One last train, but only two stops and we were in Volovets, in the mountains. We grabbed a quick breakfast, and a remarkably tasty loaf of bread for lunch, then took a taxi to Pylypets ski resort. We dumped our rucksacks at the hotel and headed for the hills. After 30 minutes, I realised I’d misunderstood Sacha back in the hotel, and we only had 500ml of water between us, plus my filter. We’d make do. If we got desperate, there were plenty of opportunities to drop down and find a stream.
The first hour, through the forest, was surprisingly steep, but when we emerged onto the ridge, it eased off into a manageable, steady climb. We passed a young couple picking bilberries. Cute. Then a group of pickers, who’d made it up a shallower track on motorbikes. Obviously another Carpathian institution, like mushrooming in the forest. At the first summit (Veliky Verkh, 1598m), the industrial scale of the operation became apparent, when a Soviet 4×4 truck bounced past, collecting crates of berries. In England, I’d have suspected a gangmaster exploiting illegal immigrants, but where would a Ukrainian gangmaster traffic them from? Even poor Moldovans would fare better at home. The mountain fared a lot worse for the invasion. The slopes were littered with plastic bottles and food wrappers. Sacha told me Scottish mountain climbers would have had them shot.
The big peak at the end of the ridge (Stiy, 1681m) rewarded us with a 360 degree panorama, probably into Romania. Shortly after we set off down, another truck bounced past, literally on top of the ridge. Its cargo of babushyas waved to us.
The descent was quicker. I tried to convince myself a handful of bilberries had hydrated me, but we were getting thirsty. We retraced our steps along the ridge, then turned down a valley, heading for water. Sacha declared it clean and drank his fill. I scooped up a bladder of water and squeezed it through my new filter, removing all the bear piss and motorbike oil. We missed the waterfall, but we were soon at the trail head – with its tourist market and food shacks. No kvass, no deruny, but my coffee was a welcome treat.
We ate a mediocre but filling dinner at the hotel, then booked a chan (hot tub) for the morning and had an early night.
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