Backpacking Trip - Piatra Craiuliu

September 3rd to 5th, 2010

A few of my colleagues are into backpacking, so we scheduled a trip for this weekend. I chose the time, as I didn't have a quiz for my graduate class. And the weather, with one exception, held out for us.

We left school around 4:30 PM on Friday and headed north to get to the mountains. Seems we got a bit of a late start. We stopped by a friend's house to drop his son off and pick up gear and hit the road. We arrived in Zarnesti a bit later than anticipated, and truth be told, we didn't know exactly where we'd start the trip. We had a ballpark based on a map, but we didn't know what we'd find in terms of the conditions of the roads, etc. But using the GPS and the map, we found our way until we got to a gate. So we parked and geared up. Just before 9:00 PM we hit the trail with our headlamps guiding the way. Our destination was Cabana Curmatura, about two miles away. We hit a few steeper sections of trail where we thought about bailing on the trip all the way to the cabana and just setting up our tents. But we never found a great spot and just kept slogging away. The early part of the trail cut through a really cool gorge full of limestone cliffs and signs marking rock-climbing routes. We were now excited for the return trip to see this in daylight.

After some discussion about whether to set up camp or not, we just kept going and got to the cabana a bit before 11:00 PM. Heck, from a distance we could hear the generator and see the lights. Truth be told, it was a nice sound, although we were hoping it wouldn't go on all night. (It didn't. Lights off at 11:00.) The caretaker showed us a room in the cabana that smelled worse than any locker room I've ever been in, so we asked for another room. Luckily, there was an empty room so we ate some trail mix, laid out our sleeping bags and hit the sack.

We woke up around 8:00 AM on Saturday to the smell of coffee. For some, this is a welcome smell. I happen to hate coffee...but I guess some people really need their caffeine. The cabana has a little cafe that serves simple meals. I ordered a cheese omelet and a hot chocolate. Yes, this might be anathema to some. I ordered from a menu - WHILE BACKPACKING! But cabana-style backpacking is a big thing here, I guess. And truth be told, at 11:00 PM after a long day of work, a long drive and a hike in, the cabana was quite inviting. After inquiring about rooms for the night, one of my friends and I decided to set up our tents, while the third was going to use a bunk again. This time, we couldn't have the room to ourselves. We set up our tents and got settled, then hit the trail for a day hike.

The weather looked like it might get a bit wet, as the clouds were rolling in. All morning, it held off, though. The trail took us up to a saddle with some spectacular views of the Piatra Criauliu range, and Piatra Mica. The weekend was worth it just for these views.

But there was more hiking to do. We planned to hike up along the ridge of the Piatra Criauliu in a loop. Of the three of us, I was certainly the least fit and the most skittish on steep/exposed trail. When the trail got to some exposed hiking/scrambling - with cable in some places - I bailed and suggested heading the other way. One member of our group headed up on a solo hike and the other member and I went back to try the other peak. We got up a ways after more scrambling, and I just didn't think I was fit enough to climb safely and enjoy myself. So we headed back to the cabana and my friend made an amazing Thai curry lunch. Wow, do I ever miss Thai food. The sky looked even more foreboding, so we hunkered down and waited for the rains. Alas, they came and soaked the camp and my brand new tent. (Did I mention that I was using almost all new gear? Well...it worked quite well, really.) Luckily the inside of the tent stayed dry while I took a nap, stared at the ceiling, and read a borrowed guidebook. For dinner, I cooked up some pasta. Truthfully, it wasn't nearly as good as the Thai. I should have cooked my food for lunch and saved the really delicious meal for dinner. Lesson learned for next time.

We chatted up some folks we met at the cabana for a while, then the other two guys hit the sack. But I stayed up until 11:00 when the lights went out, as the skies had actually cleared and the stars were out in full force. Every time I go backpacking I marvel at the beauty of the night sky when there's no light pollution to get in the way. It was well worth it.

Sunday we woke up around 7:00, had breakfast, lolli-gagged a bit around the camp, then headed out around 10:00 back to the car. We stopped at a few of the climbing crags to admire potential routes with names like, "Happy biceps for you." Of course, many of these routes are way beyond my beginner climbing skills, but it's always fun to look.

We were back to the car by noon and driving away within minutes. The only real hold-up, beyond traffic, was a long stop on the single-file dirt road while a wedding party caravan went by.

I realized on this trip how much I really enjoy the mountains. In Thailand I thoroughly enjoyed having access to SCUBA close by. But I missed the mountains. Well, I've given up easy SCUBA diving, but I've gained the mountains. It's a fair trade, I think.

As always, click on the images below to see a larger view.