Mount Syhlanskyi

Syhlanskyi is the highest peak of the Polonyna Krasna massif in the Ukrainian Carpathians. It lies in the Tiachiv district of Zakarpattia Oblast, between the villages of Kolochava and Ust-Chorna. It is 1564 m high (1563.8 m according to Wikidata). Locals call the mountain Hromovytsia.

The southern and north-western slopes descend into saddles that link the summit with other peaks of the main ridge. Up to 1100–1200 m the slopes are covered mainly with beech forest, higher up lie mountain meadows. The summit offers views of the surrounding mountains: Svydovets to the east, the Manchul massif to the south-west and the Pyshkonia ridge to the north-west.

The Krasna ridge runs from north-west to south-east, bounded by the Tereblia valley to the west and the Mokrianka valley to the east. Neighbouring tops of the crest are Topas (1548 m) to the north-west and Klymova (1492 m) to the south-east, 6 km from Ust-Chorna.

How to get there

The shortest option from Kolochava is Kolochava – Syhlanskyi – Klymova – Ruzha – Ust-Chorna (29.4 km), crossing the whole central crest of Krasna. The route Ust-Chorna – Klymova – Syhlanskyi – Topas – Kolochava (42.1 km) goes the other way. For a multi-day hike take Kolochava – Krasna ridge – Ust-Chorna – Svydovets ridge – Yasinia (81.4 km); the Transcarpathian Tourist Trail also crosses the summit.

Water, shelter and safety

Our map marks a spot about 2.3 km from the summit where you can take drinking water from a stream. There is no water on the ridge itself, so carry a supply. The Krasna crest is long and treeless: there is no shade in the heat and nowhere to hide in a thunderstorm, so check the forecast and start early. In fog follow the waymarks. The best season is from May to October. In an emergency call 112 or 101; contacts of the nearest units are on the mountain rescue page.

Photos: Trayan Mustyatse, CC BY-SA 4.0; Никитина Виктория Михайловна, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.