Day 1, approx. 450 km in Romania: meeting Romania…
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Itinerary:
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...(Romania) Oradea - Cluj Napoca - Sighisoara - Brasov
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Program:
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The guide will meet the group in the morning somewhere near the Hungarian-Romanian country border. The guide will present the tour in a nutshell, hand out brochures and the detailed maps of Piatra Craiului Mountain (King's Stone Mountain). We will travel by bus south, crossing the towns Oradea, Cluj Napoca, Sighisoara and Brasov and we will arrive sometimes in the evening at our accommodation place, in a village near Brasov. Here, we will be warmly welcomed by our hosts and we will be distributed in smaller groups to separate houses.
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Accommodation and half-board:
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on the 1st and 6th days in a village nearby Brasov
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Day 2, approx. 35 km by bus: Introducing the Mountain
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Itinerary:
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…Zarnesti - Cheile Zarnestilor - Cabana Curmatura
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Program:
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We will start our adventure in the morning from the village that hosted us and we will stop only at the feet of the Piatra Craiului Mountain, right after we pass the town of Zarnesti. We will take out from the bus all our necessary belongings, prepare our backpacking clothing and boots and set off from the Gura Raului chalet. We will pass the Botorog's well (Fantana lui Botorog) by following the blue stripe trail which will take us later through the beautiful Zarnesti Precipice (Prapastille Zarnestilor). We will make a sudden turn at the Vladusca stream's mouth up towards the Curmatura hut (1.470 m). Length of trail: 14 km, difference of level: +700 m, duration of hike: approximately 3,5 hours. We will camp near the hut for the following four days.
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Day 3. The Small King's Stone trail
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Itinerary:
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Cabana Curmatura - Saua Crapaturii - Piatra Mica - Zanoaga Glade - Cabana Curmatura
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Program:
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after breakfast we will start by following the blue point trail for more than half an hour until we reach the Saua Crapaturii (Crapaturii Saddle, 1660 m) point. From here we will turn right to the so called "Small King's Stone". At the beginning of the trail we will be still walking through the green fir tree forest but slowly we will enter the kingdom of the dolomite rocks and reach the top of this part of the mountain (1.816 m). From here we will enjoy a captivating panorama over the lands of the Barsa that will stretch in front of our eyes. The peak takes after a plateau, covered with tiny fir trees and alpine vegetation. From here we will pass the Crucea Eroilor (Heroes Cross) and descend to the Zanoaga Glade (Poiana Zanoaga) where we will turn right on the yellow stripe blaze, back to the same Curmatura hut. Length of trail: 4 km, difference of level: 500 m (+350 m, - 150m), duration of hike: approximately 3,5 hours.
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Day 4. The great ridge
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Itinerary:
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Cabana Curmatura - Saua Crapaturii - Saua Curmatura - Turnul Pietrei Craiului - Varful Ascutit - Varful la Om - Refugiul Grind - Saua Vladusca - Cabana Curmatura
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Program:
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During this day we will get acquainted with the majestic King's Stone by following the ridge trail up to highest point of the mountain. We will start on the same path like the day before and reach the Saua Crapaturii (Crapaturii Saddle, 1660 m) but we will continue the hike by taking a turn to the left towards the main ridge. Through the forest we will pass the Saua Curmatura (Curmatura Saddle) and soon we will get to the bottom of the stony ridge. A real difficult ascent will begin and we will need all our strength reserves for this critical stage. We will follow a narrow rocky corridor and we will help ourselves from time to time using the cable wires attached to the rocks. We will soon leave the forest behind and only the real, wild stony cliffs will be our companions from now on.
The trail continues on the very ridge of the mountain thus we will step with maximum care and our attention will be permanently strained by the sometimes 700 m high precipices on the both sides of the crest. We will conquer in order the Varful Ascutit peak (Sharp Peak, 2150 m), the Timbalul Mare (Great Cimbalom, 2.177 m) and Timbalul Mic (Small Cimbalom, 2.220 m) tops and end on the summit, the Varful la Om peak, 2.238 m. From this top we will admire the fantastic panorama offered by the surrounding mountains (Bucegi, Fagaras, Iezer-Papusa and Piatra Mare) and the basin of the Barsa River. After this longer contemplation we will carefully start our descent on our way back by following the red stripe blaze and reach the Grind shelter. From here we will follow the red triangle blaze and finally, by using our last drops of energy, we will arrive in the evening at our camp site, the Curmatura hut. Length of trail: 19 km, difference of level: 1.500 m (+750 m, - 750m), duration of hike: approximately 11-12 hours.
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Day 5. Take a day off…
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Program:
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This day will be entirely dedicated to relaxation, in order to ease up the fatigue from the previous day. Each can choose his own program by sunbathing in case of beautiful weather, strolling around or doing nothing. We always plan this easy day so that in case of a rainy day we may interchange the days among them.
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Day 6, approx. 45 km by bus: Descent to civilization…
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Itinerary:
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Cabana Curmatura - Saua Padinei Inchise - Curmatura Prapastiilor - Refugiul Diana - Valea Ursilor - Cabana Plaiul Foii
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Program:
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We will pack in our rucksacks all our belongings and leave our camp site that housed us for more days. We will follow the blue stripe blaze up to the Saua Padinei Inchise (1.955 m) and from there we will start our descent. At the Diana shelter (1.510 m) we will make a lunch brake and afterwards, by following the bed of the Bear's brook we will arrive sometime in the afternoon at the cozy Paliul Foii chalet (849 m). Our bus is supposed to wait for us there and in short while we will arrive to our accommodation place, the same village as on the first day. There will be a surprise waiting for us since there will be a folkloric show performed…Length of trail: 7 km, difference of level: 1.600 m (+500 m, - 1.100 m), duration of hike: approximately 6-7 hours.
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Day 7, approx. 450 km.: The last day…
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Program:
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will say good-bye from our hosts and leave behind the "Pearl of the Carpathians", the King's Stone and slowly, Transylvania and Romania altogether. The bus will exit the country at Bors-Artand frontier point and the guide will say good-bye to the group. Until next time, when other adventures will begin…
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~ end of program ~
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