Osmoloda — Hrofa — Popadia loop

A two-day loop through the wild Gorgany from Osmoloda: Hrofa (1748 m), the Plistse meadow, Parenky, Popadia (1740 m), and on day two Koretvyna and Gorgany Petros with the descent back to Osmoloda. 36.7 km and about 1900 m of gain along the stone ridges of the least crowded massif of the Carpathians.

This route is all about the signature Gorgany rock: endless grey boulder fields (gregots) dotted with stone cairns, a sea of dwarf mountain pine, and views with not a single village on the horizon. In season the trail is lined with bilberries and lingonberries, and the Plistse meadow has a shelter with a good spring.

The loop starts and ends in Osmoloda — easiest reached by car. The one thing to know in advance is water: it is scarce in the second half of the loop. The paid guide covers verified springs, overnight spots, day-by-day timings and escape routes.

Elevation profile