Creasta Făgărașului 4/5 - Făgăraș Mountains

1. Viștea Mare Refuge (2.310 m) under the Hârtopul Ursului summit (2.420 m) - Galbenele Saddle - Galbenele Spring (2.250 m)

0.5 hours / 1 km / red lane / easy

It was a good night under the roof as the wind outside was more sustained than the other nights. Since at Vistea we had no water, only a minimal supply, and there was no point in going down to The Triangular Icemeter and then to climb back up the ridge, we decided to set off on our way to the first source of water which should have appeared in 1 hour maximum. Next to Vistea Mare refugewe say goodbye to Moldoveanu summit (2544 mdm, left in picture) and Vistea Mare peak (2527 mdm).

On your way! We leave on the left the route that goes down the Vistei valley, red triangle marking and on the right the one that goes down to Iezerul Triunghiular, in Rea valley and Burnei's hut, also red triangle marking. We start the day with a climb that we had studied from the previous evening. It didn't look scary. It climbs along the coast to the S / SE of top of Bear's Map (2461 mdm), and in the Bear's Window (2358 mdm) our blue hopes from The Great Warming of Galasesc. Somewhere further to the left of the boiler are Marigold Lakes, where some sheep were grazing, but the first water source is ahead of them, below the path with about 50 m difference in level, before a left turn. Izvor clear and quiet and doesn't even sigh. Clear! We'll have breakfast here.

2. Galbenele Spring (2.250 m) - Gălășescului Saddle - Răcorele Window (2.297 m) - Sâmbetei Small Window (2.196 m)

2 - 2.5 hours / 3 km / red lane / medium

Down to the spring. Marigold Spring. We freshen up, wash up, eat, fill the jerrycans with taraita and we're ready to go again.
We return to the ridge path that runs SE of Galbenele Peak (2456 mdm) and through Vistisoarei saddlefrom where we admire before us Galasescu Mare peak (2470 mdm) and in the northern heat Lake Vistisoara. The path forms a V to the right of the Galasescu Mare peak, giving us a view of it from the W, then from the S and then from the E. We descend through Racorelle Window (2297 mdm). To the north we look to the Caldarea Racorelelelor de Sus, and to the south to Galasescului. The Wall of Scrapes stays on the left hand, we're going downhill towards the unmistakable Sambetta Small Window (2196 mdm), where there is also a refuge.

3. Small Window of the Sâmbetei (2.196 m) - Slănina (2.268 m) - Large Window of the Sâmbetei (2.188 m)

0.5 hours / 1 km / red lane / easy

Midday finds us in Sambetta Small Window. The shelter here is damaged, unfortunately. Water is about 5 minutes' walk to the S. From the Small Window to the Big Window is only one hop, which is called Slanina tip (2268 mdm). Great Window of Sambetta (2188 mdm) with a spring 100 m downhill, on the right it offers a superb view towards Sambetei valley, until far away to the Sambata Monastery, on the red triangle.

4. Great Window of Sambetta (2,188 m) - Iezer Peak (2,429 m)

1.5 - 2 hours / 4.5 km / red lane / medium

According to the signpost in the saddle we would have 3 hours to Curmatura Zarnei, which is far from being the terminus point of today's tour. From Feresatra Mare we climb up again even if we avoid it by far Balaceni Corner (2285 mdm), situated further north and which watches The Great Heat of Sambeta. Before Key tip of the Band (2383 meters above sea level) another blue dot trail starts to the N, descending in Tara Fagarasului in the locality of Lisa. We do not climb up to the summit, which remains in the north, the same for the Mogos summit (2398 mdm) and finally we descend a little in the Mogosului curvature (2344 mdm).
Here we have to keep the ridge marking red stripe, but change direction slightly to the right, because before it climbs up the Urlea peak (2474 mdm), a prominent peak with wide perspectives, but which we don't plan for now. Straight ahead a signpost and a path marked blue triangle climbs the Urlea summit and then descends to the Urlea hut. We are in Portita Lacului. From here you can see beautifully Urlea Lake. The blue point drops steeply down to the lake where you can camp very nicely.

5. Iezer Peak (2,429 m) - Zârnei Curmature (1,923 m)

1.5 hours / 4.5 km / red lane / easy

From here the ridge road takes 2 parallel routes one through Iezer Peak (2429 mdm), another to the west of it, a little below the summit. To the S we see La Fundul Bândei peak (2454 mdm) and in its continuation two other 2500-ars: Dara peak (2500 mdm) (deviation 30 min from the ridge) and top of the Dara Map (2506 mdm). After passing the intersection with the Darei ridge (unmarked), which remains behind us and to the right, to the left we see L. Urlea from different angles, and to the right in the Hartoapele Caldarile a lot of glacial lakes: Wickers, Shell, Upper Geaman, Lower Geaman, others.
The route gets easier and easier as the path crosses pastures Sleaul LeaoteiThe trail passes to the S of the Leaota peak (2312 meters above sea level, no connection with the Leaota Massif which merges with the Bucegi Massif). On the right, south of the path, we see Lake Zârna and then we go down through a small affinis to the deepest saddle on the eastern side of the Fagaras ridge, Zarna's Curvature (1923 mdm), where there are small lakes and a refuge. The spring is to the right near the hut, 50 meters. From the saddle the red dot marker leads downhill to the former Urlea hut, us still with the ridge, but it bears so little resemblance to the massive ridge of the past days. Now we seem to be on a deserted boulevard, walking. For some, this is where the ridge trail ends, not wanting to go over the more domed eastern ridges.

6. Zârârnei Bend (1.923 m) - Brătilei Bend (2.122 m)

2.5 hours / 6 km / red lane / medium

A mini snack of peanuts, raisins, cereal. There's a sign of a downpour coming, translating to a cloud over us. Don't stay too long. If we've come down this far, obviously ... we have some climbing to do, darlings! But it's not much of an effort, we're going up, our legs seem to walk on their own. There's a good spring on the ridge before the summit. We pass to the S of Zarna peak (2220 mdm), to the S of Fundu Langii peak (2248 mdm), through Radului saddle, to the N of Ludisoru peak (2302 mdm) and we arrive in The Bratilei Bend. On this part of the road it rained for about 10 minutes, just enough to get equipped and ... to get out of our gear.

7. Curmătura Brătilei (2.122 m) - spring - Luțele-Comisu area (2.050 m)

2.5 - 3 hours / 7.5 km / red lane / easy

We're at the crossroads in Curmatura Bratilei, near Bratilei Bend refuge (2122 mdm)¸ not great, but usable when needed. This intersection is an important one, because from our right comes the route connecting with the Iezer - Papusa Massif via the Red Peak, the Oticu Curmătura and the Mezei Curmătura, a route I would like to hike myself someday. On the opposite side, the trail descends to the village of Dejani. Both marked with red triangle. The water source is 5 minutes down the valley, on the red triangle, at the Radului spring. It is a good place to camp, snowy and straight.
We don't stay too long here either. We climb past the Bratila peak (2274 mdm) and through Curmătura Vladuluito the S of Pietrele Popii (2229 mdm). We find a signpost to the new Berevoiescu refuge (2262 mdm). In the path we find a spring with a very good flow, where we have lunch. It is the last water source until the Comisu spring. From here we decided to continue until it gets deeper. We walk for pleasure, because in front of our eyes, in the background, we have the wall / ridge Pietrei Craiului. We pass the summit Berevoescu Mare (2300 mdm), the last one to reach this level by the end. We also pass Luteal Curvature (to the S of the Lutele Caldarea) and to the S of the Lutele summit (2176 mdm). We will stop on a grassy ridge, friendly we thought, where on the right much lower down the path we saw 2 rocks and water. Before the Comisu refuge about 1 km.
In the evening, we pitch our tents. We sleep with the thought of the Craiului's cliff in front of our eyes, aware that it is the last night on the mountain of this strong escapade. Good night, Crai! We're at 2100 meters, tomorrow I don't even want to think how low we'll get!