Monday, 20 September 2010

Cheile Turzii - Turda Gorge








 Location: central Transylvania, close to the town of Campia Turzii. Just follow the indicator located on a field, pointing to the vest. A gravel road leads to a normal-looking forest which has 2 cliffs standing above the trees. Follow the path - there is a small roman ruin over there - and reach a touristic camp located right at the forest's territory line. The 2 rocks grew up in sight, having a remarkable height. You can notice a river flowing from the depths of the forest. Get inside the forest, follow a track and soon you will enter the Gorge and realize it was worth the effort getting here.
             You cross a bridge and have to pay a small amount at a hut guarding the entrance. You may also buy souvenirs from there. The cliffs show off in their full splendor, with a lot of caves and similar things. The track continues at both the cliff sides, switching between them by using more bridges.     There are tracks leading to auxiliary objectives, but the main one continues along the river.      You will see more and more cliffs appearing along the high crests, some with sharp and pointy peaks, and some with long sharpened crests. It's a great place for professional climbing, as I saw many hikers winning the cliffs. At the end of  the track there is a small rest-house with a shop and a small restaurant, in case you got hungry or thirsty. The place is always crowded by people taking a rest before they return on the track.



            Also, from the sides of the forest, a medium track proceeds to climb the first cliff and continue along the crests from the right. We have ventured on that side, encountering alpine vegetation and a viper hidden behind the grass and lisping us to leave his territory. From that place you can nearly see the entire Gorge, along with the river and the touristic camps. We did not venture along the entire track as it was starting to get late.

            Overall, the Turda Gorge is a place worth visiting for more than one day, so you have time to relax and visit some more tracks. It is also a great place for camping (with tents).

Saturday, 18 September 2010

Creasta Cocoşului - Rooster's Crest




Location:Maramures, Romania, close to "Hanul Pintea" from Pasul Gutâi.
It takes 2 hours to get in there, but your time is rewarded well: there are plenty of rocks to climb! The Crest is the principal attraction, but there are also other cliffs, like Secatura, on the opposite side of the elevation. The final point offers a great overlook to "Depresiunea Maramuresului" and to the cities of Baia Sprie and Baia Mare.

But let's get back to the crest: it has many climbing routes, from easy to very hard. But you can walk on the top of the entire cliff- that track is not advised for those who have fear of altitude! - The cliff, Rooster's Crest, is worth of it's name: it's sharp, so getting past some zones is difficult. But the outlook from there is gorgeous: on North the cliff reveals the entire Ocna Sugatag region, and there is a good view of peak Ignis to the west. The region of Cavnic can be seen to the east of the Crest.