Trekking through two beautiful ranges of southern Carpathians in Romania, Parâng and Retezat. Mountaneous Transilvania at its best, I suppose. August 2012.

We shortened the usually lengthy and cumbersome travel to Transilvania by taking a plane to Sibiu and then a direct taxi which catapulted us to the edge of the freshly coated Transalpina road by the mount of Urdele just on the naked main ridge of the Parâng mountains. We could start to walk along the ridge westwards immediately, in stormy weather, but freed of the civilisation constraints at once. A taxi was also a blessing after a few days in the Parâng range when we reached the ugly over-industrialised Petroşani area in order to cross it as quick as possible to reach the feet of the next mountain range, the mighty Retezat. After a feast in Cheile Buţii and a stay in friendly Cabana Buta we walked to the huge tent village of Lac Bucura placed strategically in the middle of the highest and rocky Retezat.

After enjoying a few trips in the surrounding of the Lac Bucura (and this is the finest of the Retezat!) we have left the high mountains area exiting via Custura Bucurei. After having a hearty meal in Pietrele we had a great fortune to meet in the village of Cârnic the dear Chrissi and her faithful Kevin diesel camper who both took us down to the Ohaba de sub Piatra railway station where we could begin a whole day of the Romanian slow, slow train odyssey back to the civilisation of Sibiu/Hermannstadt.

Gallery Munţii Parâng şi Munţii Retezat on pastvoyages.jankowski.org.