In the summer of 2006, we had the chance to spend 3 months in Romania. We wanted to hike again Retezat Mountains’ trails. This area constitutes an attraction for Romanian hikers and we returned after 5 years to see the lakes, ridges and the peaks. We were not alone, this time we were accompanied by Horea and Andrei. I do not know who was happier and more excited: us, because we were in a beloved place or them, because they were discovering the marvels of this part of Romania, away from TV and video games.

After we spent 3 years in USA and we enjoyed traveling by car, with the backpacks in the trunk, this time we rediscovered the trips when you have to carry a 25 kilos backpack and approach the mountain by train, with all its odors and colors.  

After we spent the approaching night in few rail stations and we slept on some uncomfortable benches, finally we arrived in the famous station, Ohaba de Sub Piatra. From here, we travel with a minivan to Carnic Hut. It seemed that the old man and his IMS retired and a younger entrepreneur and his “modern” minivan replaced them. Being prepared to stay for 10 days, we bent under the burden of the backpacks and started toward Pietrele Hut. The day was awesome and the sky was clear. Our intention was to hike to Bucura Lake, but the backpacks proved to be a serious challenge, therefore we camped the first night at Pietrele. In the morning, we awoke up by the horses’ grazing. What an immeasurable happiness for the kids.

The second day we hiked to Lake Bucura where we pitched our tent. It followed nine wonderful days of hiking and exploration. Personally, I was happy to be there again and I was surprised how fast I forgot the comfortable North- American trips. We pretended to be students hiking in Retezat. My biggest satisfaction was for Andrei and Horea, two kids raised in town, to whom we gave the chance to leave their comfort zone and to explore themselves all those “pictures” that they have seen on our laptop. So much joy, running and playing…inexhaustible energy, followed of course by hunger… and then to keep up with it! For the last days of our trip, we had to ration the food and to reinvent some famous hiker’s combinations like bacon with biscuits, pâté with polenta, jam with bean stew, tea with some leftovers from a previous noodle soup. So what? This is how you create memories to share with your colleagues when is time to go back to school!

The weather was ok with the exception of two afternoons when it rained and hailed… the kids’ joy because they were able to play with “snow” balls. We hiked almost on all the trails, enjoyed the scenery, the mountain goats, we sang forgotten song, we prepared fresh brotherwort tea and we looked at the sky during the night for shooting stars. The boys spend on day doing some bouldering. At one point, we “skied” on a snow patch using the boots. Of course, we could not miss the World Soccer Championship final, which we listened at radio. Wonderful days when the only concerns were where we planned to hike the next day or who got the largest chocolate chunk. 

  

I do not know when I will have another opportunity to spend  again ten days in Retezat, but I hope to find it wild and beautiful and, if possible, affected in a small extent by civilization.