Creasta Făgărașului 3/5 - Făgăraș Mountains

1. Călțun Lake (2.135 m) - Călțun Refuge - Lăițel Peak (2.390 m)

1 hour / 1.5 km / red lane

At 7 o'clock I was taking a picture of the green UFO over the lake, aka Caltun refuge (2150 mdm), the new one, as there are 2 refuges near the lake. This one is located on the threshold just above the lake on our direction of this day. We look back in the direction we came from last night, towards Portita Caltunului and Negoiu, and we peek in the mirror Lake Caltun. After the exhaustion of the previous day, I slept very well next to Caltun Lake (2135 mdm). Besides learning that it's better to carry water than shoes, I decided that I need more food throughout the day to stay fit. So I started with a hearty breakfast. Then I pitched the tent, zipped up the backpack and set off.

We say goodbye to L. Caltun. Near the trail, on the left we have Laita tanks. To the right branches off the blue triangle marked trail towards Piscul Negru, on the Transfagarasan, the Argesean variant. A big snow drift reminds us that the last winter was quite long in the Fagaras Mountains. The day started with very good weather, but also with a good climb, the one that perches you on the Laitel summit, where the evening before we could see the lanterns of those who would descend to the lake after dark.

From Laitel we have a breathtaking view of the Caltun lake, how small it has become, the Lespezi peak (2522 mdm) and the Negoiu peak (2535 mdm).

2. Lăițel Peak (2.390 m) - Șaua Lăițel - Șaua Doamnei - spring - Șaua Paltinului (2.345 m) - Paltinul Peak (2.399 m)

1 - 1.5 hours / 2.5 km / red lane

We are on Laitel peak (2390 meters above sea level), reasonable for the uninterrupted climb. From here, the trail will go along the coast, bypassing Laita peak (2397 meters above sea level) to the S and after crossing a rock balcony in The Seam of Paltin It heads gently uphill past the Paltin Tower, which remains to the E of the path, towards the Lady's saddle and the Paltin saddle. Picture with Paltin Tower. Here we also find a good cold spring from where we feed. We're crossing, I think, the most swollen part of the whole ridge.

3. Paltinul Peak (2.399 m) - Fereastra Bâlei (2.286 m) - Iezerul Caprei Peak (2.417 m) - Caprei Saddle (2.315 m) - Capra Lake (2.230 m)

1 hour / 2.5 km / red lane

On the right hand, in Caldarusa Lunga, there are two lakes, the biggest being Lake Paltinul.  From Bâlei Window we have a so well known picture of the lake and the Bâlea hut (2045 mdm) situated down in the northern warmth, at the foot of the Transfagarasan. Now it's our turn to cross the alpine road without stepping on it! You guessed it: we are above the tunnel of the Transfagagrasan and we are heading to the summit of Iezerul Caprei via Bâlei Window.

We arrive on vârful Goat pond (2417 mdm). Picture of the summit but also of the Capra and Caprita lakes and the Vaiuga peak. From the summit you descend quickly in Capra saddle (2315 meters above sea level), situated to the SW of the Vaiuga peak (2443 meters above sea level), where a path marked with a blue cross leads further up to the Vanatoarea lui Buteanu peak (2507 meters above sea level), but which is not in our plans today. Also in the Capra saddle we cross the blue triangle trail coming from the Bâlea hut.

To our right is one of the most beautiful lakes in Fagaras, where many tourists choose to camp: Goat Lake (2230 mdm). Here is another good spring, and a little further down and to the S of Capra lake is Caprita lake.

4. Capra Lake (2.230 m) - Monument of the Mountaineers - Zmeilors Window (2.180 m)

1.5 hours / 3 km / red lane

Our trail, still marked with the red stripe, runs along the northern shore of Capra Lake. On the eastern flank of the Capra lake you will find Mountaineers Monument, next to which 2 trails descend south: the blue cross and the blue lane, both descending on different variants in the Transfagarasan, in Arges county. Back we look towards the tail of Capra Lake and the Capra saddle. Attention. Ah, I hope I didn't scare you too much! No, don't shoot! It's just Acul Revolver.

From the Capra caldera we climb up something like an alpine hollow trail, a dirt dart through fat mountain grass. For those in need, attention! Springs to the left on the rock face before the Fairy Window.

5. Zmeilors Window (2180) - "Three Steps from Death" (2170) - Nerlinger Monument - Iron Paru (2.316 m) - Mircii Peak (2.470 m) - Giurgiului Bridge Lake (2.200 m)

2 - 2.5 hours / 3.5 km / red lane

we are in The Façade or the Fairy Gate (2180 mdm) or Portita Arpasului. There is also a refuge nearby, 15 minutes to the right on the yellow triangle. Fereastra Zmeilor is a limestone formation sanded by rain and wind, in the shape of an arch. The sector to the west of the Zmeilor Window, Vartopel - Arpasel crevasse is a climber's favorite, full of steep, rocky and steep holds.

If in the previous afternoon we crashed in Custura Saratii, today we face another challenge that starts with a small aerial ridge, and then the trail disappears and gives way to some very steep rock faces, quite sanded, on which are anchored safety chains. The area bears the name "Three Steps from Death" (2170 mdm), but it is not as terrifying as its name suggests. The chains are of great help especially if the rock is wet.

This sharper section of the ridge can be bypassed via the northern limestone ridge at the Podragu hut, but the alternative goes around and down a lot. We, however, followed the ridge along the "Three Steps from Death". The trail passed those cliffs on the north face of the ridge and will climb through the Custura Arpasului along the coast in a saddle leaving the summit of Arpasul Mic (2461 mdm) considerably to the SW.

We arrive in Vartop saddlewhere it is located and Nerlinger Monument (2287 mdm). To the S you can see Lake Buda, another good place to camp with a spring by the lake, but it is down from the ridge for those who choose this option. From the monument, our road follows the ridge, passing through Paru de Fier summit (2316 mdm), which has a hair embedded at the top, descends in Vartop saddle (2287 mdm) and then climbs S of Big Arpasul Mare summit (2468) until Myrcii peak (2470). The last 2 are linked by a ridge, the first being snowy, the second offering a steeper descent, being more rocky. From here, a new perspective opens up, in a close-up, down towards the paths, we admire Lake Giurgiului Bridge (ca. 2200 mdm), which we found partially covered with snow in August! How cool!

6. Giurgiului Bridge Lake (2.200 m) - Podragu Saddle (2.305 m) - Giurgiului Bridge Saddle - Orzăneaua Saddle - Vistea Mare Peak (2.527 m)

3 - 3.5 hours / 5.5 km / red lane

The lake also has springsWe couldn't stock up at the one upstream of the lake because it was covered in snow, so we opted for the one on the left side of the lake after going around the lake. How cool it was that we also cooled our feet a bit in the cold lake water!

We climb slightly to the S of the summit of Podragu (2475 mdm) up to the Podragului saddle (2301 mdm), from where we have a view to the N in all the warmth of the Podrag, superb (!) with its lakes: Lake Podragu, Lake Podragel and smaller ones.

The next challenge is called Tărâța! It's the name of the Tărâța Tărâța peak (2414 mdm), but which we will leave N of the trail.

Attention! Stop! Go to Moldoveanu! Respect! Pictures! Gosh what good weather with maximum visibility we all had, it seemed special for you to admire the pictures and for me to point out all the landmarks!

A descent follows to reach the Podu Giurgiului street. What a feeling of greatness we have with the Vistea - Moldoveanu trapeze in front of us, approaching them.

We pass to the SV of the Podu Giurgiului peak (2358 mdm), then through the Ucea Mare saddle, through the Corabiei saddle, to the S of the Corabia peak (2407 mdm), to the SE of the Ucea Mare peak (2430 mdm), to the S of the Ucisoara wall, through the Ucisoarei saddle, to the S of the Ucisoara / Orzanelei peak (2399 mdm) and finally we reach saddle Orzaneaua, the last before the big climb.

And what do you think I've been posing for? Right, trapeze Vistea Mare (left, 2527 mdm - nambertreiul) - Moldoveanu (right, 2544 mdm - the highest peak in Romania). Climbing Vistea Mare is a challenge. I set out to tackle it slowly but without pauses. I can say that I succeeded, even if I climbed really slowly, but I didn't take pictures longer than a click and a breath. It doesn't mean that I wasn't waited for at the top by my lap companions!

7. Visttea Mare Peak (2.527 m) - Visttea Mare Refuge (2.310 m) - Visttea Saddle - Visttea Mare Refuge (2.310 m)

30 minutes / 1 km / red lane

Hooray! Vistea Mare peak (2527 mdm), the third highest mountain in the country and the second of our tour, because although I would have been surprised, we didn't have to climb Moldoveanu. From Vistea you can see the Triangular ice-field, situated on the southern face of the ridge, on the Moldovean side, where the one-day route, which seems to be more and more popular, climbs up to the top of Moldoveanu, from Burnei's hut, on the Rea valley, which we also admire in the picture.

Picture also to the right with the Moldoveanu summit (2544 mdm), of course!, where you can reach the red point in about 30 minutes from Vistea via Spintecatura Moldoveanului on a partially aerial route with a short exposed passage.

We start the descent from Vistea. If the ascent was hard, the descent is ... the same! We go down a considerable difference in level, quite steep, to Portita Vistei (2310 mdm), where the Vistea Mare refuge is located. Here in the saddle there is no water source, only further down in the Rea valley, on the red triangle or forward on our route ... tomorrow, but that's in another episode.

We have reached Vistea Mare refuge.

Serban's logic not to divert us on Moldoveanu, different from my wish, was correct. We reached the refuge first and opted to sleep the next night under the roof because the wind had picked up. Within an hour the refuge was full. If we had also climbed Moldoveanu we would have pitched our tents and the wind would have blown us well into the night. On the descent from the Vistea and then from the sa we watched the spectacle of inserting facing Moldoveanu.

The Vistea Refuge is in good condition, it is a walled cottage with a table inside and bunk beds. It can accommodate 8 -10 persons.