Polonyna Skopeska

Skopeska Polonyna (also "Skopieska" on maps) is a saddle ridge between Petros and Hoverla in the central part of the Chornohora range, Rakhiv district, Zakarpattia. Its average height is about 1,518 m, with the open sections at roughly 1,390–1,540 m. The polonyna runs from the north-west, from Petros, to the south-east, towards Hoverla, and consists of several narrow saddles and three low, partly forested tops.

This is not a polonyna people visit for cheese and cows: Skopeska is the link between the two best-known peaks of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The red-marked Hoverla – Petros traverse runs along it, and nearby on the saddle stand a shelter and a Carpathian Biosphere Reserve post. So it is where people come who want to climb both Hoverla and Petros in one or two days.

What you will see

On one side Hoverla, snow-white in spring, towers over the saddle; on the other rises the sharp pyramid of Petros. To the south the Marmarosh range and the mountains of Romania open up, to the west the valleys towards Luhy and Bohdan. The north-eastern slopes are covered mainly with fir forest, the south-western ones with fir and beech; between them are grassy clearings with scattered spruces where tents stand in summer. In winter the saddle becomes a snowy plateau, and this is where some of the best winter views of Hoverla open up.

Shepherds, huts and cheese

We found no information on present-day grazing on Skopeska itself: it is more a wooded-meadow saddle than a pasture. The nearest places where livestock traditionally grazes in summer are Holovcheska Polonyna below Petros and Rohnieska Polonyna. If you meet a flock or shepherds on the way, greet them and walk around the animals.

History and legends

Between the wars the Polish–Czechoslovak border ran along the main Chornohora ridge from Hoverla; Petros, Petrosul and the saddle between them lay on the Czechoslovak side. Polish maps of the 1930s labelled Petros "Pietros", even though both peaks were across the border. The name Petros is commonly explained as coming from the Greek "petros", "rock, stone", via Vlach dialects. A chapel stands on the saddle next to the reserve post.

Routes

• Hoverla – reserve shelter – Skopeska Polonyna – Holovcheska Polonyna – Petros on the red waymarks: about 4 hours.
• From the checkpoint building on the saddle via the Skopieska area to Petros: the shortest path, a 3–4-hour climb. The signpost on the polonyna itself (1,518 m) gives 3 km and about 1 h 15 min to Petros.
• From Lazeshchyna via Kozmeshchyk: a stony forest road of about 8 km to the saddle, waymarks weak in places; then on to Petros or Hoverla.
• From the village of Hoverla (Rakhiv district) via the Kliauza area to the checkpoint on the saddle; from the Bohdan side via Rohnieska Polonyna (a two-day option).
• Our tracks: Kozmeshchyk – Petros – Hoverla – Kozmeshchyk, from Kvasy over Petros and Hoverla to Lazeshchyna, from Hoverla village over Turkul, Hoverla and Petros to Yasinia, from Lazeshchyna via Kozmeshchyk to Hoverla.

The saddle itself is technically easy, but getting there takes a long climb. The easiest option for those who don't do big hikes is to ride an off-road vehicle from Kozmeshchyk closer to the foot of the mountains and walk the short section to the saddle.

Getting there

Most people reach Skopeska by traversing the Chornohora ridge between Hoverla and Petros. From below, take the dirt road from Lazeshchyna (on the Yasinia – Vorokhta road) to the Kozmeshchyk area; according to hikers, in dry weather even an ordinary car gets there, and an entry fee is charged at the barrier. From there local drivers take tourists in off-road vehicles right up to the foot of the mountains. Another start is Hoverla village via Kliauza. Lazeshchyna and Yasinia can be reached by bus, or by train to Yasinia station.

When to go and weather

The season is May to October; in spring snow lingers above the tree line for a long time, and fresh snow can fall in October. Fog and thunderstorms are common in Chornohora, especially in the afternoon. In bad weather hikers advise skipping the summit of Hoverla and taking the traverse path around it to the saddle.

Water, shelters and overnight

On the saddle there is a shelter where you can spend the night, especially in bad weather when pitching a tent is awkward, and dry your things by the wardens' fire. The spring is to the right of the road towards Luhy. Nearby are a hut, a refuge, a spring, a spring below Petros, the "Carpathian Highlands Information and Tourist Centre" shelter and the "Peremychka Ecological Point" hut. The nearest accommodation is in Lazeshchyna, Yasinia and Hoverla village.

Safety

• This is Carpathian Biosphere Reserve territory: entry is paid and reserve rules apply; stay on marked trails.
• Fog and thunderstorms are dangerous on the saddle; in bad weather it is better to wait it out in the shelter.
• In winter the slopes of Petros are prone to avalanches, and it is easy to get lost on the snowy saddle.
• This is a border area: border guards check documents (passport, and for men a military registration document); check the current requirements of the State Border Guard Service before your hike.
• Do not leave belongings unattended by your tent.
• In an emergency call 112 or 101 (State Emergency Service, mountain search and rescue); for medical help call 103.

What visitors say

• A fit hiker covers the Petros – Hoverla traverse over the saddle in a few hours, and from Kozmeshchyk you can do a loop over both peaks in one day.
• The shelter on the saddle is a lifesaver in bad weather: you can warm up, cook and dry out.
• The forest road from Kozmeshchyk to the saddle is easy, but the waymarks are weak, so check your navigation app.
• The summit of Hoverla is described as trampled and crowded, so the quiet saddle with a view of it is a pleasant contrast.
• From here Hoverla and Petros are "in the palm of your hand"; the best photos come on a clear morning.

Polonynas and peaks around

• Mount Hoverla: Ukraine's highest peak (2,061 m), at the south-eastern end of the saddle.
• Mount Petros: 2,020 m, at the north-western end.
• Mount Petrosul: the northern shoulder of Petros.
• Holovcheska Polonyna: the next polonyna on the way to Petros, a popular camping spot.
• Rohnieska Polonyna: a large pasture on the south-western slopes of Petros.
• Maryshevska Polonyna: on the other side of Hoverla, in Prykarpattia.
• Mount Breskul and Pozhyzhevska Polonyna: further east along the main ridge.
• Lake Nesamovyte: the "heart of Chornohora" below Turkul.

Photos: Wisetus, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Yur dmytruk, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; MSha, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons; Андрій Угрин, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.