«Sokol’ets», «Sokolytch», «S’okololets»

All three words from the title refer to the same place. According to the old Soviet maps, which we actually rely on during our trips, the place is called Mt. Sokolytch. The locals pronounce it with placing an emphasis on the first vowel "sOkolytch" while the youngsters simply say "Sokolets".

Anyways, point 17.2 of the constitution of the underground movement of the Transcarpatian separatists’ states "The name doesn’t make the hill any taller". To convince ourselves of this, we decided to hike the true Mecca of the Peretchyn region – the Mt. Sokolets. Actually, it’s a chain of rocks, to be exact. Mt.Sokolets itself is 812 above the sea level. mt.Sokolets is notorious for its steep ascend and this time I had a chance to find out for myself how challenging it really is. We left the car on the side of the road by the bridge in the village of Simer and having walked around the natural gas distribution station entered the woods. I should mention it’s very important to take a left in front of the distribution station; otherwise, you’ll hit the road suggested by most maps as the most path to the summit. This isn’t however the case at all – the trail fades out among all the trees and eventually ends rather abruptly. At the bottom of a steep ascend we are greeted by this kinky looking beech.



And then we started ascending…this is when I started swearing like it was going out of fashion remembering all the gods I could think of and all of their mothers as well. The more you ascend, the steeper the hike gets…the trail doesn’t wind around the hill like a serpentine but instead takes you up straight up to the summit. Half way along the way, while clinging onto all the rocks I could reach for with my back being permanently bent, my language got particularly creative. Finally, after about a killometer and a half of huffing and puffing, we’ve reached this tiny rock.



"Yay! So that’s what Sokolets looks like" we would joke around and I made took another photo…



…we pressed forward again and actually from this point on, the ascend wasn’t as bad and in about 300 m we’ve reached the summit of Synatori – a cute sunny valley.



And things got even better. The GPS, the Soviet military maps, and the elevation data brought some good news – the changes in height wouldn’t reach more than 30 m over the course of the next 3-4 kilometers. We were moving along the ridge overlooking some amazing views on either side of the trail.



This part of the trail is rich in wild apples and some wild pear trees, a few beeches, oak trees and asps, and lots of stones cowered in moss can also be seen. No great views of the Peretchyn or the nearby hills though. About 5-to 7 years ago one could enjoy some really breathtaking views of these areas but the growing tree line quickly got in the way of this. Occasionally, you can catch a glance of the Peretchyn Timber-and-Chemical Plant but that’s about it.

Several kilometers later, passing through several valleys, we rich an open space with grass as tall as an average human. Luckily, the trail continues and we continue to follow it further.



Another 300 m…and I am swearing again…this time for a different reason though…the overwhelming beauty makes it difficult to contain the emotions.



Among the trees one can make out a view point which offers a fascinating view of the mountains. I was so amazed by the landscapes that at first I didn’t notice the mt.Sokolets itself. Right in front, you can see the ridge named the Lime rocks, mt.Makovitsta (976 above the sea level), on the right, hidden behind the trees on the opposite mountain, lies the valley of the Antalovets. Among the hills a bit further away glitters the lake of Andrashovtsi and down below, underneath the rocks, flows the Klokotiva river.



I really mean it – right above the rocks the eye catches the landscapes worth to be described by a brush of the Shakespeare and the pen of Shishkin… or perhaps vice versa?



Down below you can see the rocks themselves. In fact, its only their tips to be exact. The height of the actual rocks is about 35 m.



They’re also truly beautiful. No matter which angle I’m taking – each and every picture captures a great shot.



On this picture, the mountain behind the canyon at the back is home to the valley of Antalovets. The trees seen right along the line of where the forest and the sky meet are found right at the edge of the valley.



On this one, the clearance is along the old military road which starts in the village of Turia-Remeta and winds among the mountains all the way to the village of Antalovtsi. It’s another incredible hike but unfortunately not for the hikers who brought the car.



Having thoroughly enjoyed the beauties of mt.Sokolets, we decided to check out mt.Svetil’nik on the way back. Along the way, we encounter this cute mystic looking log, evenly covered in mushrooms.



Mt.Svetil’nik is really not all that interesting. The tree-line here is obstructing the views and the only “sightseeing” spot is the old fire spot.



…there’s a spring on the edge of the valley and numerous bushes of the juniper all around it…



After this, we headed back to the car. I was quite tired at this point, to be completely honest. Descending down the steep hill turned out to be even more arduous than hiking up and even the energy reserved for swearing had left me at that point.

All in all. The route is quite strenuous and is recommended for people well prepared for the average to extensive physical work outs. I’m convinced the children wouldn’t be a good idea to take along. In fact, we’ve seen a fall out involving a child on the way up. In spite of the rough terrain, the views are totally worth all the effort. The length of the hike is 18 kilometers and the time for the whole route (including a stop at the mt.Svetil’nik) is anywhere between 7 – 8 hours depending on the overall preparedness of the group and the time spent taking breaks.

05.01.2011. 08:59

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