Zaroslyak — Dantsyzh · out and back
- Distance
- 14.2–18.2 km · out and back
- Elevation gain
- ↑ 1002–1500 m
- By trail
- Via Lake Nesamovyte and Turkul18.2 km · ↑ 1002 m
- Via Hoverla, blue trail14.2 km · ↑ 1499 m
- Via Hoverla, green trail15.2 km · ↑ 1500 m
- On the trail
- ≈ 9.5–12 h, estimate
- Highest point
- 1933–2061 m
- Trailhead elevation
- ~1265 m · Zaroslyak
- Max steepness
- ≈59% over 200 m
- Difficulty
- Medium
ROUTE OVERVIEW
The third main-ridge summit south-east of Hoverla, after Breskul and Pozhyzhevska.
Dantsyzh (1850 m, also called Dantser) is a summit of the Chornohora main ridge between Pozhyzhevska to the north-west and Turkul to the south. Between Dantsyzh and Pozhyzhevska lies the lowest saddle of the Chornohora ridge, about 1725 m. Between the wars the Polish–Czechoslovak border ran over the summit.
Two waymarked ways lead from the Zaroslyak base to Dantsyzh, and both join the red trail — the Transcarpathian Tourist Trail, which follows the main ridge.
By Lake Nesamovyte and Turkul. The yellow trail through the forest and across the Pozhyzhevska meadow to Lake Nesamovyte; from the lake onto the red trail and on it north over the summit of Turkul (1933 m). As Marian Slabinoha describes it (2021), from Turkul to Dantsyzh is a descent and a short climb — child's play, in his words. This way is longer but climbs less.
Over Hoverla. The blue or the green trail up Hoverla (2061 m), then the red trail south-east along the ridge over Breskul and Pozhyzhevska. Posts of the interwar border line the ridge from Hoverla. The dip between Pozhyzhevska and Dantsyzh is deeper, but by Slabinoha's account there is nothing difficult in it. This way is shorter, but it crosses Hoverla twice, there and back, so it climbs more.
The top of Dantsyzh is marked by a post with a yellow plate. The way back is the same.
There is no quick way down off the ridge near Dantsyzh. The path from Pozhyzhevska past the weather station to the yellow trail is unmarked (Slabinoha), and hikers' reviews from 2020–2025 describe it as steep, through thickets of dwarf pine, and easy to lose.
Weather on the ridge turns fast: a thunderstorm with hail and squalls can blow in within 20–30 minutes even on a clear day. Carry a rain shell and a warm layer, and turn back in a thunderstorm or fog.
In autumn, daylight at Zaroslyak shrinks from 13.4 hours in early September to 8.7 in late November. From late September it is shorter than the estimated 12 hours over Hoverla, and from mid-November shorter than the 9.5 hours by the lake too. So in autumn part of the way will most likely be walked in the dark: carry a headlamp.
Dantsyzh itself is not on the list of border-zone places closed to visitors without a border-guard permit, but Turkul, Breskul and Pozhyzhevska are, so a permit is needed on any of the trails.
- Dantsyzh is 1850 m, a summit of the Chornohora main ridge between Pozhyzhevska and Turkul
- Between Dantsyzh and Pozhyzhevska lies the lowest saddle of the Chornohora ridge, about 1725 m
- Two waymarked ways from Zaroslyak — by Lake Nesamovyte and Turkul, or over Hoverla
- There is no quick way down off the ridge near the summit
Elevation profile
18.2 km · ↑ 1002 m
The yellow trail to Lake Nesamovyte; below the lake, a steep step and a bog that stays wet all summer (Slabinoha, 2021). From the lake a path meets the red trail, which leads north over the summit of Turkul (1933 m); from Turkul to Dantsyzh, a descent and a short climb.
Route map
All routes on the mapSTAGE BY STAGE · Via Lake Nesamovyte and Turkul
- 0 kmZaroslyakTrailhead at the «Start to Hoverla» sign; the «To Lake Nesamovyte» signpost is next to it~1265 m
- 1.8 kmPozhyzhevska meadowThe trail leaves the forest for the meadow; the Pozhyzhevska weather station is nearby
- 4.9 kmDantsezhyk waterfallA waterfall by the trail
- 7 kmLake NesamovyteGlacial lake, 1750 m. The yellow trail ends here1750 m
- 7.7 kmTurkulSummit, 1933 m, on the red trail; from here north to Dantsyzh1933 m
- 9.1 kmDantsyzhSummit, 1850 m, marked by a post with a yellow plate. Back the same way, over Turkul again1850 m
BEFORE YOU GO
The permit comes from the 31st Border Guard Detachment. Dantsyzh itself is not on the list of places the State Border Guard Service closed to visitors without one, but every waymarked trail to it from Zaroslyak crosses summits that are: by the lake, Turkul; over Hoverla, Breskul and Pozhyzhevska (spelled «Берскул» and «Пожижевська Мергул» in the order; order of the 31st Border Guard Detachment No. 1663-АГ of 23 May 2024, para. 1.11, checked 26 October 2026). Apply in advance: an application is decided within 10 working days; carry an ID document and, for men aged 18–60, a military registration document. Zaroslyak lies in the Carpathian National Nature Park: the visitor fee is charged at the park checkpoint on the way in, in Zavoiela. How to apply for the permit
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS
- 101State Emergency Service — mountain emergency call
- 112Single emergency number: goes through any network in range, even without your carrier’s coverage
- Rescue in the MountainsThe rescue service’s app, install in advance — it sends your coordinatesApp StoreGoogle Play
- Zaroslyak postRescue post · at the start of the route