Because the only mountain city in Romania which candidates for the title of European Capital of Culture, Brasov, suggests to Europe 2021 a cultural concept all Europeans feel close to: Mountain Civilisation, we are introducing a few ascents on the peaks of our mountains together with Summits' Experts team: Alexandru Boru, a mountain guide within the Association of Mountain Guides in Romania (AGMR), Mihai Matei, local/national tourism guide and Gabi Ruica, mountain rescuer and guide. They will teach us how to orient at night depending on the position of the stars in the sky and elementary notions about the condition of snow, how to make a profile in the snow in order to test it and a few elementary survival notions in the mountains during winter.
The National Day celebrated on the top of Retezat Mountain
We suggest you to take a winter trip in Retezat, on Papusa peak, 2508m and Peleaga, 2509m or Retezat, 2482m, on the occasion of Romania?s National Day. We will take the mountain equipment, we will go up in the mountains to the chalet for about one hour and we will stay at Pietrele chalet. We?ll be trained from the technical point of view, we will prepare our rucksacks and we will go into the mountains, depending on the condition of the snow and on weather conditions. Route difficulty: average. When we get back, we will talk over a cup of boiled wine and in the evening we will take a look at the winter sky, we will learn how to orient at night depending on stars? position on the sky. The Master of Ceremonies will be Alexandru Boru, mountainous guide.
We need winter equipment for this trip: crampons, piolets, helmet, harness and mountain boots.
Winter trip in Piatra Craiului
December 5th - 1 day technical ascent in Piatra Craiului ? Turnu peak, going up on Padina Sindileriei. The climbing is an endurance one and it requires good physical training of the participants. The tour to Coltii Chiliilor Skeet ? going up from Padina Sindileriei ? Turnu Peak, 1911m - Saua Crapaturii ? going back to Zarnesti. In this trip we shall learn a few winter alpinism specific elementary notions, respectively the use of crampons and protection by using piolets and we shall learn to approach a snowy slope and diminish the risk of a non-controlled fall. We shall learn how to use the ropes to cover our partner, how to introduce barriers in the exposed areas and how to use the technical equipment.
Camping in Fagaras Mountains
- December 12th, camping in Fagaras Mountains, winter alpinism, avalanche saving-search, bivouac, 2 days in snow. We are heading to Balea Waterfall, we shall take the first cable car to Balea Lac, 2040m altitude, leave our luggage in one of the chalets in the lake area or in the shelter of the Mountain Rescuers County Department. We shall take our rucksack for the 1-day trip, put the equipment on and start on this track Balea Lake - Saua Caprei - Capra Lake 2230m ? Vaiuga Peak, 2443m - Vanatarea lui Buteanu, 2507m one of the most spectacular peaks in Fagaras Mountain. We will be able to admire from here to the East the spectacular trapeze of Moldoveanu Peak, 2544m, and to the West Negoiu Peak, with snow on its 2535m. Depending on the weather, we shall also climb other peaks in the area of Capra Lake, such as Iezerul Caprei, 2417m. When going down, we shall take the route to Balea Lake, through Saua Caprei, 2315m and we shall get to one of the chalets on the lake where we can make some incredible astronomic observations.
- December 13th:
We?ll wake up, have breakfast, take the proper equipment and climb from Balea Lake to Saua and Muchia Balii, 2294m altitude. Here we will make search-saving exercises from the avalanche with check rods, DVA?s and shovels and we shall prepare a bivouac in the snow you can test.
From this place, we shall admire the chine of Muchia Balii, peaks Paltinu, Laita, Laitel and Negoiul, but also the frozen lake in Doamnei Valley, the favourite area of free-ride skiers. We shall take photographs and we shall practise new specific elements for winter alpinism.
- December 19th ? Technical winter trip - 1 day in Piatra Mare (Valcelul Dracului) or Piatra Craiului (abrupt valley), depending on the condition of the snow.
Projects for the future
Internal ascents: winter trips on the peaks of the mountains, climbing on ice, mountain tracks with a guide and several alpine trips with the members of Alpin Club Brasov in the Carpathians during all seasons.
External expeditions of Summits Experts in 2016: Expedition in the Andes, Aconcagua Peak in January, in the beginning of the year, then alpine trips from Mont Blanc peaks in the Alps, Grossglockner from Austria, Triglav - Slovenia, Damavand - Iran, Matterhorn ? the Italian track and Elbrus in Caucasus or Jebel Toubkal from Morocco.
Contact E-mail: summits.experts@gmail.com
web: www.summitsexperts.ro
