Sport climbing crags of Romania – (1) Magura

The varied relief of Romania hosts over one hundred crags where sport climbing may be enjoyed. Easy routes, difficult routes, warm rocks bathed in sunshine or cold rocks covered all day in shadow, quarries or natural crags, even climbing in a cave – you just need to choose and try. Sport climbing in Romania

The sport climbing routes are equipped either with bolts or with iron pegs. There is a growing tendency to replace the old pegs with bolts. The tops are usually prepared with two bolts linked together with a chain with ring but you may find as well older versions of tops (two pegs only, two pegs linked by a piece of old rope etc.). 

All in all, sport climbing all over the crags of Romania may be the best reason to go see the country. This series of post is about these places, without making a hierarchy out of them.

(1) Sport climbing in Magura village

The small crag (1)
The small crag (1)
Magura (3)
The view from the crag

The crag in Magura does not have too many equipped routes, especially easy ones, but offers maybe the best view from a climbing crag in all of Romania. A day climbing there is enough, but best take few days and combine the climbing with other outdoor activities in the area (hiking or biking, for instance; read here for more information about outdoor activities in this area).

Magura sport climbing 1
Top of one route on the small crag

The crag and the routes

The crag is made out of limestone rock. The routes have a Southern orientation and so are sunny most of the day.

There are two sectors with a total of 13 routes, out of which 4-5 routes are easier routes while the others require more experienced climbers. The higher crag is somehow hidden behind the trees and has 20 m routes. The smaller one, with much shorter routes, is the one with a view. And what a view!

Magura (2)
The small crag.

At its foot is a rather flat large meadow from which you have a wonderful view over Magura, Pestera and Sirnea villages (maybe the finest rural landscape in Romania) and to the sides the horizon is blocked by the majestic steep slopes of King’s Rock (West) and Bucegi (East) mountains. Imagine yourself at the top of the route, after you successfully struggled with the limestone rock, effectively “hanging” in wonder over the landscape.

Location

The crag is located in a area full of climbing crags, near the big city of Brasov, in the very center of Romania. Even if you start from Bucharest and want to come back home the same day, you can do it.

The hiking to the crag

You need to drive about 31/2 hours from Bucharest, to the cozy mountain city of Zarnesti. From here, take the gravel road which leads to Magura village. Once in the village, park the car and head towards the crags (North) that you already can see above the village. It is a 30-50 minute enjoyable hike to the foot of the crag.

You may check the map below: