Wed 29 Jul, Hoverla

Hoverla is Ukraine’s highest mountain (2061m; 3km, +770m, 2-3 hours up). I had a coffee near the station and failed to observe how I might share a taxi. The first driver I asked spoke way beyond my speed limit. I explained, “Ya ne ponimayu” (I don’t understand.) “Rozumiyu! Rozumiyu!” he shouted back. The penny dropped. “Ponimayu – Russky?” Was it really so offensive to use a Russian word? He hammed it up and exclaimed “Oh my Gaaaaad!” I swiped ponimayu firmly left, the first of many Russian-only words, and penitently repeated “rozumiyu, rozumiyu”. 

I eventually shared a taxi with a lovely English teacher, Nastya, hubby Dima and their dog. I was excited to find kvass (brown bread lemonade – yes, really) at the trail head. We walked and chatted together like old friends. They introduced me to another hiker, who enthusiastically declared himself a Canadian-Ukrainian and whipped out a Ukrainian flag, a Maple Leaf and a Union Jack for a photo. I wondered how many other flags in his rucksack had seen active service. Nastya kept stopping for fag breaks. After 5 hours and 2.5km I guiltily abandoned them and went on ahead. The summit had three ‘bars’ – cases of beer behind a cairn-counter. But it was Ukraine, so I bought an expensive, hot lager…and loved it, grateful to whoever had hauled it 770m up a mountain for me. A friendly family gave me a lift all the way to my hostel. I arrived at 11, comfortably before the midnight curfew. 

I texted Dima, imagining them stuck on the mountain, fighting off the bears. No reply. I realised I was powerless to help.