FAGARAS MOUNTAINS Print E-mail
Romania - Romania 2006
Written by Daniela Pascan   
Monday, 01 September 2008 15:43
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In the summer of 2006, we had the opportunity to spend 3 months in Romania. One of the places who we wanted to see Again was Fagaras Mountains. Despite the fact that we hiked it before during the previous years, more or less completely with our friends from Ochiul Muntelui, we wanted to go back. Some parts of the Fagaras’ main ridge have a special place in our hearts: Valea Sambetei, February 1999, our attempt to Moldoveanu Peak; Fagaras’ main ridge in 1999, hiked with friends from Ochiul Muntelui; Balea Lake, February 2000, where we spent few days after the winter exams session; Balea Lake, 2003, where we spent 5 days from the honeymoon; again Balea, February 2005 with my relatives).Our plan was to hike a section of Fagaras Mountain, to get in Iezer Papusa Mountains and from there in Piatra Craiului. However, our plan did not work. Therefore, we spent 10 days in Fagars, without rain, only one night storm at Avrig so intense that we thought that we would be blown from the mountain all the way to Sibiu. Talking about Sibiu, we visited it shortly, the year before it became the European Cultural Capital (2007) and the renovations were happening everywhere. Sibiu was always a nice and neat city and I met it again with joy; unfortunately, we do not have friends any more in Sibiu, all are calling now “home” a different country, like us by the way.

We hiked towards Suru, where we camped first night. It was nightime when we arrived at the camping area. Because the trail was easy to follow, we did not have any problem. From here on begins the sad story of Fagaras Mountains. The trail was well “signalized” with trash: cans, plastics, wraps and cigarettes butts. We were deeply disappointed. We saw the camping area only in the morning. Beside our tent, there were few others, mostly with foreign and we felt embarrassed for the way the area looked. Suru hut is a ruin. I do not know who built it. Maybe it would have been better if they had not built it.

 

 

A beautiful summer day and as we moved away from Suru, we felt better. We found blueberry, raspberry and splendid flowers. Reaching the main ridge, we found again the Fagaras charm, long valleys with thick forests on both sides, which could only delight our sight. After hiking in Retezat for 10 days with two kids, this trip, only for us, was welcome. Avrig Lake is the place that brings back wonderful memories. Arriving there, I saw a horrible picture: trash and garbage spread all around. On the lake surface plastic bags floated. In the past, we used to drink unfiltered water from the lake. I do not know when and how the Romanian hiker, of the year 2000, lost the respect toward the nature and other hikers. The same picture we had at Caltun Lake, at Zarna and almost everywhere. I do not want to persist on this topic.

 

We tried, as much as we could, to avoid the “classic” camping areas. Therefore, the third night we camped at Caldarea Mieilor, underneath the Custura Sărăţii. To our amazement, we found it clean and wild, including the two streams that spring from Negoiu’ slope. Form here on we had as companions a couple from Bucharest, being for the first time in Fagaras and who enjoyed to join us. We did not hike together all the time, but we used to camp in the same areas and we used to chat and share some tuica.

 

We spent the fourth night at Caltun Lake. The next day, Florin attempted Caltun Peak. Few years ago, hiking with my Ochiul Muntelui friends, we met at Caltun, Adi David. Afterwards we met few times on the Fagaras Ridge. Now, anytime when we see him in the news, we say “hello” and we remember about one of his sayings regarding “the animals stuffed in a can”. Obviously, Adi was not there when we did this trip in 2006, but the people from Mountain Rescue were nice too.
We passed by Balea Lake. While savouring a beer we were contemplating the booth agitation and the busy traffic. We headed to Capra Lake, where we camped that night. The area looked clean, without piles of trash. It seems that the person in charge with that area is doing his job and I doubt that only civilized hikers camp there. On the other hand, we found the marble plaques of the mountaineers monument used as hearth. I was deeply disappointed.

 

In the morning, we hiked on Vanatoarea lui Buteanu. It was a wonderful summer day, with a clear sky and having an excellent visibility. On the way to Podul Giurgiului Lake we passed by a monument dedicated for the Oradean people. We saluted them in the name of our friend Sebastian, who at that time was in a trip” in a hot place”.

Vistea – Moldoveanu was a busy trail. Moldoveanu Peak …we found it as we expected: tided to the cross (marks the highest Romanian point, the country’s “roof”), all sorts of weird things, including some beer bottles. There was no Romanian flag. Someone, who likes to joke often, might say that in Romania, the garbage is up to the ceiling, and it would not make a mistake.

At Galasescu Lake, near the main ridge we spend another night. We admired Valea Sambetei and we stopped for few minutes at Zarna. We hiked to the ridge because close to Zarna shelter we could not find fresh water and because there was a lot of garbage in and around the place was the tourists suppose to find a place to rest. We found a nice meadow and in the morning the sheep, who were more “civilizate” than the majority of hikers, awaked us.
We decided to get down from the ridge. We started from Bratilei Saddle, on Radu Valley, in conformity with the map and the indicator. We said good-bye to our companions. Not long after we started the descent, the trail disappered and we had to bushwhack. The good side was that we encountered some blackberry bushes, which were burden by berries. Finally, we reached a wooden hut.

 

 

We walked few kilometers and then we discovered the “civilization”. It was weekend and there were many people at picnic, close to the road. We stopped in the first village at a convenience store. We wanted to have an ice cream and to dispose the garbage that we carried with us, while backpacking. We asked for permission to leave the garbage in a trash bin. The owner looked at us with surprise asking what kind of garbage we were talking. We told him that we hiked and we did not leave the trash on the mountain. He seemed astonish and approved saying that such a thing does not happen very often. Yes, we realized that we are “edagered animals”, the modern hiker has other habits.We were lucky and someone took us to Fagaras city and from there by bus to Brasov. We left the mountain and we kept hundreds of pictures and nice memories.

 

Two years after this experience, I would like to hear good news and I would like to meet people to contradict my observations regarding the garbage found in Fagaras. Few days ago, I heard that Zarna shelter was rebuilt, it sounds good, but I wonder how long it will last. Give good news dear friends!

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 09 September 2009 20:49
 
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