Slavsko ski resort

Slavsko ski resort (sometimes called Slavske) is located 120 km from Lviv on the Kiev-Uzhhorod railroad line. Perhaps this fact alone made it the most popular ski resort in Ukraine during the Soviet-era. (Bukovel was built after 2000). You can get on the train in Kyiv in the evening, get off the train the next morning at Slavsko railway station and be on the slopes by 10:00 a.m. No other ski resort is so easily accessible from so many places. Slavsko is accessible by train and elektrichka from Lviv, Kiev, and Kharkov, and by minibus from Lviv. In addition, Slavsko has a large variety of mountains and ski slopes and has a large tourist community. There's always lots to do.

Not everything is perfect at Slavsko, though. The resort's main weakness is that different sections are owned by different groups, who seem unable to coordinate efforts and improve infrastructure. You must get to ski areas (which can be several km apart) by Soviet-era military trucks because the road is so bad. Perhaps lack of clear private ownership also contributes to a somewhat lackadaisical attitude towards resort visitors. Malfunctioning ski lifts and long lines (especially on weekends) are typical of Slavsko. And, with no snowmaking equipment, diminishing snowfalls in recent years have left many skiers disappointed with the slopes.

Mt. Trostian

Other than ease of access, another main reason for Slavsko's popularity is the wide variety of slopes available to skiers. There are four different mountains with ski runs. The most famous, Mt. Trostian, at 1232 m above sea level with nearly 500 m of vertical drop, has the greatest variety of slopes in one place of any mountain in Ukraine, including a variety of challenging runs for experienced skiers (see map of Trostian ski runs). In fact, there are no beginners' runs on the mountain. Runs are concentrated on the north side of the mountain, and the relatively high altitude makes for generally stable snow cover. The main chair lift up the mountain is the longest in Ukraine at nearly 3 km. The views from Trostian are spectacular. Here's a more accurate topographical view of the slopes on Mt. Trostian

Other mountains for skiing in Slavsko

On the other side of town, "Politekh" mountain (formally called Mt. Kremin) is perfect for beginners. The mountain is a 20 minute walk from the Slavsko train station. There is a very gradual hill for starting skiers and three tow lifts (see map of ski runs at bottom right of this page in Russian) or a more accurate topographical view of the mountain, which rises to 759 m.

Mt. Pohar rises to nearly 1000 m and has two tow lifts of 700 m and 800 m in length. Runs are for intermediate skiers and advanced beginners.

Velykyy Verkh Mt. at 1242 m has a 550 m vertical drop and quite long runs down the mountain. However, it is not as varied as Trostian. Here is a map of the mountain. It is often referred to as "Zakhar Berkut." Lift passes in the 2006/07 ski season were 60 UAH ($12) for a day pass during the week and $20 on weekends and holidays.

Lifts, lines, and ski rental

Except for a chair lift that takes you from the very base of the mountain to the very summit, all other lifts are tows. Lines at Slavsko are notoriously long*. Waits of 30 to 90 (!) minutes are not uncommon, especially on weekends and holidays. In addition, the many tow lifts on the mountain seem to break down a lot. Large moguls often form. Nonetheless, the skiing is plenty good, and skiers keep coming and coming. Ski rentals are all over in and around Slavsko.

* During the 2004-2005 season it was possible to buy more expensive lift tickets at Mt. Trostian that allowed skiers to go to the front of lift lines. These lift tickets costed about 100 UAH per day, or twice as much as regular tickets.