Berliaska (1,555 m a.s.l.) is a quiet, flat-topped peak in the north-western part of the Svydovets massif in the Ukrainian Carpathians. If you are looking for open alpine meadows, dense forests and a genuine sense of wilderness away from the crowds, this is a summit worth seeking out.
The western slope of Berliaska is gentle and approachable, while the north-western and south-eastern flanks drop steeply towards the tributaries of the Turbat river. Up to around 1,400 m the mountain is cloaked in coniferous and beech forests, then krummholz scrub takes over before giving way to open polonyna grasslands at the top. The summit plateau is notably flat, offering sweeping views towards the neighbouring peaks — Cheryapen (1,532 m) to the west, Pidpula (1,634 m) to the south-east, and the higher Svydovets summits of Durnia (1,709 m), Hropa (1,763 m) and Bratkivska (1,788 m) to the north-east.
How to reach the summitBerliaska forms part of the Shasa ridge — the largest north-western branch of the main Svydovets ridge — making it a natural waypoint on longer traverse hikes through this beautiful massif.