No need to spend much money when skiing in Carpathians

Over the years, Bukovel skiing resort in the Carpathian Mountains developed into a “Courchevel” of Ukraine. Although hardly comparable in luxury of accommodation and quality of the slopes, this neat village impresses with fast lifts, modern lodging and well-kept ski trails.

Bukovel is popular with middle-class skiers who can afford Hr 800 for a double bed per night, for instance, but budget travelers need not be deterred.

I dug up a three-day tour for Hr 750 inclusive of transportation, housing, breakfast and dinner. No, I didn’t have to sleep on a rug but had to travel by bus from Kyiv and live 30 kilometers outside Bukovel, in the village of Yaseni.

The trip started on a late Thursday evening when a group of accidental travelers met near Dorogozhychy metro station in Kyiv. The bus was big, modern and pretty comfortable. Afraid of getting cold at night, I slipped on my ski jacket and pants for the ride, but it proved unnecessary since the bus was heated.

Just as the bus started moving, somebody from the group asked “Who’s got the booze?” This battle cry was enough to find like-minded drinkers in their 20s and stay up past midnight, laughing and speaking very loudly. Sadly, we had to bear with their company during an 11-hour journey. But after that, it was all uphill.

Arriving at Yaseni at 7 a.m., we were met by accommodation managers who lodged us in groups of eight between guest houses. Sharing a room with another lone traveler I met on the bus, I was content with amenities. Hot water, a separate shower and a homemade breakfast – you don’t need more when you travel for the rush of adrenaline on the ski slopes.

I don’t have my own skis yet but that’s not a problem in the Carpathians. Hotels, sports shops, even people in private homes offer ski rentals. In Yaseni, rent them from Hr 40 – 80 a day. In Bukovel, prepare to pay twice as much, often for a much older pair than you’d find in Yaseni.

A three-day ski pass for Hr 728 is definitely pricier here than in other nearby resorts, but the quality of the slopes makes it worth the money. Lifts are modern and fast; tracks are well-groomed with a wide range of runs to choose from unlike the icy and bumpy runs with rope tows or slow lifts in places like popular resort Slavske, for instance.

Beware of some skiers who love cutting in front of the lines near the ski lifts. Trying to stop them does not always work as they often seem to have an excuse why they need to be there first. Also, many Ukrainian skiers don’t warn you when cutting in front on the slope, creating a dangerous situation. In the U.S., for instance, fellow snow racers shout “right” or “left” to prevent collision. Sadly, none of this courtesy is found here.

Options for lunch at Bukovel range from budget fast foods to restaurants. For a quick snack, have a pancake with butter for Hr 8 or a sandwich for Hr 22 sold near ski lifts. I took three bags of dried fruits and peanuts from Kyiv with me and packed a hot flask. I love it when I am out in the frost racing the hills and working out my muscles, and when I get cold or a bit tired I stop for a few minutes, pull out the hot tea and healthy snacks from my backpack, revitalize and head to a mountain top again. The idea of junk food or a big meal doesn’t fit with my vision for good skiing.

The lifts stop operating at 4:30 p.m., so every day a bus was ready to take us back to Yaseni at 5 p.m. I suggest spending the evenings in a sauna. There are plenty of them around for about Hr 100 per hour. Although I had planned for a good dose of steam, I could never stay up after skiing and was in bed by 8 p.m. If, however, you still have some energy to spend, staying in Bukovel is an option as they have some bars and clubs. Prepare to pay Hr 120 for a taxi back to Yaseni though.

On Sunday evening, we packed our things back on the bus and traveled through the night to be in Kyiv by the break of dawn. It was rather convenient as I had enough time to take a shower before turning up for work full of impressions to write this story.

Kyiv Post staff writer Nataliya Horban can be reached at [email protected].