The Transylvanian Alps on film (Summer 2023 2/2)

I was browsing through Google Maps last spring looking at different mountain ranges when I spotted the irrisistable Făgăraş mountain ridge going straight east to west in Transylvania, Romania. I thought: "You gotta be able to walk that," and after a little reseach I learned that a lot of people have indeed done just that.

Ascending the Făgăraş mountain ridge

When I asked my brother, JC, if he wanted to join me, I honestly didn't think he would say yes. Not because I didn't want him to come but because I didn't think he'd be interested in carrying a load of 15+ kg up thousands of meters worth of elevation in an area known for scarce water sources and ammenities, hot temperatures, and the largest population of wild bears in Europe. But he was game.

Making friends on the ridge

We flew into Sibiu at the end of August and caught a train to the southwestern edge of the Făgăraş mountains, also known as the Transylvanian Alps. We started our trek from the small village of Turnu Roşu. Day 1 made us do 1661 meters of elevation in 17 km. At one point, JC stopped with his T-shirt soaking wet and said: "This is like an extreme sport."

Dinner at Cabana Suru

Our first night in the mountains was luxurious, descending a few hundred meters from the ridge to camp out next to a hut that served hot food and cold beer. We were joined by a group of local men who had brought their own homemade liquor to accompany the beer. We caught a beautiful sunset and a few stars before heading to bed.

Back on the ridge having a water break and appearantly a cigarette break as well

Day 2 was easier on us only doing 7.8 km but we still had 911 meters of elevation, at least a third of which came from having to climb back up on the ridge. Back up there, we chatted with a fellow hiker. She provided us with plenty of snacks, probably because she, as a mother, thought we looked alot like we needed it.

Golden hour at Avrig Lake

After the second day, we set up camp at the paradise that is Avrig Lake. We got there just as the golden hour painted the mountain sides bright green casting their reflection on the water. We enjoyed a quick swim and a few hours of relaxation and reading before night came.

Breakfast at Avrig Lake

The following morning, countless flies joined us for breakfast in the day's first rays of sunshine. We had to get an early start because day 3 was gonna be the hardest one of them all. Only 8.5 km, it entailed summiting 3 peaks, including the second highest peak in Romania (Negoiu at 2535 m) and crossing a jagged mountain ridge which would involve a lot of scrambling and some basic climbing.

On the Făgăraş mountain ridge

The day started out lovely doing a little bit of fun ridge scrambling and summiting the gorgeous yet not too challenging Scara peak. We had this part of the mountains almost completely to ourselves, only encountering two other people on the trail. We ended up chatting and walking with one of them for a little while. He was a Romanian military dude with I don't know how many kilos of food in his backpack. Still despite his impressive gear, he was in it for the scenic route stopping often to take photos and go exploring so my brother and I ended up outpacing him.

Descending a ridge closer to Lake Avrig (not the death ridge)

The sunny sky turned to clouds as we reached the second summit of the day, Şerbota peak. Now, this is the part of the story where I don't come off too well. Being in charge of the route, I took us down the wrong path ending up on what we had named the "death ridge" and which we wanted to avoid by taking a longer yet less exposed trail down the valley. A few hundred meters down the ridge, we discovered a homemade path connecting the ridge to the valley trail. I asked my brother if he wanted to use this opportunity to escape my mistake but he turned me down. Those first hundred meters had given him a little taste for it. Still, we were managing our anxiety on the ridge for 3 hours (though the map said the traverse should only take an hour) until we reached Negoiu.

On Scara Peak

Hearing thunder in the distance, our stay on Negoiu was short. We still had some ground to cover and few hours of daylight left to do it. With aching feet and a final gummybear break, we reached the campsite at Călțun Lake just as the final sunlight reflected off the water. Our military friend from earlier came in the dark a few hours later so we were quite satisfied with our pace. Still, we were close to ruined so day 4 turned into a rest day. I needed to mend the tent bag anyway as it had gotten ripped on the ridge the day before and it was pretty glorious spending the day reading and resting in those surroundings.

Sunrise at campsite by Călțun Lake

On day 5 walking an easy distance of 4.5 km, we made it back to civilisation in the form of Bâlea Lake that lies just before the north entrance of the tunnel at the famous Transfăgărăşan mountain pass. We enjoyed the best showers of our lives and I scrambled for food at the turist stalls lining the road up to the tunnel getting ready for the final stretch of the ridge. On the morning of day 6, I said goodbye to JC who had to catch a plane home and who with no little amount of relief could tell me that he was really happy to have done this trip and that he never wanted to do anything like it again. Still, he told me a few months later that him and a friend of his have been talking about doing another backpacking trip in the mountains together. You quickly get addicted to type 2 fun.

The Făgăraş mountain ridge

After a long yet beautiful day 6 walking 9.3 km, I made it to the scenic Podragu Lake. Day 7 ended up looking very different from the others as the otherwise lonely trail became flooded with people. I guess I should have expected that as this day, a Saturday nonetheless, involved summiting Moldoveanu (2544 meters), the highest mountain in Romania. The summit was so crowded, there was a line to it. Still, I could not not go there so I quickly asked a kind stranger to take my photo with my disposable camera and left after a few minutes.

Making friends near Podragu Lake

 

On the eastern side of the peak, I made camp on an exposed yet beautiful saddle where I made a friend. We talked about life and how exhausted we were (because of hiking, not life) over shared beer and various sweet and salty snacks. Living in Sibiu, he offered me a place to crash when I got down from the mountains before catching my flight back to Denmark.

Camp at Podragu Lake 

On day 8, the rocky terrain turned to grassy hills. Very managable trail and still, I was just not in the mood for walking. Not sure why. I guess that's part of doing a longer trail. Some days you just don't wanna walk anymore but you still have to unless you want to run out of food in the middle of nowhere.

On Moldoveanu peak, 2544 meters

I finally made it to the end of the trail on day 9. I did so in the company of a German friend I had met at the previous night's campsite. More experinced and in better shape than I was, we made it far past the finish line at the forrest lodge Cantonul Rudărița doing 31 km until we reached a little village at the edge of Piatra Craiului National Park. We finished our trip the perfect way, sipping homemade fruit spirits with some local camp leaders in the crisp evening air. One of the camp leaders with skin wrinkled like an old orange peel from spending too many seasons of life under the fierce mountain sun played his guitar and sang traditional mountain songs. Pretty magical.

Sunset on saddle next to Moldoveanu peak

Day 10 was simply walking out. I started walking along the narrow road leading out of the national park and ended up catching a ride. This kind man took me and another hiker to Bran where I got to see Dracula's castle before catching a bus to Brasov and finally, after a couple day's rest, a train back to Sibiu.