Velykyi Verkh (1598 m a.s.l.) is one of the most rewarding summits along the Polonyna Borzhava ridge in the Ukrainian Carpathians. Standing here, you are treated to a sweeping view of the entire Borzhava range arcing from southeast to northwest — one of the finest ridge panoramas in the region.

The peak sits on the boundary of Mukachevo and Khust districts in Zakarpattia Oblast, southeast of the town of Volovets. The Polonyna highlands are famous for their wide-open grassy ridges, which give this area a wonderfully airy, unenclosed feel quite different from the forested Carpathian valleys below. In summer the slopes are lush and green, in autumn they turn amber and rust, and in winter a blanket of snow makes for a serene, windswept landscape. The village of Huklyvyi lies to the north of the summit, while Podobovets and Pylypets are to the northeast. To the east, the Shypot waterfall is well worth combining into a visit.

• Pylypets — ridge route, moderate difficulty. The easiest approach: take the chairlift from Pylypets up to Mount Gemba, then follow the ridge on foot to Velykyi Verkh.

• A geodetic triangulation point is installed at the summit.
• The Pylypets chairlift to Mount Gemba significantly shortens the ascent and operates seasonally.
• The Shypot waterfall to the east of the summit makes an excellent addition to the trip.

The old triangulation marker on the summit is a quiet reminder that surveyors once climbed these ridges on foot, methodically mapping every curve of the Carpathians.