Grohotiș Peak, Grohotiș Mountains

1. Bratocea Pass (1,272 m) – Grohotiș Peak (1,768 m)

4 hours / 11 km / red band, unmarked / easy, medium

Bratocea Pass is the pass between Transylvania in the N and Wallachia in the S and also between the Ciucas Mountains in the ENE and the Grohotis Mountains. In Pasul Bratocea you can park in large free spaces on both sides of DN1A. A sign informs us that we are in the territory of wild animals, but as we know, they usually avoid humans, retreating from their path if they feel or hear them. In we meet two tourist markers: the blue lane that goes down the flank of the Grohotis Mountains towards Cheia and the Carpathian ridge route – the red lane – that comes from Ciucas.

We start a gentle climb on the red lane through the conifer forest. After an hour exactly before we leave the forest, on the right side of the path, immediately below it, there is a spring with a large flow, from where we can supply water for the rest of the day’s hike. From here we go out to the alpine valley and we are already enjoying the first mountain flowers of spring, although we will see many more from now on. Turning our gaze a little, we also have the first wonderful perspective on the Ciucas Mountains.

To the left is Tesla peak, which guards Ciucas like a faithful sentinel, and to the right the ascending peak of Bratocea, which culminates with Ciucas peak (1,954 m above sea level). At the alpine gap, the route is like a classic plateau. A few patches of snow, they give a good contrast for pictures. On our left we will leave Muchia Babes, and to the right the horizon opens towards the Neamtului Mountains, in the center of which the Neamtului peak (1,923 meters above sea level) is imposing. The line of the main peak can be seen because we have good weather.

However, the markings are quite rare and orientation can be difficult in foggy weather. We can see on the left the path going up in some serpentines and as you would say “spring” at an altitude of 1,700. On the left we leave the Bobul Mic peak (1,752 mdsm) and the Bobul Mare peak (1,762 mdsm). The mark, increasingly expensive to see, will leave us in the saddle before our final ascent to the Grohotis peak. To our right, the picture is amazing, but I will show you the landscapes leisurely when we reach the top. Through the pasture, the road can be identified rather by the tracks of some off-road vehicles after the markings. Careful! In the saddle before the peak we continue uphill towards the peak, while the marked route turns right towards Sloeru Marcusanu and Pasul Predelus, from where it continues in the Neamtului Mountains. At every step we meet branduses. Because we no longer have the obscured image even to the left, the other half of the Ciucas Mountains is revealed, namely the peak of Gropsoarele Zaganu. But that’s nothing! To the right we have a lot of wow!

In the foreground, with patches of snow, the Baiul Mountains, dominated by the peak of Baiul Mare (1,895 meters above sea level), to their right, the Neamtului Mountains. In the second plane, the Bucegi Mountains, still full of snow, with their impressive steep Prahove mountains, to their extreme right, the Piatra Mare Mountains, and slightly to their left, even further away, the Postavaru Mountains. Finally, we conquer the peak of Grohotiș – 1,768 meters above sea level. At the top is a simple terminal.

2. Grohotiș Peak (1,768 m)

Here we do the complete tour of the horizon – 360 degrees. Facing right: in the foreground from left to right the Baiului Mountains and the Neamtului Mountains, in the background a little bit of Piatra Craiului, Leaota, Bucegii, Postavaru and Piatra Mare. What a view! Facing left: from right to left Maneciu Lake, Buzaului Mountains, Siriu Mountains, in plan 2 and Vrancei Mountains in plan 3, then again in the foreground the closing panorama with Ciucas Mountains.

Wonderful!

3. Grohotis Peak (1,768 m above sea level) – Bobului Valley (DN1A, approx. 750 m above sea level)

3 – 3.5 hours / 7 km / unmarked / medium, difficult

Downhill, good people! But where? This was the challenge of the chosen route. Deliberately chosen. I had documented myself, I had drawn the route given by mapy.cz. It is said that this route was once marked, but there is no trace of such a thing. I took my landmarks, studied the terrain a bit, the visibility helped a lot. From the top we had to turn half left, obviously going down and fall between the Bobului valley, further to the left, and the Grohotisului valley, further to the right, you can’t see any path! If the direction in the sea was clear, however, in the absence of any idea of ​​the path, it was advisable to believe in the map. In mapy.cz. This way, please!

Far away, in the valley, the reservoir from Maneciu could be seen. And looking to the left the peaks of Buzaului, Siriului and in the middle Vrancea. On the far left is Ciucas with the summit of Gropsoarele-Zaganu. I led the group with the map in hand. We were following a grassy foot of Mount Grohotis. The imaginary path pushed us quickly downhill, through the alpine pasture, leaving a small ridge on our left. Obviously, in snowy conditions, it would not have been possible to follow the narrow paths we chose.

Crocuses delight our eyes. I admired a more rocky secondary peak on the left. We had to follow the bare part of this foot of the mountain as much as possible and enter the forest only at its extremity. And this was a useful landmark for us. Let’s stay, excuse me, let’s go, above the forest line. At one point, he identifies a barn, between the alpine path and the edge of the forest. There is also an option there, but we continued “forward” until the pasture ended, due to the lower altitude, and we reached the entrance to the forest. We were saying goodbye to the generous perspectives that accompanied us.

We have a welcoming entrance into the forest. A vague idea of ​​a path as if it were in the forest. We soon met a forest marker, which then accompanied us in the descent. The descent is steep in places and requires great attention at every step and good coordination, especially as obstacles can be hidden under the thick foliage from last fall. The forest was mostly deciduous. We go down “deep”. The 2 valleys that we had up as a landmark got closer and we reach a forest road close to the confluence of the Bobului and Grohotis streams.

From here, the route is very easy and follows the Valea Bobului forestry road next to the Bobului stream and passes by an exploitation and construction. We reach the end point of the hike where DF Bobu meets DN1A, about 1 km below the Suzana Monastery. It was an honorable trip. The band did a great job, and the father who accompanied us to his 78th birthday aroused everyone’s admiration!