Dragobrat – Spartan resort

This resort is covered with a layer of legends and Hutsul tales. Dragobrat is a favorite place of foreigners from Eastern Europe and Russia and the most desperate Ukrainian skiers and snowboarders.
Avid fans of extreme skiing do not represent life without virgin snow Dragobrat. And tour operators are not eager to work with this direction yet. To find out why this is happening, the editorial board decided simply – she sent her correspondent for reconnaissance to Dragobrat.
ROAD
The roads in Dragobrat are the hallmark of the region. The first 9-kilometer road is intended for raising people to the mountains to the resort. The second road is twice as long and more dangerous, the locals call it “Ukrainian Cambodia” (each space in the path is named here). Hutsuls do not consider this road bad at all. “The road is alive,” they exclaim, “the perfect place for extreme driving!” This road is preferred by fans of extreme and challenging trails.
The fare from Ash to Dragobrat is standard and to some extent depends on your ability to bargain. If you do not bargain, then from the company up to four people will take 500 UAH, but they can deliver for 300 UAH. If the four of us go, then the fare in the UAZ will cost 100 UAH. from one passenger. Travel to the GAZ-66 will cost 70 UAH. per person.
It is possible to order a transfer from the station to Dragobrat. When booking accommodation, the owners of the bases and cottages promise to deliver tourists from the station in Ivano-Frankivsk to their hotel for 400-600 UAH. (in Ashes, there will still be a transfer from one car to another).
Those who arrive in their car can leave it in the paid parking lot in Ash. Even if you really want to overcome the road to Dragobrat in your car, it is better not to do this – in the future, car repairs will cost more. Here the car wears out in three months as in three years driving on asphalt roads. But in Dragobrat it will be possible to go on a tour of the forest or ride a quad bike and go for a portion of adrenaline through the “Ukrainian Cambodia”.
ROUTES
Specially prepared tracks are located on all slopes where there are lifts. But in general, a lot of tracks. Trained snowboarders and freestylers can ride on target snow, where there has never been a snow machine. All the mountain slopes are trails, say the locals.
Among the forests there is a lost wooden structure created for freestyle, but not even every Dragobrat resident knows about it.
Nobody knows the total length of the tracks either.
There is no backlight trails, and therefore night skiing is prohibited.
LIFTS
It was possible to find out that there are actually four available drag lifts on Dragobrat. On some schemes they write that there are more of them, but these are distant lifts. At their station you can only get on ratrak.
Without the ski lifts can not do here. With a strong wind or in case of breakdown at the station, you can always jump off the yoke. But if someone hangs in a chair, you will have to wait for electricity, Hutsuls laughed at my surprise, that there are still few armchairs.
There are two double chair lifts here. Price lifting – about 20 UAH. per person. If you take a subscription, there will be discounts.
There are several children’s lifts, which are located on almost flat slopes for children and those who are just learning to get up on skis.
RENTAL
Rental of new equipment will be only for those hotels that will start work in the season 2014-2015. But the rental and hotel owners “with experience” is not going to buy any skis or shoes. Despite the fact that the most important thing for skiers is equipment, rental equipment on Dragobrat is very scarce and worn out. Kant on skis is cut down almost completely, and the skis themselves are in microcracks, and the boots are not worn for more than a year (alas, there is no special drying for the shoes in the existing rental stations).
The price for rental equipment promises to be about 80 USD. per day per set.
INSTRUCTION
Every year, with the opening of the ski season, instructors for skiing and snowboarding come to Dragobrat.
Learning the art of riding on a snowboard will cost 200 UAH. in an hour. Skiing lessons will cost the student 120 UAH. in an hour. With two students will take 200 UAH. in an hour. And if you train three, the instructor will take 70 UAH. per person. The larger the group, the greater the discount.
Instructors speak Ukrainian and Russian. For foreigners is very difficult to find an instructor who speaks English.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The ski resort can be accommodated in cottages, bases, shelters and mini-hotels. In total, there are about 40 buildings that are randomly located in Dragobrat. Rooms are designed for two, three and four people.
The ski season 2015-2016 opens with the first snow. The cost of living will be from 350 UAH. per person per day. The price includes breakfast and dinner. For New Year and Christmas, as well as for March 7-9 and for the May holidays, prices soar. During the holidays there is not enough housing, the best cottages are reserved in advance.