Penteleu trip

This is a story on my first trip organized by others on site Carpati.org. 

When I was planning an autumn trip to Romania, my friend there told me that he was going to organize a trip to Penteleu Mountains via internet site named Carpati.org for the weekend; and that he was going to join yet another trip to Parâng Mountains on the next weekend, organized by the other guy, who also was a member of the same site. 

In between the two trips we could do something together in Vrancea Mountains for example. I was not too happy about it, because comming all the way from the Czech Republic just for four-day trip was impractical for me at the time.

Challenges are there to be overcome and thus I made my own profil on the site, because either trip was for members only. I created my own profile on the site with a help of Mariluna, Ioan’s younger sister, because I wanted my profile there to be in romanian language. Afterward I signed in for both trips and adventure was about to begin.

                                          Penteleu masiff seen from a meadow below Podu Calului. 

To make events more complex, my friend Eva, also from Brno, was going to join me. Not being a member of the site, she and another romanian friend, Paul, were supposed to join us in Varlaam, just after the Penteleu trip would have finished.

 

Everything was going like a clockwork, with no serious difficulties to meet, and all trips were a success. This fact reveals that the site Carpati.org is quite effective in planning mountain trips. Especially for those who don’t know how to organize an outing in the mountains.

I left the Czech Republic on Friday, September the 21st aboard a night train (early in the morning) in order to avoid problems with train delations, which the line between Czech Rep. and Romania is famous for. I was afraid of missing a train in Budapest. In the end I got off in Braşov early in the morning. I arranged for Vali, my new friend there, to pick me up with her car in Braşov . It was still dark while we went to Sf. Gheorghe, where we were to meet with other two participants of the trip. 

It was after rain, though I promised Vali to bring sunshine with me from the west. While we were crossing the mountains saddle towards the eastern slope, blue spots appeared in the skies and until we got to Varlaam, the meeting point for the trip, the sun was already shining.

                                   Siriu lake seen from the road en route toward Varlaam

From Varlaam we had to get deeper in the Bâsca Mare valley to canton Cernat, where the trail for Penteleu Peak starts. There were several cars among us, and we had one car to leave near the end of the trail in order to be able to reach easily other cars left higher in the valley.

                                                               Basca Mare at canton Cernat.

                                                  Canton Cernat, I have already been in the area in 2004.

When we all reach the canton, Ioan had gathered us in front of him to check out whether there is all of 20 of us. Usually I prefere going in much smaller groups, though this trip was different story, because I wanted to meet with more people in Romania. On this outing I had great opportunity to practice romanian language. I can really feel the progress I have made since last year. Also there were more people, whom I heard stories about, and this was a unique chance to talk with them.

                                                             The meeting before departure.

After repacking we set off on the steep trail. I needed to repack, because some of us would remain here for more days, and I left some food in the car. For me the trail was nothing new, since I had been in the area in 2004 already. Now we were going to the top, and from there in south direction. In 2004 we were headed toward north. So on the second day, I will have an opportunity to get to know other part of the mountains.

                                                    Before hitting the trail at canton Cernat.

The Penteleu massif is covered with forests and taking pictures with people is not easy in the forest. On naked ridge, making landscapes with people is much easier, so the photography was a kind of chalenge for me.

                                                      At the beggining there was a steep part.

                                      It wasn't easy to take pictures of moving people in dark forest.

                                                                             Looking uphill.

                                                        Beech forest was stunningly beautiful.

We went in a line, and when some people stayed behind we waited for them to regroup. In this style we walked for almost three hours until we emerged on a meadow with a sheepfold, where we took a rest. 

                                                                                Regrouping.

                                                      Wild beech forest around the trail.

                                                           Beautiful parts of the beech forest.

                             Next to a sheepfold, which was at about the same condition as back in 2004.

                                                             Short pause by the sheepfold.

                                                                     Inside the sheepfold.

                                   The bedroom. All was clean inside this luxurious sheepfold.

                                                                          At walk again.

                                     Meteorological station below the top. For me it was familiar view.

                                                Group photo atop Penteleu Peak (1773 m)

Vistas were opening above this point and the higher we went the better were the views. Another short stop was at a meteorological station at 1600 m, and then another on the top, where we made a group photo and Ioan showed us all features we could see from there. Penteleu is a perfect look-out point, with 360° panorama.

After descending from the top, we stopped on Vâforata ridge to set up a camp in increasing winds. We went a little down to collect water at a spring. When we returned from the spring the wind was so powerfull that some tents had to be relocated from the ridge. My tent also collapsed in the wind.

Sunset was beutifull, though I was bussy with relocating the tent, so I was not able to make much photographs during the best light. I shared my tent with Vali, and she also endured the wind bravely.

                    Our camp on Vaforata ridge, exposed to the winds. Word vafor means a gale in romanian.

                             Some tents were wind resistable. Mine tent (Jurek) had collapsed in the winds.

                                              The ridge we were following on the second day.

Moon appeared. Some people were saying that we experience one of the most beutiful sunset of the year on the Vaforata ridge.

                                       Penteleu peak at dusk seen from our camp on the ridge.

                                                  Bucegi Mountains seen from Penteleu massif.

For those who stayed inside more stable tents (Husky) on the ridge it was sleepless night, because of the howling noise of the wind. The atmosphere was in movement and it meant that the weather was changing. In this case it was a change for the better. For next two weeks there was a perfect summer-like weather in Romania.

                                                Husky tents, the most wind resistable survivors.

                                         Idillyc picture, but the wind made it feel uncomfortable.

                                                              Penteleu Peak at sunrise.

                   Vrancea Mountains (Sboina Frumoasa) seen on the opposite side of Basca Mica valley.

                                               Self-portrait. Piciorul Caprei in backdrop.

                                                                  Survivors-Husky tents

The morning still was windy. We had a long distance to walk, so we put down tents, packed our rucksacks and descended to the spring, which was out of the wind. 

                                                              Penteleu Peak seen from north-east.

                                                               Getting out of the wind.

                                               Descending to collect water from a spring in the vale.

                                                     Taking photograph below Vaforata ridge.

                                                   Enjoying views over mountainous landscape.

                                          Short break to take off some warm clothes before going further.

                                                                      About to move out.

                                                     Trail leading on north side of Penteleu.

                                                                Last view of Penteleu Peak.

                                                                      Descending to forest.

                                                                 Wild part of the forest.

                                    Yellow leaves of Rowan tree show that summer is over.

                                                                             On a meadow.

                                                                    Walking on a meadow.

                                                                       Dark forest again.

The trail led us on the ridge toward Piciorul Caprei and Vf. Monteoru. It was a long ridge, which Ioan has explored a year before. The ridge was forested, with occasional vistas from a meadow. In central part we were to follow a rocky ridge, which made walking more difficult. We had to wait in a line to get down this section. 

                                                    Waiting in a line to get down rocky stretch.

                           Regrouping in the forest. Ioan took care that no one would get lost in forest.

                                                                       Still long way to go.

                             Images with moving people in darkness of a forest are not easily made.

This section was a relaxing one. More difficult one was still ahead of us. For me it was also relaxing.

                                              Wildest part, where forest grew on rocky ridge.

                                 Steep section. The ridge was lofty, though it wasn's seen through thick forest.

                                                             Waiting for the trail to be free.

                                                                         I enjoyed this section.

                                            Looking from above on a line of waiting tourist.

                                                                 Emerging on first meadow.

                                                                      Looking into a valley.

                                                                           Looking back.

                                                                             Arriving in a village.

                                                                Arriving in a village of Varlaam.

                                             Hanging bridge, just like those bridges in Himalaya.

                                                          Hanging bridge over Basca Mare.

                                                   The last steps before the end of the trail.

 Later at the afternoon we emerged on a first meadow, where we collected some apples from a nearby apple tree. An hour later we were down in Varlaam, where we crossed the river on hanging bridge. Drivers were driven for the remaing cars and in another hour the group started to split. We said hallo to each other, happy that we managed to meet. I made several new friends during the outing and I was happy about that.

Only a single car remained here. It was Laura’s car, who wanted to stay a couple days longer here, together with a girl named Irina.

We all went down to the center of the village, where we met with newcomers, Eva and Paul. For tomorow we planned to cross less known mountain ridge named Podu Calului.

After collecting water at a spring, we set up three tents just next to the Bâsca River.

This trip showed me, that even big organized trips are good to attend. For me it was a new experience, with cross-cultural exchange. The site Carpati.org is not unique, though in Romania the site is used widely for organizing trips and much more. For those who have no friends or partners to go with on a mountain adventure, the site presents a good point to beggin with. After you joined several trip organized on Carpati.org, you would became more confident and experienced so that you could go on private trips with your new friends, or even you could start to organize a trip there too.