Mount Topas

Topas is a mountain in the Ukrainian Carpathians, in the Polonyna Krasna massif, Tiachiv district of Zakarpattia Oblast. It is 1548 m high. The nearest village is Kolochava, starting point of the most popular ascent; Pryslip and Mereshor are also close.

Up to 1100–1200 m the slopes are covered mainly with beech forest, and higher up stretch mountain meadows (polonyny). The summit is open, so the views are wide: the Svydovets massif to the east, the Manchul massif to the south-west and the Pyshkonia ridge to the north-west. A notable landmark of Topas is the tall tower on its summit (reportedly about 65 m high), visible from far away.

From Topas you can follow the crest to the highest peak of the massif, Syhlanskyi (1564 m), and on to Mount Klymova (1492 m) and the village of Ust-Chorna. Polonyna Krasna stretches from north-west to south-east between the Tereblia and Mokrianka valleys.

How to get there

The shortest option is the loop Kolochava – Mount Topas – Kolochava: 16.2 km with about 1000 m of ascent. Another option is the descent through the hamlet of Mereshor: Mount Topas – Mereshor – Kolochava (21.8 km). To walk the whole Krasna ridge, take Ust-Chorna – Klymova – Syhlanskyi – Topas – Kolochava (42.1 km), which also crosses Syhlanskyi, the highest peak of the massif.

Water, shelter and safety

Our map shows a developed spring about 1.5 km from the summit and a hut on the Krasna meadow about 2 km away. There is no shade on the meadows, so in summer bring a hat and enough water. The Krasna ridge is exposed: in a thunderstorm do not stay on the crest or near the tower, in fog follow the waymarks and your navigation app. The best season is from May to October. In an emergency call 112 or 101; contacts are on the mountain rescue page.

Photos: Savka natalya, CC0; Никитина Виктория Михайловна, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.