This year has already become the most active in my life. As put forth myself January 1, let earn less, but more than I see in this world, and it turns out. Apart from numerous cities, the first time was able to see in one month fall immediately in 2 mountain systems Ukraine - the Carpathians and Crimea. What and explain below.
Introduction to a trip
to the Carpathian Mountains decided to take off under its own power, which was originally planning to one day get to the city. But the reality is different. As a result, we are driving through Belarus, with an overnight stay in Minsk. Apparently, in the future, too, will go to Ukraine is on the Minsk highway - a whole new level of comfort and speed than on the Kiev highway.
The total mileage for the week-long trip left at least 4,500 km, which is my personal record for such a short time. Whether more will be ... The approximate displacement map on the following link: card.
All photos were taken in conjunction Nikon D800 + Nikkor 28-300 (with the exception of photos of the waterfall).
The road into the mountains. Soligorsk. Bucovina. Sheshory
Almost all Belarus we raced transit only once turning off the track. The reason was a giant mountain ash on the horizon. Later I found out that this waste salt production and the nearest town is called Soligorsk. Also in Salihorsk has a terrific place - salt speleoshafts, which is equipped with on-site mine at a depth of 420 meters.
Long or got to Lvov or a short. There I had to decide where to go next. Scheduling has never been my forte. I like to surprise. :) I want to say that fit in Lviv in any hotel for the night after 12 nights is practically impossible, if not pre-book rooms. Everywhere there such a practice - I do not know.
In the morning we went towards Sheshory village. I've been there in 2004-2005, and nostalgia led me there again. That's really never thought seven years ago, I will be visiting again in these places and on your machine. What was once perceived as the end of the earth, and Terra Incognita, is now accessible and close. These changes in the lives of both pleased and saddened.
The village is surrounded by mountains covered with pine forest at the base, from which so wish me bright autumn colors almost was not. That's why the photos from Sheshory so little.
A couple of times trying to climb the mountain roads up - alas, my Vitara is good, but not enough. It clings to the bottom of the stones, and I decided to leave this quaint idea. Pokolesil the neighborhood, in the village of Kosmac area discovered a waterfall. Photos from him - the culmination of this part of the trip, very scarce in the photo. :)
Put speed in 15 seconds - and voila! Maelstrom of leaves!
Route P-24. Old Austrian bridge
Now I know that the mountains should immediately climb higher - this is where all the beauty. Leaving Sheshory on the highway P-24 began to climb and a beautiful mountain road. The plan was to get closer to the car to the highest peak of Ukraine - Hoverla. And, if all goes well, somewhere higher up to get out of the tent. Oh, dreams ...
sun came out and shone typical Carpathian landscapes. Cozy.
Along the roads in many villages there is a car park for cyclists!
Driving Vorohtu impossible not to notice the old Austrian bridge-viaduct, one of the longest in Europe.
Meanwhile, we are moving towards Goverle. But not as nomralnye people, and on the advice of the navigator, who in the planning settings were driven dirt roads. When there is no rigid framework, and enables time - why not take the advice of this guide? ) Sometimes it is imported navigator me in such a beautiful place where your mind, assessing the best route, I would have never stopped. So this time, the navigator took me kratchayshiym (in his view) by up Hoverla, first turning me off the track on a secondary street in the small village Lazeshchyna, which soon turned into a rigid primer. Ok, let's go further. Scenery outside the window quite like it.
They arrived at the checkpoint forest, where we have entered into the notebook and told not to drive in any way, because to Goverle the day before yesterday brought down the timber bridge over the river. So Navigator was right, the road was! ) Despite the apparent change plan, decide nevertheless to drive deep into the land, and to see what and how.
Woodcutter Slavik, who said that on the road there. With this ax, we believe him.
The one destroyed bridge, after which we turned around and went back to a normal highway.
What can I say, I did not regret the time spent! There should go back to walk with either a backpack or on a full-fledged SUV - my Vitara and immediately proved to be too low and difficult to overcome some sections of the road, broken by powerful timber lorries. The road that starts behind the destroyed bridge, apparently harbored a lot of beauty.
Dragobrat
By the time we got back on the highway, clearly looming opportunity to meet the sunset it is not clear where that photographer unforgivable. Brainstorming gives the answer - Dragobrat! Ski resort, where I was 3 years ago and the road to which was remembered by the fact that in winter there can be reached only this SUV. There is indeed in the passenger car to call it is not necessary even in the summer, as the village of civilization separates the 15 km climb up the hill on a serious stones.
As you can see, the rise was a success and we had exactly at the last rays of the sun. There we waited for a special bridge for jumping into the sky.
The people at this time of year, there are almost no, builders numerous ski shelters, one of which we spent the night, giving a promise not to wake the dawn.
Weather in the mountains is unpredictable, and an hour later everything was shrouded in clouds. Things to do in the mountains when photographing nothing? Climb mountains! Through thickets mozhevelnik not easily climbed one of the peaks named gendarme (1763 m).
So far, the thicker the clouds! I still do not know, but in the same conditions I would be after 2 weeks in the Crimea, Ai-Petri! )
Since the top can not see a damn thing, and there was nothing to shoot, then immediately proceed to the next morning. Place: glade, overcast morning. Fotobrigada after evening gatherings around the campfire asleep. Except for me. This is the last day of the trip, I decide not to spend the morning of sleep and take a walk alone in the mountains - I love solitary walks. I vaguely heard that somewhere a couple of kilometers there is a mountain lake. Let's try to find it.
Litter underfoot very elegant and soft. The sun looks like and does not think to please today paints.
The lake was quite small. More precisely, there are even two small lakes. In the spring they are likely to merge together and grow on the banks of edelweiss.
Over the hill suddenly the sun came out and lit all the sparks of dew! A few minutes later the clouds dispersed and the whole picture changed. Here is the weather in the mountains.
At this point, sorry that I'm not on a nearby hill, close to a wonderful morning to remove a picture from the village.
Anyway, these are the landscapes - the card of the Carpathians, and in fact they have gone past me. The next time you'll know exactly where to go.
Connoisseurs of the Carpathians, say over a mountain on the horizon?
At the bottom of Dragobrat. It's time to camp and go home.
Kamenetz-Podolsk. Another objective test of 28-300 compared to 70-200. Conclusion
I've written about America, that this is a country that offends me because it's so cool! Ukraine so far for me in second place in the number of offenses. Because a relatively small area are a huge number of natural beauty, which I do not have enough in our middle band.
I deliberately planned a major detour on the road to casually look at the famous castle in Kamenetz-Podolsk. But on the way through the Carpathians, and Khmelnytsky region, my heart ached with desire for another couple of days to stay there, take pictures of the endless steppe at sunset or wander through the steep banks of the Dniester. Eh. In Kamenetz-Podolsk we had the most echoes sunset. Castle really impressive.
Here I will sum up on technical issues. Buying a Nikon D800 I have long hesitated whether to make sense of its 36 MPs, as my standard lens for travel - Nikkor 28-300, megazum, which is unlikely to reveal such permission. However, the test, which I spent in Kamenetz-Podolsk, I was very surprised. Look: Left Nikkor 28-300 / 3,5-5,6, right Nikkor 70-200 / 2,8. Exposure time 10 seconds, aperture 7.1, ISO 400. Focal length - 70 mm. Detailing the center at 28-300 almost higher than the 70-200! Yes, at the edges of the frame where the picture is different and there is 28-300 "barrel". But on the whole I am satisfied with the result. Images in this post is an example.
Although everything is not so important, because the iPhone can be removed! Here is a frame on the phone. Russia greets us with a rainbow. :)
