Exploring

With summer holidays in full swing I decided to stay off the Transfăgărășan Road. It is simply too crowded this time of the year, especially during weekends. There's really no point in fighting the crowds when I can have this road almost to myself every year from October to June while it sits unused, closed to the public.

So I went exploring some unmarked trails I've had my eyes on for a while. The plan was to reach the Valley of Avrig, descend into the town of Avrig and return home on the busy DN1 road. The trails were awesome, steady climbs through the forest, followed by smooth, fun descents. Spectacular views over the Făgăraș Mountains opened up in places.

I left the forest descending through a stream bed probably having missed a turn higher up somewhere. Return trip was uneventful, however in the future I'll look for an alternative route to avoid traffic on DN1.
For anyone interested, the GPS track is available for download from bikemap.net

Training ride

I'm quite happy with this morning's training ride: climbed from Bâlea Waterfall (1234m) to Bâlea Lake (2040m) in 92mins. A total distance of 13km, average speed of 8.5kph, a personal best for this particular stretch.

Panoramic view over Fundul Caprei Valley