Tony's Romanian Trek Report
Intrepid Shern Hall member Tony Grogan reports on his recent trek to Romania where he raised over £3000 for Macmillan Cancer Support
On arrival at Heathrow for the start of the trek we learnt that the arrangements had changed. We were expecting to camp each night but due to the experience of a group the week before, who were disturbed by bears on the camp sites, it was decided to use mountain huts for sleeping. Our party consisted 17 Ladies and 10 Men, 2 UK guides and a doctor from Discover Adventure, 1 Macmillan rep and 1 local guide.
Monday - Our first night in Romania was therefore in a winter sports hotel in Sinaia at 1400 m above sea level.
Tuesday at 9.00 am after the regular morning warm up we set off up the very steep slopes under the cable car to an altitude of 2000m arriving for a lunch cup of tea at the cafe at the top of Cabana Miorita. Our first objective. After lunch and in the rain we continued down the other side through steep slopes, hillside and thick forest to a hut in Pestera at 1500m. arriving 6.00pm (8 hour trek) Boys and girls in two separate dormitories. Minimal facilities were enjoyed by all.
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Wednesday at 9.00am we set off to visit the Lalomita Monastery built at the entrance of a vast natural cave. From the monastery in the gorge we climbed our way up to the top of Bucegi Plateau at 2200m where after a lunch break we visited rock figures ‘Sphinx’ and ‘Babele’ shaped by the wind and weather. Our view being hindered by the cloud. Sitting in the cafe at lunch Pam (my wide) and her friend Jean walked in. Surprising who you meet on mountains. We journeyed on down to the Romanian national winter sports village at Piatra Arsa at 1950m where at 5.00pm. We enjoyed twin room accommodation and a cold shower. (6 hour trek)
Thursday at 9.00am we set off back up the mountain to the Caraiman Cross a monument on the summit of Costilla Peak at 2500m. After packed lunch at the peak we continued on difficult terrain through a long afternoon of many ups and downs when at about 4.00pm we saw on a distant mountain top Cabana Omu. Our mountain hut for the night at 2505m. We arrived 6.00pm .(8 hour trek)The hut is built into the rock and gives an amazing panoramic view of the range (subject to visibility). At this hut the whole group shared one dormitory, girls on the top shelf boys on the bottom.
Access to the hut is by foot only and the team had great difficulty in moving in supplies. Though it was cold outside The temperature and environment in the dorm made sleeping a dream rather than a reality. The team however still prepared a remarkable evening meal and breakfast for all.
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Friday at 7.00am after a difficult night we assembled for the final decent along a long ridge of rolling hills through dwarf pine trees losing 600m to a track which lead down a very steep grass and rocky face descending another 1000m continuing on through forest and open hills until we reached the stream crossing at the bottom at 700m. (6 hour trek)
A finishing line and Champagne reception was waiting not far away and a coach which took us to a special lunch and on down to the Castle at Bran. After the visit we made for our hotel in Brasnov. A spectacular celebration meal and entertainment had been arranged in a medieval castle in the town. A good evening ended with me leaving the party to join Pam and Jean on a bespoke tour of Romania.
Nearly all the party managed the whole trip though injuries and sickness had affected some trekkers.
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Thank you for your support to Macmillan which provides much needed services in cancer care.
You helped me to achieve in excess of £3000 and the combined total for all the trekkers is over £150,000.The trek was a real challenge but worth all the effort of training and fund raising.
You will be delighted to know that Tony has signed up for another challenge from 1st to 5th September 2010 for Macmillan. This is a tough sponsored challenge trekking 3 peaks in 3 days in the Mont Blank area of France.