Bucegi-Piatra Craiului mountains

Description: Area: 300 km²; The highest peak: OMU (2505 m). There is a lot of skiresorts here. This mountains are part of the South Carpathian's which are called Transylvanian Alps too. The Piatra Craiului mountains is also a part of this mountain-chain. The Piatra Craiului is made of limestones which gets to 1200 m grossness. This ridge looks like on upturned "L" letter. The Piatra Craiului mountains and the Bucegi mountains are separated because of an 20km long and 15km wide basin in which is situated the famous Dracula castle.

Guides: Meyndt György, Csifó László Loránd

Route:

1 day: Sinaia town (790m) -> Poiana Stanei (1270m) -> Bucsecs Stadion (1975m) ->
-> Piatra Arsa Hostel(1950m)
6h, 6km, szint: 1160m up, 0m down
From the Peles castle we climb up to the Furnica Motel following the red cross, from where we continue our trip. After we arrive to the Skier's Hostel (1050 m) we follow the blue cross and we go to the Ferenc Jozsef cliff (1255 m). After that we pass the Poiana Stanei Hostel from where we arrive to the Bucsecs Stadion (1975 m). From here a beautiful view opens on the Prahova valley. Climbing among pine-trees we arrive to our end.

2 day: Piatra Arsa Hostel (1950m) -> Pestera Cave (1610m) ->
-> Babele Hostel (2200m) -> Heroes Cross (2284m) -> Costila Peak (2498m) ->
-> OMU Peak (2505m)
6h, 13km, szint: 305m up, 340m down
From the Piatra Arsa hostel we are descending to the Pestera cave from where we go up on a cabin to the Babele Hostel from where we climb up to the Hosok Cross after that to the Caraiman peak (2384 m) and to the Costila peak (2480 m) and after that we arrive to the Omu Hostel.

3 day: OMU Peak (2505m) -> Scara Peak (2422m) -> Tiganesti Cliff (2195m) ->
-> Clincea Glade (1460m) -> Bran town (740m)
7h, 23km, szint: 107m up, 1872m down
Descending from the Omu peak we first arrive to the Malaiest, after that we arrive to the red cross in the Scara saddle (2315 m). We climb up to the Scara peak from where we descend following the red cross. Shortly we are descending sheer from the Tiganesti saddle to the Clincea hillside. In our descending a beautifull panoramic side opens on the Piatra-Craiului mountains. Before we arrive to Bran town we met again the red cross.

4 day: Bran town (740m) -> Moeciu de Jos (805m) -> Pestera village (935m) ->
-> Folea Hostel (1200m) -> Joaca Saddle (1436m) -> Vladuska Saddle (1415m) ->
-> Grind Hostel (1620m)
8h, 20km, szint: 836m up, 21m down
After we visit the Dracula Castle we walk 6km on highway, from where we go up to the Pestera village. After we arrive there, we visit the 160m long Lilieci cave. From here, after we arrive to the Folea Hostel, we go on the downft road following the red cross.From there we enter in the forrest and we climb up to the Joaca saddle.

5 day: Grind Hostel (1620m) -> LA OM Peak (2238m) ->
-> Cimbalele Peak (2231m) -> Ascutit Peak (2150m) -> Piatra-Craiului tower (1470m) ->
-> Curmatura Hostel (1470m)
7h, 8km, szint: 647m up, 797m down
From the Grind Hostel we climb up on a slope to the mountains highest peak. From here we continue our route following the red cross. After we pass the Little and the Big Cimbalom peaks we arrive to the Pap valley's peak. From there we go to the Hegyes peak (2150 m) from where we don't descend to the Curmatura Hostel we climb up to the Piatra-Craiului tower, which is the last stonetower on the ridge.

6 day: Curmatura Hostel (1470m) -> Zarnesti Gorge (940m) ->
-> Botorog Foutain (820m) -> Gura Raului Hostel (740m) -> Zarnesti town (730m)
3h, 14km, szint: 0m up, 740m down
We are heading from the hostel to the Curmatura valley. Following the blue cross we pas the defile. After we walk 2 km we get to the valley and after another 2 km we arrive to the Gura Raului Hostel.

Map: Clicking on the "map link", you can look at the Bucegi-Piatra Craiului Map, and clicking the button bellow you can download this document in Word format.