33 tourists were rescued on Mount Hoverla due to a sudden deterioration in the weather
On the evening of September 13, rescue workers responded twice to assist hikers who were unable to descend from Hoverla on their own due to deteriorating weather conditions. A total of 33 people required assistance, including 25 children aged 12 to 18.
On September 13, tourists in the Carpathians needed help from rescue workers due to deteriorating weather conditions. In the evening, mountain rescue teams were dispatched twice to trails near Hoverla. The first call came in at 8:12 p.m. It involved a group of tourists from the Kolomyia district who were descending via the blue trail and were unable to reach the Zaroslyak area on their own.
The group consisted of 32 people—five adults and 27 children. The hikers set out from the village of Kvasy in Zakarpattia, climbed Mount Petros, and then continued on toward Hoverla. At the pass between Mount Petros and Mount Hoverla, two children born in 2011 decided not to continue the hike because they were feeling unwell. They stayed overnight at a mountain shelter.
Rescuers contacted the children by phone. According to the State Emergency Service, their condition was satisfactory. Rescuers planned to escort them down the next day. The other 30 members of the group continued on their way. Among them were 25 children aged 12 to 18. Due to worsening weather conditions, the hikers were no longer able to descend to Zaroslyak on their own. “Another 30 members of the group, including 25 children aged 12 to 18, continued on the route; however, due to deteriorating weather conditions, they were unable to descend to the Zaroslyak area on their own,” the State Emergency Service reported.
Rescuers from the Vorokhta Mountain Search and Rescue Unit set out to assist them. But on their way to the main group, the rescuers received another call. At 9:19 p.m., they received a report about three women from Zhytomyr. They were also descending from Hoverla via the blue trail and, due to bad weather, were unable to reach Zaroslyak on their own.
At 9:36 p.m., rescuers located the hikers. All three were in satisfactory condition. One rescuer began escorting the women to the “Zaroslyak” base, while the other two continued on to meet the group of 30 hikers.
At 10:10 p.m., rescuers found the main group on the blue trail. None of the hikers were injured, after which the rescuers began escorting them to a safe location.
The three women from Zhytomyr were successfully brought to the base at 10:35 p.m. Another hour and a half later, around midnight, a group of 30 hikers—including 25 children—also safely reached the “Zaroslyak” mountain rescue station. Afterward, all the tourists boarded a bus and headed back to their accommodations. Thus, in just one evening, rescuers assisted 33 tourists who, due to deteriorating weather conditions, were unable to complete their descent from Hoverla on their own.
Hoverla is Ukraine’s highest peak. It stands at 2,061 meters above sea level. Due to rapidly changing weather in the Carpathians, conditions on mountain trails can deteriorate sharply even after the ascent has begun; therefore, it is important for hikers to assess the forecast and their own capabilities in advance. This was reported on Facebook by the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.
