Round Trip Stâna lui Burnei - Moldoveanu, Făgăraș Mountains

1. Burnei's Stâna (1,440 m)

The end of the forest access road is at the point Burnei's Stane. Here you can park about 6 cars right in a widened space at the very end of the road or on the right side of the road, one after the other. About 1 km below Stâna lui Burnei is Gura Bândei, a wide clearing, where you can also park and camp, and from where a Superb unmarked route on the Bândei Valley to Hârtopul Darei Peak and Dara Peak.

Our circuit starts at Stâna lui Burnei. According to the signs on the spot the access to Vârful Moldoveanu via Lacul Galbena would take 4-5 hours, and via Valea Rea and Portița Viștei 3-5 hours. We also read the vipers warning! On the first option, the ascent starts in the forest.

Our team consisting of Stefania, Adrian and myself is ready to climb. It is 8:30 am and the weather is forecast to be good at least until around 2 pm, when we should be off the ridge, at least the high part of it, so we decide to climb the Valea and Rea. Let's go!

2. Burnei's Stâna (1.440 m) - Rea Valley Waterfall (1.760 m)

red triangle / 1 hour / medium

We will be guided by red triangle. The trail starts crossing the Rea Valley on a wooden bridge. We immediately look to the left and admire The Shattered Waterfall. We pass briefly on Burnei's Stanewhich is deserted. The path climbs slowly at first, crossing the stream twice. We reach the first glacial threshold. We are encouraged by the ever closer view of the waterfall in front of us. We meander up this steeper slope. To the left of the marked path, there is a vantage point suitable for close-up photos with the waterfall in the background. Stop and take pictures... I caught the rainbow in the pictures. We are at Rea Valley Waterfall.

3. Rea Valley Waterfall (1.760) - Triangular Reservoir (2.150 m)

red triangle / 1-1.5 hours / medium

The landscape is typical of glacial calderas. Somewhere above the waterfall, also on the left, another waterfall can be seen. There are also a few scraped tongues of snow. There's another steep uphill section to reach the Upper Rele Valley. First of all, the path becomes smooth, there is abundant vegetation with fat mountain grass and there are many, many flowers. The river forms meanders and small meanders as if we were in the moors. The trail crosses several secondary tributaries of the Rele Valley, probably temporary flowing. From these I refill with cold water. Ahead we see The Mistletoe Gate, a recognizable saddle; in the ridge to the right of it the red-white roof of the Vistea Refuge. On the left watches Moldoveanu Peak, which we recognize by the flag and by the tourists gathered there. We climb a little further and another jewel appears on the left, a glacial lake, suggestively baptized, The Triangular Icemeter. It is also called the Moldovean's Pond or the Rea Valley Pond.

4. The Triangular Pond (2,150 m) - The Mistletoe Gate (2,300 m)

red triangle / 15-30 min / medium

We are so close to the ridge. The last ascent is a sustained, serpentine climb. I'm coming up on the far right Vistea Refugeand on the left Visttea Mare Peak. Between them is The Mistletoe Gatewhere we also find the signposts that mark the intersection of trails here. The main ridge of Făgăraș is marked east-west with a red stripe, and north-south, Valea Viștea - Valea Rea with a red triangle. Slightly to the right are the Șaua Viștea and the refuge, farther in the same direction, Hârtopul Ursului peak, then continue to Galbenele and Gălășescu Mare. From the Vștei Gate we look south to admire in all its splendor, Rea Valleywhich we climbed.

5. Viștei Gate (2.300 m) - Visttea Mare Peak (2.527 m)

red stripe / 30-45 min / difficult

Is it over? Not even close! Next up, the famous climb up Visttea Mare Peak. We enter red tape. It's a section of trail where you have to pace yourself and tackle it slowly, slowly, if you're not in very good shape. There are several places where it's more practical to help yourself climbing by your hands than by trekking poles. Shortly before the summit, a path branches off to the left on a level curve, which avoids climbing Vístea Mare Peak in the direction of Moldoveanu Peak. But we also want to tick Visttea Mare Peakwhich, at 2,527 meters, is the third highest peak in Romania. In 2023, the old metal pillar on the summit was replaced by a sturdy metal structure on which Romania's tricolor flag flies. Forward continues the ridge route westwards through Șaua Orzănelelor and further towards the peaks of Ucișoara, Ucea Mare and Corabiatowards Bâlea and Negoiu. To the left is the path we will follow towards Moldoveanu, marked with a red dot.

6. Viștea Mare Peak (2.527 m) - Moldovean Peak (2.460 m) - Moldoveanu Peak (2.544 m)

red dot / 15-30 min / difficult

I ask again? Is it over? Not at all! Next comes the most spectacular part of our route, the secondary ridge that connects Viștea Mare Peak to Moldoveanu Peak. We change the marker red dot. At first we walk on an aerial path, which follows the mathematical ridge with dizzying valleys on both sides. Our path descends to Moldovan Ripper. also known as the "Splitting of the Vine". It's a saddle where you descend and then climb steeply up a narrow, rocky path. Safety cables are fixed at the relevant points to make crossing this difficult but superb passage easier. In the cleft there is a window with views left into the Rele Valley and right into the Orzănelelor Valley. We climb a little further and reach the highest elevation in Romania, on Moldoveanu Peak,  at 2,544 meters. Wow! Victory! Congratulations to the whole team! On the summit we meet several tourists, one of them slept here overnight in a tent.

7. Moldoveanu Peak (2,544 m)

Molodveanu Peak in the Făgăraș mountains is the highest mountain peak in Romaniais the country's maximum level - 2.5244 m. Being situated slightly south of the main ridge of the Făgăraș Mountains it offers a wide perspective of the longest continuous mountain ridge in Europe, which is the Făgărașuui Ridge. You can read about the expedition of the full traverse of the Făgărașu ridge in the articles below.

Lazaret - The Tatar's Curve

The Tatar's Cur Curve - Lake Călțun

Lake Călțun - Vistea Refuge

Vistea Refuge - Luțele-Comisu

Luțele-Comisu - Rudarița.

From Vărful Vărful Moldoveanu we admire to the north Viștea Mare Peak, where we came from, to the south Piscul Roșu, where we will go, to the east from near to far Portița Viștei, Hârtopul Ursului, far to the right Dara and Hârtopul Darei, to the west Ucea, Corabia and Giurgiului Bridge and far away Lăițelul, Lespezi, Călțun and Negoiu. The 2 glacial calderas neighboring the summit are Orzțnelelor to the west and Rele Valley to the east, with the unmistakable Triangular Iezer, where I came earlier.

The Fagarasian cloud show has started! From Transylvania, a mass of clouds has been trying for about an hour to overcome the main ridge and penetrate Muntenia. Opposing currents and the height of the ridge are natural barriers in this show. We have to hurry in case the clouds cross the ridge in the hope that the rain doesn't come and catch us on the ridge.

Short break, a few words with other tourists, good wishes to everyone.

8. Moldoveanu Peak (2.544 m) - Piscul Roșu (2.400 m) - Curmătura Moldoveanului (2.300 m)

red cross / 30 min / easy

From now, downhill! We don't realize how quickly we've lost altitude. We pass Red Peak and stop in Moldovan's CurmăturaWe reach a saddle from where we admire the descent to the right on the yellow triangle, poorly marked, towards Căldarea Orzănelelor through the spectacular Moldovean Canyon that can be seen perpensicularly on the saddle. We are glad that we have descended consistently, but in front of us another climb towards Galbena.

9. Curmătura Moldoveanului (2.300 m) - Galbena Peak (2.419 m)

red cross / 30-45 min / easy, medium

After the saddle we admire the red carpet of rhododendron we left behind and climb the Galbena Peak. It really is the last climb of the day. There is a slightly more rocky peak at the top, but no climbing difficulty. Immediately after the summit, very slightly to the left of the ridge hump is a stone with a blue cross with an arrow. It is a useful landmark for the proposal to come.

10. Galbena Peak (2.419 m) - Red Spring - Pojarnei Curmature (2.045 m)

blue cross (rare) / 1 hour / easy

From the branch in Galbena PeakWe change direction to the left and descend on a grassy plain. The markers are almost non-existent and very faded. This is a shorter descent, but no longer used by most tourists. The traveled path is by the Lac Galbena (the big one), where the (all) blue cross marking is very good. We guided ourselves with mapt.cz, went down the Izvorul Roșu valley, past 2 other (smaller) Galbena lakes and then intersected the classic well-marked trail just before Curmătura Pojarnei. From here the markings are clear and the trail again well populated. In Pojarna Curvature is a metal pole indicator.

11. Pojarna's Bend (2,045 m) - Zbuciumumata Waterfall - Burnei's Stâna (1,440 m)

blue cross / 1-1.5 hours / medium

We enter the jnepeniss and descend steeply. The path is clear, you can't go astray, be careful, you can slip! At the exit of the jnepeniș sector, in the valley on the left you can see The Shattered Waterfall, on the river that forms in Galbena Lakes. It is not the same waterfall that can be seen from Stâna lui Burnei, but on the same valley. The present marked path enters a forest where it continues with another steep descent to the Burnei's Stane.

Team Stefania, Adrian and Dan finish the proposed circuit with success and with the satisfaction that they were up there, the highest! And it didn't rain a bit.