neděle 23. listopadu 2014

IN SEARCH OF AUTUMN COLOURS



A month and half ago we visited in Slovakia in the hills in between the Veľká and Malá Fatra Mountains. I had chosen this zone wisely in order to be able to escape mountain tops which are frequently covered with clouds and to climb other peaks with clear sky overhead instead.

                                         The Malá Fatra Range seen from Podšíp.

Although the weather forecast promised clear skies everywhere, from my experience I knew it would not be so. High peaks of the Malá Fatra Range generally are cloudier then it is in lower zones of the Veľká Fatra Mountains. That was why I planned to visit Šíp Peak, which lies exactly in between those two mountain zones. 

From there I wanted to continue toward the Malá Fatra or to the Veľká Fatra. The decision wholly depended on what we saw from Šíp Peak.

In the end we opted to go southward to visit Kľak Peak in the Veľká Fatra Mountains, because The Malá Fatra Mountains crest was hidden in clouds on Saturday.

As usually, we arrived in our destination (Ľubochňa) on Friday’s evening. Immediately we started to climb on tourist path, marked with yellow stripe, toward first mountain pass, where we set up a tent. Sky was clear in the night, so I was able to make attempts at night photography, as I usually do if conditions are worth of doing this.

                                                     Our tent under starry skies. 

                                                                       Morning fog-I.
                                                                     Morning fog-II.

The charm of the Carpathian Mountains lies in close juxaposition of man made meadow and wild forest.


Next morning we woke up being entirely in fog layer. Luckily a little higher up the peak, predicted blue skies appeared and we revelled in the warmth of mid-October sun.
                                           Colourfull beech forest with a limestone rocks.
                                                                In autumn forest.

                                                                         Sunstar effect.

                                                          Looking down into foggy valley-I.



                                                      Looking down into foggy valley-II.

                                                                        Forest detail.

On the top we remained for about half an hour. From there we saw that further to the west mountains are covered with dark clouds. Also we discovered that a suspended bridge across the Orava River is no more there, so we couldn’t traverse the river. Thus we were cut off from the Malá Fatra Mountains, where I wanted to sleep atop Stoh Peak. In the end I slept there two weeks later on my third attempt to do that!

                                                           Looking down from Šíp Peak.



                                                         Looking East.

                                                                  Looking South.


                                    Lesser Šíp Peak with the Váh River River below.

                                                                      The top of Šíp Peak.

                                  The Malá Fatra with Velký Rozsutec Peak seen from Šíp Peak.

                                       Kralovianska kopa seen from Šíp Peak.

After descend to Podšíp we took decision to get down to Ľubochňa and to go to Kľak Peak, where there were no clouds visible.


                                                Looking West from Podšíp.


                                                       Cottages in Podšíp.

                                                        Cottages in Šíp.

                                             Podšíp with Šíp peak towering right above it.


                                  Vividly coloured beech forest above Podšíp.

On way down to Ľubochňa we lost marked path and descended off-trail.

                                                          On our way to Lubochňa.

Quite late afternoon we arrived at Spa Ľubochňa and went for a glass of beer. Afterward we ascended to Ľubochňa Pass, where we arrived at dark. We continued uphill for another 40 minutes, when finally found a good place for our tent. This place lacked any clear view in our surroundings so that I made just a single attempt on night photography.


                                                   Our tent at night. 

The morning dawned clear and soon we were on the trail again.
                                                              Our tent at sunrise.



                                               Looking North from our camp.
                                                                       Autumns colours.


                                             In coloured autumn beech forest.

                                                                    Autumn colours.

We passed through beautiful forest full of yellow, copper and orange colours and on first clearing we met with a herd of horses. We entertained with them for a while, and then we continued further.
                                                              Horses in Velká Fatra-I.



                                            Horses in Velká Fatra-II. 

At a spring we filled our bottles with water.
                                                                  At a spring.


After crossing Prislop Pass we continued to climb toward Kľak Peak, which was towering high above us.

We got there just after noon and spent about an hour there, revelling in the warmth of the sun.
                                                  Looking South from Klačik Peak.


                                         Looking down from Klačik Peak.
                                                            Beech forest.

Descend toward the west was steep, though beautiful. Vividly coloured forests were on every side.  Words cannot easily describe what we saw in front of us. Only a photograph can depict the coloured fantasy of the world which surrounded us. 

                                                               Colours in beech forest.



                               Autumn colours in the Velká Fatra Mountains.

                                                      Looking down from Klak Peak.


                                   Colourfull fantasy world below Klak Peak.

It was very warm for the begging of the second decade of October and while we reached the bottom of the valley we took an idea to take a bath in a mountain stream. Although we were in deep shadows, the air was so warm that we felt no discomfort after getting our corps wet in cold mountain brook.

In the village we arrived quite late in the afternoon. Luckily there was a bus going to the nearest town, Martin.

While being in the bus we looked outside and said farewell to the last weekend with really warm weather. We will have to wait until the next April, when the temperatures will reach high twenties (in °C) again!




















































































sobota 8. listopadu 2014

A weekend in the Retezat Mic Mountains.



This adventure also belongs among others which should be set under general caption: Weekends in Romania. It explains why I do these things. ;-)
         This photo was taken at the Bucegi Mountains, inside Tiganesti Refuge.

I took a short vacation in the end of October and headed, as I usually do, in south-east direction.

To help me to get to the mountains, I asked my friend Șerban if I could accompany him and his friends on an upcoming weekend trip in Carpați Meridionali. Without having been lifted with the car in Petroșani and being dropped down of the car after the trip in Timișoara, this trip wouldn’t be reality.

I arrived in Petroșani on Saturday at dawn and almost immediately, after picking up Bogdan, we left toward mountains. We went up the Jiul de Vest (Jiul Românesc) valley and stopped in Câmpu lui Neag, where another friend, Adi TTR, lives. From there we went several km deeper into the valley with another car. The car had stopped at the beginning of the marked trail at the entrance in Cheile Scorota ; we arranged to be lifted from here by the car on Monday at 5 pm.
                                                Indicator at the entrance to Cheile Scorota.


The weather was not perfect. It was cloudy and humid. At higher altitudes it was foggy and freezing.

                                                  Fog in the valley, Cheile Scorota.

                                    First meadow makes appearance just below Stana Scorota.



Nevertheless, we set off on a trail and walked through narrow valley to a sheepfold called Stâna Scorota where we took a break.


                                                           At a break at Stana Scorota.


After that we were enveloped with clouds all the time until we reached the saddle Șaua Scorota at 1920 m.
                                     Walking up a trail above Stana Scorota.

                                          Cliffs and dwarf pine below Saua Scorota.

                                                          Indicator at Saua Scorota.

                                                                 At Saua Scorota.

                                          Descending on the other side of Saua Scorota.



From there opened in clouds for a while a vista toward Custura Peak (2457 m) in the Retezat Mountains. It whetted our appetite to continue on the trail further into the mountains.
                                                   Looking down into Buta Valley.


                                  Custura Peak is towering right above Buta Valley.
                            Dwarf and Swiss pines decorated with frost below Saua Scorota.

 

                                                      "Japanese drawing."

                                                        Autumn colours in Buta Valley.
                                                       Buta Valley and Custura Peak.

After descend to Cabana Buta, we climbed a little more up through a forest to a tourist refuge Paltina-Buta, situated in a mountain cauldron, below the lake Lacu Buta. The temperatures there were oscillating in between 0°C-4°C. 
                 Mountain brook and Norvegian spruce forest in the mist.

                                       Crossing a mountain brook on slippery wood.
                                                            Take away your rubish!
                                                           Refuge Paltina-Buta.

Inside the refuge was much warmer and drier, so we opted to stay here overnight.
In fact we stay there 2 nights, waiting out bad weather, hopping for clear skies, which the weather forecast promised.
                                                     Scenes around our adapost.


                                                       The Swiss pine. 

                                                                      Spider's web.

                                                                Mountain spruce forest.
                                                            First snow on a boulder.
                                                                 Mountain brook.
                                                                     Mountain brook.

Those two days were uneventful. From time to time we ventured out for a brief period to take some picture in fog. 
                                                      First snow in a forest clearing.
                                                             At forest margin.
                                                               Beside the refuge.

                                       Landscape surrounding the refuge Paltina-Buta.
                                                                    What a place!
                                                            Lake Lacu Buta.


On the second evening we climbed to the saddle Plaiul Mic at 1879 m and stayed there, waiting for some sunshine at sunset. The light was fine and finally clouds started to break. 
                                                Dwarf pine and frost in Saua Plaiul Mic.
                                                     At Saua Plaiul Mic, looking East.
                                      The Retezat Mountains seen from Saua Plaiul Mic.
                                                         A lake in Saua plaiul Mic.
                                                               In Saua Plaiul Mic.
                                    A view from Saua Plaiul Mic Looking at masiff Piule.

                                                        Wild colours after sunset.

  After descending back to the refuge we talked that if the weather would improve, we would get up at 3 pm and would climb to the Peak Drăgșanu (2080 m) to be there before sunrise.

I woke up at 3 pm and ventured out to see what the skies were like. It was cloudy, with some stairs poking out. It was promising. A while later the sky was full of stars. I told others that there are clear skies outside. Only after this new my friend started to roll out of theirs sleeping bags. ;-D

We climbed in darkness on a trail on which we went twice already. So we got up to the saddle quite easily. There we turned to the left and continued toward Drăgșanu Peak, from where we wanted to take some morning photos.

It was already dawning, when we arrived at the peak. There we spread like dust in the wind over the peak and each of us tried to capture his visions with a camera.

                                               The Parâng Mountains at dawn.


                           The Buta Valley and the Vâlcan Mountains at dawn.
                                  The Godeanu Mountains with twilight wedge above them.


                                          Alpenglow on the Retezat mountains.
                                              Alpenglow on the Godeanu Mountains.
                                        Frost and dwarf pine, Custura Peak in background.
                                              Frosty mornig in the Retezat Mic Mountains.

                                               Grass and frost. Custura Peak in backdrop.
                           The Retezat Mountains seen from Dragsanu peak in Retezat Mic.
            The Tarcu, Godeanu and Retezat Mountains seen from Dragsanu Peak in Retezat Mic.
                                                                 In Retezat Mic.

The temperatures were below zero and a breeze was blowing. Luckily the sun becomes warmer in proportion with going higher in the skies.

After the shoot we relaxed in the sun and completed the cirque of ending and Stâna Scorota after midday. 
                                                    After the morning shoot.


                                   The Oslea Crest in the Vâlcan Mountains.
                                                              Walking along the crest.
                                                              Admiring landscape.
                                                    Papusa Peak in the Retezat Mountains.

                                 Peleaga, Papusa and Custura Peak in the Retezat Mountains.

                                        Dragsanu Peak with snowy Custura Peak in background.
                                                    Piatra Iorgovanului in Retezat Mic.
                                                    Walking on grassy plains.
                                                       Looking into the Cerna Valley.
                                           Rock formation called "The Church".
                                      Stana Scorota-bird-eye view, seen from Fata cu Lastuni.
                                                  Oslea crest in the Vâlcan Mountains.
                                     Swis pines and dwarf pine, bird-eye view.
                                                         "Mongolian" grassy plains.
                                                                On grassy plains.
                                                  Descending toward Stana Scorota.

                                              Oslea Crest seen from Stana Scorota.
There we were hassle-free, because we had plenty of time today. The car was scheduled to lift us at 5 pm.
We started moving slowly down the valley, when shadows were on the go to creep over the sheepfold, thus disturbing the warmth of the space with bitter currents of air.
                                    Rock formation "The Church" seen from Cheile Scorotei.

We arrived at the road at about 4 pm, so we continued to stride down the valley. It was getting quite cold in the valley, and it was better to move instead to stay still.

In the end the car never came!

We decided for continuing to hike down the valley. When we got on a first spot with GSM signal, Adi called his father to come here to pick up us. 

At Adi’s place we changed the car and moved further on to Petroșani.



                                        Parângul Mic seen from Petrosani.
 


There we slept at Șerban’s place and at the morning we paid a visit to Bogdan’s place for a cup of coffee. After that me, Irina and Șerban, continued for another three hours to Timișoara. 

There I had barely an hour to buy something to eat and drink, before embarking on a train to Budapest.

Thus ended a prolonged weekend trip in România. We enjoyed mountains as usual and returned with some good pictures in the bag. I will continue to do these trips in the future. They bring me happiness and enlighten normal working days here in the city.