My First Adventure Hiking - Story with photos

Traveling is my passion. Sometimes I consider myself to be an experienced traveller. But all my knowledge came from my own experience. Today I’ll share with you a short story about my 1st mountain trip made by ourselves. It was an adventurous but important lesson as I gained the most invaluable hiking experience during those 2 days.

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It was in August, about 5-6 years ago. To say the truth, and it is important thing, the inner tourist industry began to develop in Ukraine more recently. I was mad about mountains, but both my husband and I were absolutely unexperienced office plankton. These are 2 reasons why we choose Pip Ivan mountain peak (2022 m, Ukrainian Carpathians, Chornogora mountain range) for our first hiking trip, and one of the most challenging path for climbing, and why it was not a day trip with a small pack, but a 2-days with heavy backpack for everyone.

There were 4 of us: my husband, I, my daughter and her friend (a boy). We hadn’t anything from the list of stuff you need in a mountain trip, and we couldn’t spend much money, so we’ve bought some outfit and borrowed the other.

Our goal was really worth to see. There is an abandoned Astronomical and Meteorological Observatory on the top of Pip Ivan. It has a charming name - Bilyj Slon (White Elephant in english). Besides, number 2000 has a magical power for me...) The territory was part of Poland when the observatory was built. The construction started in 1937 and completed in the summer of 1938. For its time it was the highest permanently inhabited building in all Poland.

A few days earlier there had been heavy rains in the mountains, and one bridge and a part of gravel road had washed away. But when we got known about that we were on the way. Repair in Ukrainian mountains is slow and very simple: backfill the pit with more gravel. This time truck came and just release all gravel. A pit became a heap.

On the day of start early in the morning we packed our backpacks, got in our sedan and set off. We lost a couple of hours trying to pass a place washed by a river: our car slipped. Finally, we made it, and when we started hiking it was almost noon, hot August noon...

I am not sure what made me keep moving - excitement admiration with the breath-taking the surrounding views or my inborn stubbornness. After passing first half of mile I was almost sure I cannot make it.

I was suffering from thirst, shortness of breath and nausea. Wrong clothes became wet and rubbed all body. On my way up I reminded all my diseases and weaknesses. The friend of my daughter was young and strong, but his nylon backpack has thin unlined shoulder straps, they were digging into the shoulders and his hands grew numb. My husband is more tough than I but his biggest weakness were his shoes - Grinders (Leather Boot With Steel Toe Cap…) On the half way he just couldn't stand up and changed them to … wait for it… flip-flops. Oh yeah, now you see what kind of dummies we were...

The plan was to make a camp for a night on the top but we started the climbing too late for it. So we stopped not far from a water spring. All flat spots were occupied and we made our camp on a slight slope … Though I was exhausted and weary I couldn’t fall to sleep because even when I was laying still I slided down...

But you know, I’ve never seen the sky so close. It getting dark suddenly and quickly in mountains, and nights are very dark and cold. It is an absolute and perfect darkness.

If you’d look at the sky long enough you start to feel like you’re floating in the space among the stars. It is the feeling worth all that sufferings. Besides, I’ve never tasted a better instant food as on that evening. :)

Next day we moved on towards our aim - the peak with an Observatory. It was much more easier as we went by pairs while the other two stayed in the camp.

My daughter was wearing running shoes, and on the way down she twisted her ankle. It was the only incident on that day, thanks God.

In summary, here are things I have learned on that trip.

Shoes. If you want to enjoy your travel, buy a right footwear: Trekking / Hiking Footwear. As for me, it is the main point. It was the first thing we’ve bought before next trip.

You need a right clothes. Cotton is not the best material for activity. Sportswear is that you need. It is lightweight and quick dry. It is a well-known fact for you, maybe, but don’t forget, I’ve born in USSR...

Weight of everything matters. Utensils, spare shoes, clothes, tent, food, even backpack itself. I didn’t think of it before that.

Time of the year is also important. Actually, you can take a trip whenever you want but you should know what to expect from the mother nature.

Complexity / difficulty. I'm no jock. After that I judge for myself that climbing and hiking perhaps are not my kind of activity. But not a long ago I discovered that… warming up also matters! I mean that if you’re sitting in the office all day long, try easier goal for the first day. Then harder and higher, and so on. You wouldn’t believe what your body can make.

And for God’s sake, buy a map! It’s hard to believe, but we have no map, just a description in words…

Anyway, after my first, hard and silly attempt to discover mountains I did not lost my courage. The following trips were also adventurous but slightly in another way. So stay tuned, and you’d not miss anything!

All photographs are mine. You can open them in new window to view in bigger size.

@zirochka

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