[2011 September 25] Braul Cioranga

Date: September 25th 2011

Location: Piatra Craiului Mountains

Participants: Andra, Vlad, Dorian

Duration: exactly 8h

Six o’clock. Too early, back to sleep. 7:30 now there’s light outside so I guess we should wake up have a great breakfast and go for the track we were planning. This is what actually is stated in http://dorianhodorogea.ro/2011/08/02/piatra-craiului-braul-cioranga-mare-8-9-iulie-2011/ where the track refers to “Valcelul cu fereastra” and “Braul de sus”. We got to “Refugiul Ascuns” this time with some adventure. After climbing “Malu Galben” we got away after an avalache of rocks and rotten wood passed near us. Hopefully the people after us were not hurt. We later found the rattle-makers up the trail wondering arround and looking for the trail. Cioranga Mare is a great track full of nice places such as a gate through which you need to do the “dwarf walk” or a belvedere rock where you can see the whole valley, provided the weather allows it. The track is just under the rock formations at the limit of the forrest for the most part of it. After the intersaction which takes you to Varfu Ascutit, we went further sice we wanted to see what it was like, and the weather was good enough. The track is full of surprises such as an iron ledder, replacing the old wooden one which gets you over a rock, hard to climb during winter. The view all along the track is wonderful, and berries of all kind are available in case you know the diffence from the ones that will make you forever-happy. The red ones are called “merisoare” and are similar to blueberries in shape and size, they grow in bushes near the blueberries in groups, they are not translucent as the bad ones and would look like small apples if you use you imagination a bit. They taste fresh and a bit sour, yet full of vitamin C. I was happy to see and recognize Padina Popii in the distance, as the trail is easy to spot. This is where we got off the mountain through a lot of rocks rolling down with us. Two alpinist were in 24G, I think, according to the wall marking and Emilian Cristea. Vlad was also able to test his welding-protective glasses in the bright sun, being an atraction to all the people along the way. We later arrived in Plaiu Foii where we were happy to find our tent up and alive, after drying in the sun the whole day. We packed everything up and went back home after a productive and disconnected weekend.