Polonyna Zakukul

Polonyna Zakukul lies on the south-eastern slope of Mount Kukul (1539 m), the highest summit of the ridge of the same name that runs north of the main Chornohora ridge. It is in Nadvirna district of Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, near Vorokhta. Its open meadows spread at roughly 1370–1500 m; the eco-trail page of the Carpathian National Nature Park gives its height as 1436 m.

Kukul is surrounded on three sides by pastures: Zakukul, Kukul and Labieska. Zakukul is the one closest to Chornohora, so people come here above all for the panorama: the whole Chornohora ridge with Hoverla and Petros is in view. The polonyna is part of the Carpathian National Nature Park.

What you will see

A wide view of Chornohora opens up before you: Hoverla, Petros, the Kostrycha ridge and other peaks. Above the pasture rises the forested top of Kukul, from which the ridge spreads out. In spring, as soon as the snow melts, the meadow turns purple with Heuffel's crocus, a rare plant listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. Lower down, on the hay meadows, grow blueberries, mat-grass and other herbs; the forests on the slopes are beech, fir-beech and spruce.

In winter Zakukul is buried under deep snow, and sunrises and sunsets between Hoverla and Petros are especially beautiful — these are the shots photographers bring back most often.

Shepherds, huts and cheese

Zakukul is still a centre of traditional mountain pastoralism: in season cattle graze here and cheese is made according to old Hutsul customs. In the huts on the pasture, visitors are usually sold fresh milk and cheese. Whether a hut is working this particular year and what you can buy there is not known in advance — ask on the spot. Remember that the huts and pens belong to the shepherds: they are not tourist shelters, and during the grazing season they are occupied.

History and legends

Until 1939 the Polish–Czechoslovak border ran along the Kukul ridge, and before that the border between Galicia and Hungary; today it is the boundary between Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia oblasts. During the First World War there was fierce fighting for the ridge, notably in 1916 during the Brusilov Offensive. Trenches, dugouts and concrete fortifications survive around Kukul, and on the summit there is an old cemetery of German soldiers.

The name Kukul is derived from the Romanian word cucă, "an isolated elevation"; Zakukul, as the name itself suggests, lies "beyond Kukul". In the 1930s the Main Carpathian Trail crossed the summit: Polish hikers walked from Vorokhta over Kukul and Kozmeska to Zaroslyak and Hoverla.

Routes

• Zavoiela ("Chornohora" checkpoint) — Polonyna Zakukul — an eco-trail of the Carpathian National Nature Park: about 4.2 km one way, roughly 2.5 hours, moderate difficulty. First 800 m on a dirt road, then right along a stream through mixed forest and a steep climb of about 400 m. This is the shortest way to the pasture. From the checkpoint to the summit of Kukul it is about 7 km with 580 m of ascent (Hoverla checkpoint (Zavoiela) — Mount Kukul).
• Vorokhta — Kukul via Kychera and Oseredok — about 12 km and 800 m of ascent, blue waymarks; a forest path, very muddy in places (Vorokhta — Pereslip — Mount Kukul).
• Voronenko — Kukul — about 13 km and 720 m of ascent, yellow waymarks, across the Polonyna Bukovyna, Hryhorivka and Serednia pastures; the gentlest climb (Voronenko — Mount Kukul, loop Voronenko — Kukul — Voronenko).
• Multi-day traverse from Vorokhta over Kukul, Breskul and Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi to Dzembronia — route description.

There is no easy way up without walking. The shortest option for people who do not do long hikes is the eco-trail from Zavoiela, but it too has a noticeably steep climb.

Getting there

Trains on the Ivano-Frankivsk — Rakhiv line run to Vorokhta, and the N09 highway passes through the town. The Zavoiela area with the "Chornohora" checkpoint lies on the road from Vorokhta to Zaroslyak, where ascents of Hoverla begin. From the checkpoint there is transport to the Bukovel — Vorokhta — Verkhovyna road. For the route from Voronenko, take the train to Voronenko station.

When to go and weather

The hiking season lasts from May to October. Crocuses usually bloom from the second half of April into May — the most popular and most crowded time. In summer cattle graze on the pasture, and blueberries ripen in late summer. In winter the route to Zakukul is only for experienced hikers with winter gear. On the open slope the weather changes quickly: fog and thunderstorms can roll in within minutes.

Water, shelters and overnight

There are several springs nearby — for example, a spring below Mount Kukul and another one lower down the slope; on the pasture itself stands a hut. Pitching a tent on Zakukul is possible, but this is national park land: light fires only in designated places. The nearest accommodation is in Vorokhta and Voronenko.

Safety

• Shepherd dogs stay near the pens: walk around the flock, do not run, and call the shepherd.
• The open slope is dangerous in a thunderstorm — at the first thunder head down to the forest.
• In fog it is easy to lose the path, so carry an offline map or GPS.
• Picking plants is prohibited in the park: picking crocuses can lead to an administrative fine.
• Before the hike, register your route with the State Emergency Service mountain rescuers; in an emergency call 112 or 103.

What visitors say

• Zakukul is called one of the best places to camp with a view of Chornohora — people come up with tents for the sunrise over Hoverla.
• During crocus season, especially at weekends, the pasture and Kukul get very crowded.
• The path from Vorokhta goes through forest with hardly any views and turns into a bog after rain — good footwear is a must.
• The summit of Kukul is forested and offers no panorama; the best views are from the pastures, not from the top.
• On holidays the huts can be overcrowded, so it is worth carrying a tent.
• In season you can buy fresh milk and cheese at the hut — but not every year.

Polonynas and peaks around

• Polonyna Kukul — a large pasture with huts on the western slope of the same mountain.
• Polonyna Labieska — Kukul's northern pasture with views of Vorokhta and the Gorgany.
• Polonyna Bukovyna — the first pasture on the path from Voronenko, known for its swing.
• Polonyna Borsuchyna — a neighbouring pasture on the slopes above Vorokhta.
• Mount Velyka Kozmeska — a neighbouring summit on the way to Zaroslyak.
• Mount Kychera — a forested hill above Vorokhta on the route to Kukul.
• Mount Hoverla and Mount Petros — the highest peaks seen from Zakukul.

Photos: ЯдвигаВереск, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Moahim, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Gudyma s, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Gudyma s, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Robert-Erik, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Олександр Лупул, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Матвіїв Любомир, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.