Pazjatva Cave

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We went in July during the day, with temperatures reaching 32°C. We were worried the trail would be overgrown and impassable, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. We didn’t see a single snake, and surprisingly, there were very few bugs—unlike typical summer hikes where you’re swarmed by gnats. When you come to forks in the path, don’t take the easy-looking trails—stick to the rocky ones, especially towards the end. If you’re going the right way, you’ll see small stone cairns left by other hikers. As you get closer to the cave, you’ll need to scramble over rocks with very few handholds (no trees) and navigate narrow crevices that drop about 4 meters—one wrong step and you could fall. After climbing through this first rocky section, you’ll walk along a ledge directly above the cave, then descend again over sharp rocks. There are lots of prickly fir trees around the rocks that can easily catch your clothes or scratch you. People often say this hike is best in winter, but I think summer is just as good—maybe even better—because everything is green and the views are much more beautiful. So go for it in summer! Just make sure to walk loudly and tap your hiking stick on the ground to scare off any snakes, just in case. The hike to the cave took us about an hour and a half (we didn’t get lost or take any wrong turns), and the way back took around 40 minutes.