La Om Peak, Piatra Craiului Mountains

1. Folea House (1.200 m) - Play saddle (1.445 m) - La Table (1.380 m)

3.7 km / 1 - 1.5 hours / red cross / easy

Start hiking from Folea Housea bit late I admit. We followed at a brisk pace the road marked with a red cross to the well known intersection of trails at La Table via Saddle Play. We get to the point The Table after 1.5 hours, marked 3 on the map.

2. La Table (1,380 m) - Grind refuge (1,620 m)

1.5 km / 1 hour / red lane / medium

At the intersection of The Table we didn't think twice and we quickly got on the red lane marker. We refuel at the spring, Dâmbovicioarei springwhere you can take a bath (!) and continue climbing. We pass the juniper floor, gain some altitude and come out to the alpine hollow, where the imposing white and unmistakable crest of the Piatra Craiului Mountains welcomes us.

With 1.5 hours to go, but in fast forward, we find ourselves at Grind Refuge for a 10-minute break and some pictures of unreal blue gentians. It was to be the last visible moments of the day.

3. Grind Refuge (1,620 m) - La Om summit (2,238 m)

1.3 km / 1.5 - 2 hours / red lane / difficult

Serban encouraged me that we pull a little and climb steadily without breaks we reach in an hour in the ridge. But I am not in the physical condition that Serban wants and inevitably I adjust my breathing in a few short breaks. After 30 minutes from the refuge we reach the first rocky formation on the right side of the path, from where Martoiu's girdle, landmark to remember. The climb is quite sustained, but not scary. We encountered a few tongues of snow, but the path skirted them at the limit. Unpleasant was that it started to rain and I had to put on my poncho. About this poncho that I had used in a couple of laps, and I appreciated it then, now I concluded that it is not the most practical solution for rain protection, because in more sustained climbing passages, you step on it if you don't take it off. We reach the maximum altitude of the Piatra Craiului massif, and of our hike. We are on La Om La Om (or Baciului Peak) Here we would have enjoyed the grandeur of the scenery on the ridge if visibility had been with us on the hike. Perhaps this rain with mist and some wind on the ridge was ordered for me not to emphasize my altitude sickness.

4. La Om summit (2.238 m) - Grind saddle refuge (2.167 m) - La Om summit (2.238 m) - gully entrance (about 1.900 m)

2 x 0.4 km + 0.7 km / 2 x 15 min + 15 - 30 min / red lane, doubled in the crest by red dot / medium

At the top it was 3 degrees Celsius, real feel -1. There was NO way to stay put so I took the ridge to the left (south) on the red dot marker to the the refuge in the Grindului saddle (or the Grind 2 refuge), near which one of the most spectacular trails I have ever hiked, On the Chains. We take refuge in the true sense in the refuge of Saua Grindului.

La Grind Refuge is hemispherical and can accommodate about 6 people. I ate 2 sandwiches, an apple and a chocolate and lay on my back for a few minutes. I was wet, pickled, freezing. I'd hoped to warm up, but I was actually shivering. That's not a good sign. One should avoid rest stops that lead to this state. It was only here that I realized I'd forgotten my change of clothes on the edge of the couch at home. That sucks! We had to get moving, no kidding, we were at risk of hypothermia. We decide to change the plan to continue on the South Ridge. It was a wise decision and it's important in the mountains to know not to over-ambitize for a fixed idea.
We're back to The OmThis time it's on a path slightly under the ridge in places. From there down the valley where we had climbed up to the branching point with Martoiu's girdle. The rain has not left us alone, the perspective is not clearing the clouds. We are at point 9 on the map.

5. Mărtoiu's Brâul (about 1.900 m) - Vlădușca valley - Vlădușca valley (about 1.300 m)

about 3 - 4 km / about 3 hours / unmarked / difficult

Martoiu's Torch is an unmarked route, a path that sometimes you have to guess, to look for it, to climb to avoid an obstacle to go down holding on to the branches. It is rather a path cut at the very base of the limestones that make up the ridge and the conglomerates in which they are seemingly embedded. It is a path for black goats, which we will meet on the way and which we will respect by giving them priority in crossing a sistoace situated a little above our path. Out of respect and prudence, as these girls let the stones loose.

Between points 9 and 10, an untraced segment on the map, for an hour, maybe more, we were on the Martoiu's girdle. When we come to a valley, actually 2, which then joined into a valley in the shape of a Y, Vlădușca valley. We were lucky not to encounter snow or to be able to go around the patches still untouched. Going down this valley is a good option even if you have to traverse a rather annoying pothole. The unmarked segment on the map between points 10 -11. We arrive at the bottom, in the valley, where the red triangle marker appears, linking La Table and the Curmatura hut.

6. Poiana Vlădușca (about 1.300 m) - unmarked - red cross - intersection yellow triangle (1.220 m)

2 km / 30 min / red triangle, unmarked, red cross / easy

Relatively quickly we go from Vlădușca and enter on the red cross (point 12) in the forest that leads to the Zarnestilor Passes with the marked variant through the Cat's Gorges.
We do not reach these places but only to a new road junction (point 13), where we take an unmarked shortcut, which goes out into the valley and continues on the red cross marker until the intersection with the yellow triangle (point 15).

7. Crossroads (1.220 m) - Toancheș glen (1.400 m at the northern end) - Folea house (1.200 m)

2.8 km / 1.5 hours / yellow triangle / medium

We will turn right on the yellow triangle marker, climb a little and reach the northern end of the Toancheș meadows. From here we descend on the same marker almost without realizing it, our feet seem to walk alone and I know the final destination.

We close a nice tour with fog and rain, but with an unmarked route, with the maximum point of the massif, with a little ridge, with black goats, with bear poop, with bear poop, with the whistle of the mountain cranes, with gentians and with a useful training for the Făgăraș Mountains. And with a lesson on the risk of hypothermia and changing clothes.