Faragas Mountains Gallery

01. The town of Brasov has Saxon heritage but is now fully assimilated into Romania. It lies in Transylvania, an area almost totally surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains.

02. Plaiul Foii lies at the end of the road from Brasov and Zarnesti and is the starting point for the Zagaras Traverse

03. The Piatra Craiului mountains are a 25 km limestone ridge with very steep sides rising some 800m metres from the surrounding plains and foothills. There is a challenging 2 day hike along the apex of the ridge. Here is the view of them from Varful Tamasu Mare to the west

04. A campsite on the Rachitii Daddle at 1484m at the end of the first day. There is a trickle of water just down the slopes on the north side of the main ridge.

05. The Shepherds houses to the west of Varfull Ciocanea, 1628m. These are used in the summer months. The sheep often spend the night near here and a guarded by fierce dogs.

06. Looking SE from Varful Lerecu, 1690m, towards Day 1 ridge walk with Varful Tamasu Mare being the dark triangular hill above the Pecineagu Dam and the Rachitti Saddle camp spot being on the very left of the photo. In the distance is the north half of the magnificent Piatra Craiului ridge

08. At Cumatura Bratalei (Bratalei Saddle) there is an old and broken mountain shed and camping is better. A small tarn at the saddle is popular with the herds of sheep which roam these mountains in the summer.

10 Varful Hartopu 2506m, on the right is the 10th highest peak in the Zagaras mountains as seen here from Varful Leonata, 2312m. It is at Varful Hartopu where the terrain changes to a far more alpine nature on the traverse.

11. Lake Urlea see from near the top of Varful Hartopu. Lake Urlea is one of the dozens of alpine tarns found in the high corries on each side of the main ridge.

12. Looking west from near Varful Urlea along the main Zagaras mountain ridge. The distant mountain mid photo is Varful Moldoveanu, the highest in the range at 2544m.

13. A large flock of sheep on the lush green high pastures. These flocks would be about 1000 sheep and would be guarded by 5-6 dogs to deter bears, wolves and lynx. If the sheep swarmed towards you it is best to alert the shepherds to calm the dogs.

14. Looking West from Varful Galasescu Mare, 2470, towards Varful Galbenele,2456m, (right) Hartopul Ursului, 2461m, (centre) and Varful Moldoveanu, 2455m, (distant in mist)

15. Looking back east to Varful Galasescu Mare, 2470m. from the saddle between it and the neighbouring Varful Galbenele, 2456m.

16. Looking East back to Varful Galbenele, 2456m, (centre right) and Varful Galasescu Mare, 2470m from the vicinity of the small shed RefugiulVistei

18. Looking west to Refugiul Vistei shed with Varful Vistei, 2527m above the hut in the mist and Varful Moldoveanu, 2544m slightly highter to the south of it (left)

19. Looking south from Varful Vistei, 2527m, which lies on the main ridge to the summit of Varful Moldoveanu, 2544m,which is on a higher spur to the south.

20. Looking west from Varful Moldoveanu, 2544m, down the ridge of the Zagaras Mountains. The big mountain in the distant mist is Varful Negiou, 2535m, which is about 3 days walk away.

21. One of the steeper sections on the ridge between Varful Vistei, 2527m and Varful Moldoveanu, 2544m, which takes about half an hour to walk

22. Looking west from Varful Vistei, 2527m to the path west down the main Zagaras ridge to Varful Ucisoara, 2418m (left) and Varful Ucea Mare, 2434m (centre right)

23. Looking back east to Varful Vistei, 2527m (centre) and separated from it with a deep gully, Varful Moldoveanu, 2544m (centre right)

24. The small alpine lake Lacul Podul Giurgiului, 2140m, lies in a rocky bowl. There are some campsites in the vicinity on stony ground.

25. A Romanian shepherd. The shepherds drive their flocks of a couple of hundred to the mountains in the summer where there are lush pastures. The flocks ofter merge into a huge herd of 1,000 with the shepherds pooling their resources and dogs.

26. Looking back down to ake Lacul Podul Giurgiului, 2140m at the start of Day 5 the slopes leading up to Varful Arpasu Mare, 2468m.

27. One of the shepherds in the group of Shepherds who grazed their sheep in the lake Lacul Podul Giurgiului and lake Lacul Buda area.

28. Looking west from The saddle between Varful Arpasu Mare and Arpasu Mic towards Varful Buda, 2431m. Just out of the picture to the bottom left is lake Lacul Buda, 2055m. The path goes to the right of the picture

29. White False Hellebore (Veratrum album) looks quite similar to the Great Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea) but is poisonous. The Hellebore has alternative leaves with the Gentian has its leaves in pairs.

30. There is camping at Lacul Capra, 2249m. This serene camp about 2 hours after a more exposed section protected by cables called “Three steps from Death” (La Trei Pasi de Moarte)

31. A small flock of sheep grazing on the lush slopes in the bowl of Lacul Capra, 2249m.

33. Looking back east from Varful Laitel, 2390m towards Varful Paltinul, 2399m, shrouded in the mist. The Transfagarasan Highway road runs under Varful Paltinul in a deep tunnel.

34. Caltun Lake with the rustic and old Caltun Refuge beside it. This is the campspot after Day 6.

35. Looking back down to Lacul Caltun, 2135m, from the slopes to the west of it where the main path climbs up stone slopes to reach the bottom of the Strunga Doamnei chimney which is easily climbed with cables for protection.

36. The route up Varful Negoiuj, 2535m, contours across the stones and then heads to the left up a chimney with cables called Strunga Doamnei to reach the ridgew and the pictured summit

37. Lookoing east from near the summit of Varful Negoiu, 2535m, towards the mountains which have already been hiked over in the last days

38. Looking north from the summit of Varful Negoiu, 2535m, across the jagged Strunga Ciobanului saddle towards Varful La Podieu, 2408m.

39. On the summit of Varful Negoiu, 2435m, the second highest mountain in Romainia, after Moldoveanu, 2544m

41. Campanula alpina is found throughout the Zagaras Mountains and indeed the Carpathians and Eastern Alps

42. The airy arete between Varful Serbota 2331, on the left and Saua Cleopatrei, 2455m, on the right dips down to the Custura Saratii saddle. It can be avoided to the south side in bad weather via the Caldera Pietroasa bowl

43. Looking back from Varful Serbota 2331, towards Saua Cleopatrei, 2455m, along the arete with the Custura Saratii saddle between the two. Much of this route is protected by chains and cables

44. The airy arete between Varful Serbota, 2331m and Saua Cleopatrei, 2455m, It can be avoided to the south side in bad weather via the Caldera Pietroasa bowl (on the right)

45. On of the protected sections on the route up Varful Serbota 2331m, on the airy arete up from the Custura Saratii saddle.

45. Looking east from Refugiul Scara, with Varful Serbota, 2331m, (not breaking the skyline) above the hut and Varful Negiou, 2435m above it. Between the two is the Custura Saratii saddle.

47. Looking east from the Portita Avrigului pass over the beautiful Lacul Avrig lake and on to Varful Scara, 2306m

48. One of trhe hardy shepherds in the Zagaras Mountains tending his large flock. These shepherds spend te whole summer in the mountains

49. The large flockes of sheep are guarded by about 5-6 dogs per herd. Some of them are ferocious and used for attacking predators and some, like this one, are used to control the sheep and alert the attack dogs

50. Towards the west end of the Zagaras Mountains the terrain becomes softer again. At Saua Corbului pass, 1560m, pictured here, the route leaves the main ridge to descend to Turnu Rosu through the forest.

51. The entrance into the forest after a week in the mountains just below Saua Corbului pass, 1560m.

52. As the path descends through the forest tyowards Turno Rosu the trees change from fir and spruce forests to beech woods.

53. The Monastery before Turnu Rosu is an Orthodox monastery which is thriving and expanding. From here there is a road for 4 kilometres to the end of the trek and train halt at Turnu Rosu

54. The old Saxon town of Sibiu, once called Hermanstadt, was European city of culture in 2007. It is a great city to relax in after the 8 day Fagaras hike.

56. A oversight of the location of the Zagaras Mountains which are poart of the Southern Carpathians

Mountains / Gallery

The Faragas Mountains, Romania