9 trips in Fagaras (interest point: Cabana Balea Lac):
(see here a complete description of the marked trails in the Fagaras range as well as an interactive map)

SUMMER 2008

• August 19th: Fagaras. Night time trip. I've left the Capra Chalet at 9.45pm and without any hurry I reached Capra Lake around 1am ; as the lake was engulfed in fog I decided to continue without stopping towards Capra Saddle but just before reaching it I got out of the fog; from there I returned to the lake shore, this time without fog, for a lunch break; then I reached again Capra Saddle at 2.30am then proceeded to descend towards Balea Lac chalet which I reached at 3.15am ; from here it was 17km on the paved road to Capra and Piscu Negru chalets. Alone.

• May 21st: Fagaras. An exact remake of a trip from one year ago. Like most remakes it wasn't as nice as the original. From Piscu Negru chalet climbed the Paltinu stream until the main ridge , which I followed eastwards until the Paltinu Saddle . From there I descended towards Balea Lake , then thru the tunnel and free descending inside Caldarea Caprei up to the Capra Chalet then the final 4 miles to the car on the paved Transfagarasan road. Alone.

• September 17th: Fagaras. Felix invited me to a two-day trip that definitely had to include a certain part of the Main Ridge called Custura Saratii. After leaving our car at the Balea Lac chalet we walked the tunnel and from its south entrance we took the trail which crosses thru the Paltinu upper valley until we reached Caltun Lake . From here we continued on the main ridget itself through Strunga Dracului, Negoiu Peak and Custura Saratii (this one partially during darkness) until Serbota Peak which was reached at 9pm. The descent to the Negoiu Chalet took us two more hours. Next day, under some cloudy skies and with some rain periods we climbed Piatra Pranzului and Strunga Ciobanului back to the Caltun Lake then we continued on the main ridge until the Paltinu saddle from where we finally descended to Balea Lake and our car. People: Felix Stanculet, Radu Antonescu, one more person.

• May 30th: Fagaras. One of the most beautiful mountain trips. I've left the car at Piscu Negru then climbed the Paltinu stream until the main ridge , which I followed eastwards until the Paltinu Saddle . From there I descended towards Balea Lake , then thru the tunnel and free descending inside Caldarea Caprei up to the Capra Chalet . From here a car took me for the 7km to Piscu Negru. Even if the weather wasn't as great as great as the forecast it was still an really beautiful trip. Alone.

• October 31st: Fagaras. A replay, at a smaller scale, of the last week's trip. Because I wasn't alone anymore the itinerary was much shorter: Climb from the southern tunnel entrange until the main ridge , then eastwards thru Capra Saddle towards Vanatoarea lui Buteanu Peak ; then we returned through Vaiuga valley to Balea Lake chalet . Same incredible weather for this time of the year; unlike last time, when I only met a single group, today we met tens of people. Elvis preffered to wait for us at the chalet. People: Elvis Grandin, Nicoleta Puscasu.
• October 24th: Fagaras. I took advantage of an unexpected nice weather period and the moon nearly full for a last day/night trip during my favourite mountains for this autumn. I climbed the path from the southern entrance of the Transfagarasan tunnel until the main ridge , which I took westwards for 4 hours up to the Negoiu Peak . When returning it took me 6 hours due to night fall and the three diversions: First I used the avoiding version through Strunga Doamnei ; from Caltun, after the night fell, I continued thru Caldarea Paltinului , from where I went up again to the main ridge ; finally the descent from Paltinu Saddle directly to the Balea Lake . Unexpectedly warm for this period; again I had luck seeing four ibexes next to Caltun. During the four hours of night walk the moon was enough for orientation. Alone.

• September 27th: Fagaras. Two day trip with an overnight in Valea Sambetei chalet. The first day I was alone and it was pretty exhausting: I've left the car at Cabana Capra then Fereastra Zmeilor shelter - free navigation towards Nierlinger Memorial - main ridge thru Vistea Mare - Fereastra Mica - Fereastra Mare with going down to Valea Sambetei chalet (the descent from Fereastra Mare to the chalet was at night time, with the flashlight; when the batteries were exhausted I had a difficult time changing them). The second day early wake up then descent to Manastirea Sambata (where I've met Nico and Cosmin) then by car to Balea Cascada and finally an ascent on foot from Balea Cascada to Balea Lac . People: Nicoleta Zamfir, Cosmin Zamfir.

• August 16th: Fagaras. By night; we've left from Balea Lac Chalet towards Capra Saddle - Paltinu Saddle - somewhere on the main ridge (we turned back because our only light bulb broke) - again Capra Saddle - Capra Lake - (here we got lost, we started to navigate using the GPS and full moon) Cota 2000 Chalet. The last 3km were on asphalt (Transfagarasan road, including the tunnel) with arrival at the car around 4am - this way we managed to see the sunrise around Curtea de Arges. Together with Bogdan Visinescu.
• June 14th: Fagaras. By far my favourite trip so far; I keep some unforgettable memories from it. Night time and full-moon trip on the route from Capra chalet (departure at 9pm) - Capra Lake and Saddle - Vanatoarea lui Buteanu peak - Vaiuga Saddle and valley - Balea chalet - Capra Saddle - main ridge under Vartopel/Arpasel - Fereastra Zmeilor Saddle - Capra chalet with arrival at 7.15am. The moon reflected on Capra Lake, the silence broken only by some invisible waters, the alternance between clear sky and thick fog, my moonshade were all wonderful! Alone.

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