinished bridge, a high metal structure. The path runs along a road that is sometimes broken by logging trucks. A section of 5.2 km with a snack and mushroom checks is covered in two hours. Half an hour's walk from the forestry, there are two options for the path: the old lower road - berries, and the new upper road - mushrooms. Both lead to a small hut.
• The final part is a one and a half kilometer easy ascent from Sklady to Lake Rosokhan. The total route is up to 13 km.
• However, you can also start from Myslivka: this option is a multi-day hike, 28 km from the village to the lake. You won't be able to set up camp by Rosokhan - there are no flat areas, but there are some a little higher from the water. There is enough space for a few tents (and don't forget to bring a burner - making a fire here is not allowed).