3 days
Duration
Hiking
Activity
Difficult
Difficulty
Fagaras
Location
December – April
Dates
Negoiu Peak as seen from Lespezi.

Two of Romania’s highest peaks in winter is not a trivial hike. This requires previous winter mountaineering experience, the right gear and the knowledge to use it, as well as the will to put extra effort than usual and be able to cope with cold. But the personal satisfaction on a winter climb is huge.
The good news is that some of these peaks can be climb, even in winter, in a one day dash, lightweight style and the evening will find you someplace warm and friendly, enjoying the past day accomplishments.

And this tour is exactly about this:

  • Reaching two of the highest and most beautiful peaks of Romania, in the Transylvanian Alps – Lespezi (2522m) and Museteica (2448m) all dressed in the beautiful white of the winter.
  • Getting the chance to have side views of the huge ridge line of the Transylvanian Alps in winter, one of the most desired prizes of Romania winter mountaineering. The landscapes will stay with you forever.
  • Walking the frozen waters of Valea lui Stan Canyon, between the tight high walls.

Fagaras is the biggest, highest and probably most sought mountain massif in Romania in the summer months, while in winter it becomes a challenge. The range it is not called for nothing the Transylvanian Alps.

The view from Museteica ridge
The view from Museteica ridge

It is like walking between two worlds because the range splits Romania in two: to the South is the old kingdom of Romania and to the North is Transylvania. The best thing on being in these mountains is that you get to see both from worlds.

Additionally, this tour will take us through:

  • the most beautiful road in the world”, Transfagarasan, as it was called a couple years ago by the Top Gear TV series – beware, in winter the road is closed so we will drive on it as much as we can (we may reach about 1600m)
  • the most spectacular and highest dam in Romania, built on the river Arges.
DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION Bucharest
DEPARTURE TIME watch 6.00 in the morning – Day 1
ARRIVAL TIME watch 20.00 – Day 3
Estimated duration of hike watch9 hours the 1st day; 10 hours the 2nd day; 5 hours the 3rd day.
Elevation gained  chart   more than 1200 m the first two days.
Maximum height  mountain 2522 m – Peak Lespezi, 2448 m – Peak Museteica
Individual equipment needed
equipment
  • backpack 20-35 l
  • crampons
  • winter mountain boots
  • hat
  • gloves
  • winter mountain jacket
  • winter mountain trousers
  • sunglasses
  • polartek blouse or something similar
  • synthetic t-shirt
  • spare clothes and shoes for evenings
  • trekking sticks
  • headlamp torch
  • water recipient /thermos bottle
Accommodation houseWe will accommodate ourselves overnight at one of the guesthouses which litter the sides of the Transfagarasan Road.
Meals mealThe dinners will be at the guesthouse but during the hike days some sandwiches and a couple of chocolate bars and/or biscuits will help during the day.
INCLUDED   Transport from and to Bucharest by car

  2 Nights accommodation

 2 Dinners, 2 Breakfasts and 1 late Lunch

  Professional Mountain Guide

NOT INCLUDED   Other meals

  Pieces of individual equipment (we may be able to provide to you pieces of equipment such as trekking sticks, crampons)

  Insurance

Discount policy wallet For group bookings we apply a discount based on the number of the participants. Please book the tour and/or contact us to negotiate the discount.

Other good to know issues: 

  • The winter tours are inherently more difficult. Stamina, prior experience and knowledge of using the winter equipment is necessary.
  • The routes are not dangerous, avoiding avalanche paths or highly exposed sections. Nevertheless, constant focus is a must in any winter climb. No rope or harness is necessary.
  • The weather in winter is more prone to sudden changes. Sometimes is safer to retreat in time than continuing and finding yourself in a middle of a blizzard. Thus, we may decide, if the case is, to get down before reaching the objective of the day. We always take safety margins.
1

Day 1

We depart from Bucharest at 6.00 and head, by car, towards West passing by the city of Pitesti and then Curtea de Arges. Half an hour after Curtea de Arges we will be on “the most beautiful road in the world” and soon on the most spectacular dam in Romania. We must stop to see it, the vertical drop is huge.

We head then north following the “most beautiful road in the world”. In Piscu Negru area, after 31/2 hours from Bucharest we prepare for the hike. We enter right away in the wood following the clear trail. In about an hour and a half we exit the wood near a shepherd hut (abandoned during the winter).

The view opens up and we already can see our target for the day. Two to three hours of tough hiking awaits us. But the effort is rewarded by the vistas around. We see the Transfagarasan road covered in snow and all the major peaks all around. But only from the top we get the full picture. The neighbor, Negoiu, the second highest peak of Romania, with its walls, is impressive. The Western ridge is never-ending. We just need clear skies to enjoy these.

We descend fast using the same route we came and in less than three hours we finish it.

We accommodate ourselves at one of the guesthouses on the road, close to where we made the route.

2

Day 2

In the morning, as early as we can but no later than 8.00, we start towards the objective of the second day. Our objective will be just across the valley, opposite to Day 1 mountain. The climb is similar to that done on the previous day, except that the end section is a one hour extraordinary ridgeline (never to exposed, but never too wide, which leads us on Museteica peak.

This time we have an entirely different perspective from the top. On a clear day, we see both Moldoveanu and Negoiu, Romania’s first and second highest peaks. Due to its side position, on the South, this peak offers one of the most stunning views over the Transylvanian Alps ridgeline. White peaks, from left to right are closing the horizon towards the North, while on the South we can see towards the plains.

We descend the same way we came, enjoying once again the ridge climb.

We accommodate ourselves for the night at the same guesthouse.

3

Day 3

8.30 AM is our departing hour. We drive South on the return way, until we reach the Dam again. A little lower, we find the entrance to the canyon. The canyon is spectacular in summer do to its many waterfalls. Not all of them are frozen in winter but some are and will make for a very nice ice climbing.

There are some section of the canyon, very narrow, where the river bed is frozen and we will walk right past it. Climbing the vertical stairs adds to the already beautiful hike.

In five hours we will be back at the car, ending three days of exciting winter mountaineering in Transylvanian Alps.

On the way back to Bucharest, we will stop in Curtea de Arges for a lunch and for some quick visit of the city which was one of the first capitals of the medieval Wallachia.

We estimate to arrive in Bucharest by 20.00.