Vânturiș Peak, Bucegi Mountains

1. Vânturiș Saddle (1.700) - Vânturis Peak (1.925)

We continue along the dirt road leading to the hut. We keep our eyes out for markers, but see none. Just here, where you have to change direction at a moment to leave a contoured road and follow a steep path, a signpost with arrows and markings would have been necessary. We cast our eyes well to the right of the road to identify where we should climb. We spot a small hollow and apparently a footpath. There would be signs to look out for. We leave the wide dirt road, which continues on the dirt road, and head for that small valley, probably fed with water from a spring only when it rains or the snow melts.

Here begins the climb proper. Even if some pastoral paths can be glimpsed through the tall grass, we have to follow the line of this dry valley. From the lay of the land and the map it is already obvious that we are on the right track. This valley is the most reasonable climb to the plateau at the top of this mountain. From time to time we look behind us and admire the landscape opening wider and wider on the widest part of the Buceg plateau, and the parked car is getting smaller and smaller. The summit to be reached is on the left of the valley we are framed on, which makes us slowly try to leave the thread of this small valley to the left among the blueberry and juniper bushes. We arrive with a little effort on the mountainside. Well, yes, a signpost would have been good here too. We follow the map on our cell phone along the imaginary grass path as close to the steep edge of the mountain as possible. We feel like stopping, but the map and the still slightly uphill slope of the mountain give us evidence that we are not yet on the summit. After about 10 minutes of walking on the ridge, we arrive near the metal plaque that certifies that we are at the highest point of this mountain.

2. Vânturiș Peak (1,925 m)

First of all we look at the foot of the climbed mountain and we identify the Poienile de sub Vanturis (ca. 1.700 m) where the Stana Vanturis (1.723 m) is clearly distinguishable and more is guessed near a fir tree where the entrance to the Avenul din Clinul Vanturisului (1.743 m) is fenced. Further down is the Izvorul Dorului Valley on which there is a spectacular route (all red dot) to the Great Waterfall of Vanturisului (1.170 m) and the Lower Waterfall (1.020 m). We cross the valley with our eyes and mark the Coltii lui Barbes situated on the southern side of the Varfului cu Dor and down in the Prahova Valley we can see the city of Sinaia.

We start our horizon tour of the Buceg Plain with the peaks visible from the Windy Peak (1.925 m). The perspective is marvelous. The position of the summit opens one of the most beautiful and wide perspectives of the Bucegi Mountains.

A movie of a partial skyline tour you can watch on linlkul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmzrP4g48ZU

We review the summits of the eastern end of the plateau located on the lip of the Prahova abrupt from the near to the far: Varful cu Dor (2.030 m), Furnica (2.103 m), Piatra Arsa (slightly inland, 2.044 m), Jepii Mari (2.071 m), Jepii Mici (2.154 m, their name is not given by the height of the peaks, but by the height of the jnepen), Caraimanul (2.384 m, to the right of which you can recognize the Cross of the Heroes of the Nation, near which a heliport has now been built), Costila (2.490 m, with its unmistakable relay from a great distance).

We start looking to the left and close our visual spectrum with the Obarsiei Peak (2.405 m), which connects with the line of peaks in the western extremity, above the Brancea abrupt.

From far away to near this time, we can see Vf. Batrana (2.181 m), Strungile Mari and Mici separated by Saua Strunga with the unmistakable shape of the letter U, Vf. Tataru (1.998 m). In the Strunga area, the Bucegi Mountains merge with the Leaota Mountains, the Bucșa ridge is also visible. Down at the foot of Tataru we discover part of the Bolboci reservoir. How cool it was almost 40 years ago without this lake, situated on the course of the Ialomite. After the ridge shown above, you see the unmistakable line of the Piatra Craiului Mountains.

We sharpen our sights and wheel along the ridges surrounding the Bucegii. To the east the Baiului Mountains with their bare ridge, and behind them the Ciucas Mountains.

Great view!

3. The down and rhododendron

The descent was the same route. This time we kept even closer to the edge of the mountain. Before we started our descent through the valley, we admired and photographed several flowering rhododendron bushes with its unmistakable pink color, The flowering period of rhododendron is after the snow melts and lasts about 3 weeks. This means that it can vary slightly from year to year depending on altitude and when the snow disappears. Usually the second half of June is when many mountain peaks turn red.

We have seen several rhododendron ed rhododendron catkins, but by the looks of it they were past their peak. They're beautiful flowers, a delight to the eye. They're also called mountain peonies. There's also a domestic, cultivated version.