The Ukrainian Freeriders

The Ukrainian Freeriders, a collective of 18 inspired skiers and snowboarders, wanted to speak out against the rapid deforestation and development of the Carpathians and prove that a quality Ukrainian ski holiday is possible without "the use of lifts, helicopters or snowcats, five-star hotels and dozens of hotel personnel." The Freeriders gathered together and headed out into one of the last pristine corners of the Carpathians to climb and ride the Montenegrin Mountains. 

location: +48° 7' 16.26", +24° 33' 30.78" Mount Shpytsi, Ukrainian Carpathians

With a successful trip in the bag, the Ukrainian Freeriders were able to show their community that a successful ski vacation can be taken without disrupting nature's balance. Here are the numbers they calculated to prove it: 

Vehicle travel (800 km) –  0.08  tons of  CO2

Train travel (1000 km) – 0.18 tons of  CO2

No plane or heli – 0 tons of  CO2

No snow mobile or snowcat – 0 tons of  CO2

Food preparation  –  0.0084 tons

In total, they produced approximately 0.27 tons of  CO2  

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Photos: courtesy of Helena Filippova & Oleksandr Ivashchenko 

Trip Report: courtesy of Anton Kharkhalis & Yulia Lipko