Looks like winter's here to stay this time. Just got back from a great afternoon of ski touring in Bâlea. Miercuri had to sit this one out since she hurt her paw yesterday...
Showing posts with label Pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pets. Show all posts
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Another perfect day
Just back from another amazing day in Bâlea! Man and dog back safe after shredding powder all day long, they're both still high on adrenaline...
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Blog vs Google+
I haven't posted here in quite a while. I have been using G+ exclusively for the past few months and for the time being nothing will change. You can follow me here if you'd like. In the meantime I'll leave you with a photo of Miercuri I recently found on an old memory card.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
R&R
Had a couple of days off work recently so I planed an overnight trip into the mountains. The old cabin that we found a few months ago seemed like the perfect place to spend the night in. Up there time passed quickly. First day flew by between roaming the alpine tundra, cutting wood for the fire, fixing bits and pieces in and around the cabin. Miercuri was in charge of our touristic activities on the second day, which meant we had to inspect every single marmot burrow in the area. Kind of super fun for her, a lot less for me so I got busy with my camera. Below are a few pictures from that trip.
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| No fun on leash! |
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| Preparing for the night |
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| Getting the fire going |
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| Cozy |
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| Reading |
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| Early morning |
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| Crocuses |
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| Insolation |
Friday, April 29, 2011
Bike trip through lush green forest
We took a quick 30km bike trip early this morning. Fresh air and a beautiful dirt road through the forest make for a perfect start of the day. So far I've been unable to stop Miercuri from chasing wildlife. She does become deaf to my commands whenever she spots something in the forest. Not a big deal most of the time, she's chasing small game and she's not doing any harm, returning quite quickly. This morning it was a deer, two days ago it was a brown hare. I'm only worrying about the brown bear. Chasing it is a bad, bad idea. I could keep Miercuri permanently on leash but that takes the fun out of going downhill. If anyone knows of a good way to train a dog to not chase wildlife please let me know.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Old cabin
One of the last usable cabins in the Făgăraș Mountains. Most of the others have been vandalized, burned down or otherwise rendered uninhabitable. This one seems to have survived somehow. A small supply of tools is available, including axe and saw. A pile of firewood sits by the stove, ready to be used, split by whoever used the cabin last. A nice and thoughtful gesture, almost forgotten these days, here in these mountains.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Saturday's trip - Doamnei Valley
I went for a day trip in the mountains last Saturday. Snow had begun to pile up since midweek so I was keen to take a close-up look at the snowpack. It is always a good thing to keep an eye on the snowpack from early on as this makes assessing the avalanche risk a lot easier later on.
Wind slabs had already formed on leeward terrain, being over 30cm thick in places. There was a lot of ice on the rocks as well, making walking quite difficult. One wrong step and one of my trekking poles met its end. It snapped in two like a dry twig. It had a nice life however, 7 years of beautiful trips.
Miercuri was over the moon with the fresh snow. She led the way most of the trip. I am always amazed at how well she remembers different trails. With fresh snow, the trail was barely visible but she followed it perfectly. She remembers even the tricky bits which sometimes go against her instinct to follow the path of least resistance.
Wind slabs had already formed on leeward terrain, being over 30cm thick in places. There was a lot of ice on the rocks as well, making walking quite difficult. One wrong step and one of my trekking poles met its end. It snapped in two like a dry twig. It had a nice life however, 7 years of beautiful trips.
Miercuri was over the moon with the fresh snow. She led the way most of the trip. I am always amazed at how well she remembers different trails. With fresh snow, the trail was barely visible but she followed it perfectly. She remembers even the tricky bits which sometimes go against her instinct to follow the path of least resistance.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Short break
Taking a 10 minutes break after a long climb. Note my own personal heated pillow. One of the many advantages of hiking with Miercuri.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Another trip in Făgăraș
Early Friday morning, two weeks ago, I had everything ready for a 3 days trip into the Făgăraș mountains. Weather forecast looked good. Miercuri, my dog and regular buddy for the last several trips, knows exactly when we're about to leave for another adventure. Body language gives me away I guess. She patiently waited by the car the entire morning, jumped on the back seat after I had the car loaded. I drove to Bâlea Lake (2034m), best way to quickly access the mountains in the summer. Parking the car here is an adventure by itself this time of the year in Bâlea, a popular destination for tourists who're trying to escape the heat.
I decided to head East, towards Podragu. The image above shows our entire trip. I kept the GPS on while on the move. The Garmin GPSmap 60Cx (and similar models) comes with a belt clip with an excellent click system that allows you to attach the GPS almost anywhere, to your trousers, belt or backpack. The click system malfunctioned for the first time (and last I hope). My heart skipped a beat when the GPS kept bouncing of the rocks gaining speed every time it hit the ground. It eventually stopped, 30m below me, coming to a halt hitting a decent sized rock. My lucky day, there were no direct hits to the screen. The only signs of fall were a few minor scratches on the shockproof housing. The unit was in perfect working order otherwise.
We reached the place called Portița Arpașului (pictured above) almost two hours from our departure. The trail to Podragu splits in two here. One trail, heading right, keeps following the main ridge and passes through a couple of potentially hazardous areas where some climbing is involved. The other trail, descending left into the Arpașu Mare Valley, is less exposed and doesn't involve any climbing. It requires however slightly more effort to complete due to its many climbs and descents. I saw Miercuri misjudging a couple of jumps earlier that day, due to the added weight on her back so I decided to follow the safer trail.
We kept crossing the secondary ridges, one by one. Long descents followed by longer climbs. Sun was strong, a few clouds were offering little comfort. You might be fooled into thinking that Miercuri was enjoying the view in the picture above. It was the call of the marmots that kept her so alert. She was too tired however to chase after.
The trail brought us high above the Podrăgel Lake (1957m) which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful glacial lakes in the Făgăraș Mountains. We stopped for a longer break in the shadow offered by the ridge we just crossed.
The last climb of the day, up the Piscul Podragului ridge, felt the hardest. I was unable to get into a climbing rhythm as Miercuri kept stopping every few meters. She was overheated and very tired, had to push her a few times to get her moving again. The climb offered no shadow whatsoever, this was not a place to stop.
A last look back at Podrăgel (Little Podragu) and we crossed to the other side of the ridge, to Podragu. Seconds later Miercuri found a welcoming spot in the shadow and I could see her begging for a break. We spent half an hour resting, dog sleeping, me taking pictures.
The final descent into Podragu took less than 15 minutes. We stopped at the hut where I had a beer, probably the most expensive beer in Romania at €3 a can, about 4 times the normal price. Stuff gets brought up there by donkeys, a grueling 6-7 hours climb hence the difference, I think. We spent the night close to the hut. It was a very windy one. Temperature dropped below 10°C. Miercuri slept outside on the grass.
Next morning we left quite early. The plan for the day was to reach Moldoveanu Peak and then return to Podragu and spend another night there. The trail from Podragu follows the main ridge offering breathtaking views in all directions. Miercuri enjoyed climbing to the top of every rock for a better look down into the North facing valleys. Barely visible in the picture above is Victoria, the town of my childhood.
We got as far as the final climb on Viștea Mare Peak (2527m). It takes another 15 minutes to get from Viștea Mare to Moldoveanu, Romania's highest mountain (2544m), on the right in the image above. We stopped however as both peaks were covered in thick fog and the wind was at its strongest. I saw no point in pushing further so we started our return trip to Podragu. The fog cleared eventually for a few minutes only, allowing me to capture an image of the highest Romanian mountains.
With plenty of time on our hands we took a small detour to Podul Giurgiului Lake (2270m), highest glacial lake in Romania if I remember right. Time for a well deserved break and lots of pictures. It was back to Podragu afterwards. I suddenly had a thought: why not spend the night by the Podrăgel Lake? I always wanted to camp there but never got around to doing it.
One hour later I had found the perfect spot for spending the night, slightly above the lake, by a waterfall, on soft ground. Two more hikers arrived later that evening. They pitched their tents nearby worrying about the bears in the area. We spent the rest of the evening chatting and sharing stories. The night was calm, no sign of bears. It rained a bit but the sky was clear again by 5am when I woke up.
We were all set and ready to go by 7:30 next morning. Shared the trail with our two neighbors, they were on their way to Bâlea Lake as well. It was first day's route in reverse, long climbs immediately followed by toe-crushing descents. Found this group of daisies, shortly before reaching Portița Arpașului.
Miercuri built up strength with every passing day. She was able to hike over 5 hours the first day, fully loaded with no visible discomfort. Actual moving time increased to over 7 hours the second day. By the third day she built up enough stamina to be interested in the occasional marmot again. You can see her here, crossing one of the last remaining snow patches, fully locked on to a marmot's position.
I shot the image above shortly before reaching Portița Arpașului. The three secondary ridges we had to cross are clearly visible here. Onto the main trail again, we kept a relaxed pace all the way back to Bâlea Lake, with Miercuri leading the way. By the time we reached the car the mountain was covered in thick fog. We blindly followed Miercuri the last strech, guided only by her and the noise around the lake.
Driving down the mountain required lots of patience. With extremely poor visibility and dangerous bends no one was in a hurry. Once back home, the adventure ended with the less glamorous, unavoidable and sometimes boring task of gear maintenance: drying, repairing, repacking and storing. The usual...
I decided to head East, towards Podragu. The image above shows our entire trip. I kept the GPS on while on the move. The Garmin GPSmap 60Cx (and similar models) comes with a belt clip with an excellent click system that allows you to attach the GPS almost anywhere, to your trousers, belt or backpack. The click system malfunctioned for the first time (and last I hope). My heart skipped a beat when the GPS kept bouncing of the rocks gaining speed every time it hit the ground. It eventually stopped, 30m below me, coming to a halt hitting a decent sized rock. My lucky day, there were no direct hits to the screen. The only signs of fall were a few minor scratches on the shockproof housing. The unit was in perfect working order otherwise.
We reached the place called Portița Arpașului (pictured above) almost two hours from our departure. The trail to Podragu splits in two here. One trail, heading right, keeps following the main ridge and passes through a couple of potentially hazardous areas where some climbing is involved. The other trail, descending left into the Arpașu Mare Valley, is less exposed and doesn't involve any climbing. It requires however slightly more effort to complete due to its many climbs and descents. I saw Miercuri misjudging a couple of jumps earlier that day, due to the added weight on her back so I decided to follow the safer trail.
We kept crossing the secondary ridges, one by one. Long descents followed by longer climbs. Sun was strong, a few clouds were offering little comfort. You might be fooled into thinking that Miercuri was enjoying the view in the picture above. It was the call of the marmots that kept her so alert. She was too tired however to chase after.
The trail brought us high above the Podrăgel Lake (1957m) which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful glacial lakes in the Făgăraș Mountains. We stopped for a longer break in the shadow offered by the ridge we just crossed.
The last climb of the day, up the Piscul Podragului ridge, felt the hardest. I was unable to get into a climbing rhythm as Miercuri kept stopping every few meters. She was overheated and very tired, had to push her a few times to get her moving again. The climb offered no shadow whatsoever, this was not a place to stop.
A last look back at Podrăgel (Little Podragu) and we crossed to the other side of the ridge, to Podragu. Seconds later Miercuri found a welcoming spot in the shadow and I could see her begging for a break. We spent half an hour resting, dog sleeping, me taking pictures.
The final descent into Podragu took less than 15 minutes. We stopped at the hut where I had a beer, probably the most expensive beer in Romania at €3 a can, about 4 times the normal price. Stuff gets brought up there by donkeys, a grueling 6-7 hours climb hence the difference, I think. We spent the night close to the hut. It was a very windy one. Temperature dropped below 10°C. Miercuri slept outside on the grass.
Next morning we left quite early. The plan for the day was to reach Moldoveanu Peak and then return to Podragu and spend another night there. The trail from Podragu follows the main ridge offering breathtaking views in all directions. Miercuri enjoyed climbing to the top of every rock for a better look down into the North facing valleys. Barely visible in the picture above is Victoria, the town of my childhood.
We got as far as the final climb on Viștea Mare Peak (2527m). It takes another 15 minutes to get from Viștea Mare to Moldoveanu, Romania's highest mountain (2544m), on the right in the image above. We stopped however as both peaks were covered in thick fog and the wind was at its strongest. I saw no point in pushing further so we started our return trip to Podragu. The fog cleared eventually for a few minutes only, allowing me to capture an image of the highest Romanian mountains.
With plenty of time on our hands we took a small detour to Podul Giurgiului Lake (2270m), highest glacial lake in Romania if I remember right. Time for a well deserved break and lots of pictures. It was back to Podragu afterwards. I suddenly had a thought: why not spend the night by the Podrăgel Lake? I always wanted to camp there but never got around to doing it.
One hour later I had found the perfect spot for spending the night, slightly above the lake, by a waterfall, on soft ground. Two more hikers arrived later that evening. They pitched their tents nearby worrying about the bears in the area. We spent the rest of the evening chatting and sharing stories. The night was calm, no sign of bears. It rained a bit but the sky was clear again by 5am when I woke up.
We were all set and ready to go by 7:30 next morning. Shared the trail with our two neighbors, they were on their way to Bâlea Lake as well. It was first day's route in reverse, long climbs immediately followed by toe-crushing descents. Found this group of daisies, shortly before reaching Portița Arpașului.
Miercuri built up strength with every passing day. She was able to hike over 5 hours the first day, fully loaded with no visible discomfort. Actual moving time increased to over 7 hours the second day. By the third day she built up enough stamina to be interested in the occasional marmot again. You can see her here, crossing one of the last remaining snow patches, fully locked on to a marmot's position.
I shot the image above shortly before reaching Portița Arpașului. The three secondary ridges we had to cross are clearly visible here. Onto the main trail again, we kept a relaxed pace all the way back to Bâlea Lake, with Miercuri leading the way. By the time we reached the car the mountain was covered in thick fog. We blindly followed Miercuri the last strech, guided only by her and the noise around the lake.
Driving down the mountain required lots of patience. With extremely poor visibility and dangerous bends no one was in a hurry. Once back home, the adventure ended with the less glamorous, unavoidable and sometimes boring task of gear maintenance: drying, repairing, repacking and storing. The usual...
Friday, July 16, 2010
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
First trek this summer
Summer's been very capricious so far this year. Weather would change from one extreme to another in a matter of hours. Variations in temperature of at least 20°C from one day to the next have been a common occurrence so far. I don't complain, don't get me wrong. It is still a great summer as far as Irish weather is concerned.
Headed for the mountains as soon as the weather improved and forecast looked good for a couple of days. Chose a short trek, close to home with the option of leaving the mountain quickly should the weather turn for the worse. Just to be safe.
The rough plan was to head up Doamnei Valley, late afternoon, spend the night by the lake and depending on the weather next day, cross over to Balea Valley and finally head back home. We reached the trailhead around 4PM and started our ascent to the lake.
Reached the lake two and a half hours later. We set camp, fed the dog and ate something myself. I knew we were sharing the valley with a female brown bear with two cubs. I had seen their tracks earlier that day. Not a big issue though.
The night was quiet, no wind, no clouds on the sky. The dog slept outside the tent, on the ground. She kept checking on me every couple of hours, leaving her spot only to look inside the tent, heading back for another nap seconds later. No visit from our bear friends.
An early breakfast and we were on our way minutes after the sunrise. We climbed to the top of the nearby ridge to enjoy the views towards Negoiu Peak (2535m). Had to keep Miercuri on leash, to give marmots and mountain goats a break. Danger of her falling was also very real.
Crossed over to Balea Valley were the lake was still under lots of snow and ice. The road had been opened already, plenty of cars and motorbikes negotiating the tight bends.
Built during 1970 and 1974 by Ceausescu, who wanted a strategic road across the mountains, the 'Transfagarasan' (DN7C) sits closed under snow for about 6 months every year, from early November to late June.
We descended along the road, cutting short some of the bends. I have to admit that this part was much more fun in winter, on skis...
Headed for the mountains as soon as the weather improved and forecast looked good for a couple of days. Chose a short trek, close to home with the option of leaving the mountain quickly should the weather turn for the worse. Just to be safe.
The rough plan was to head up Doamnei Valley, late afternoon, spend the night by the lake and depending on the weather next day, cross over to Balea Valley and finally head back home. We reached the trailhead around 4PM and started our ascent to the lake.
Reached the lake two and a half hours later. We set camp, fed the dog and ate something myself. I knew we were sharing the valley with a female brown bear with two cubs. I had seen their tracks earlier that day. Not a big issue though.
The night was quiet, no wind, no clouds on the sky. The dog slept outside the tent, on the ground. She kept checking on me every couple of hours, leaving her spot only to look inside the tent, heading back for another nap seconds later. No visit from our bear friends.
An early breakfast and we were on our way minutes after the sunrise. We climbed to the top of the nearby ridge to enjoy the views towards Negoiu Peak (2535m). Had to keep Miercuri on leash, to give marmots and mountain goats a break. Danger of her falling was also very real.
Crossed over to Balea Valley were the lake was still under lots of snow and ice. The road had been opened already, plenty of cars and motorbikes negotiating the tight bends.
Built during 1970 and 1974 by Ceausescu, who wanted a strategic road across the mountains, the 'Transfagarasan' (DN7C) sits closed under snow for about 6 months every year, from early November to late June.
We descended along the road, cutting short some of the bends. I have to admit that this part was much more fun in winter, on skis...
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Bikejoring
We've experienced a significant temperature drop over the last few days, kind of bad for most people but good for my husky mix Miercuri. She's become alive again, keen to put on some miles after hiding in the shadow for the past couple of weeks.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
First bike ride this year
I got the mountain bike fixed so I took it for a ride earlier today to see how well it handles the trail. I chose a quiet windy dirt road as Miercuri is still getting used to chasing after the bike and I don't trust her on busier roads yet. Seems that she really enjoyed the trip and was happily running along after +30km. Bike behave well given its age.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Skiing in Doamnei Valley
I started my day with an early morning descent into Doamnei Valley while the snow was still frozen. One hour later the snow became too soft. This snow is jokingly called 'orthopedic snow', extremely difficult to ski on. Panorama below was stitched from thirteen different images.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
At play in Bâlea
Yesterday started with clear skies and beautiful views of the Făgăraș Mountains which meant skiing in Bâlea was on. Gear, dog into the car and at 10am I was at the cable car at Bâlea Waterfall. One small problem however, no one else was around and they won't start the damn thing with less than 10 people on board. There's the option of an extra fee one can pay, the price of about 7 tickets, to get in and to the top. Two more people showed up, eager to go so we split the damage.
It was a bit windy at the top but snow was just perfect. Avalanche risk 3 out of 5 at above 2000m. We skied down a few slopes, taking pictures during breaks. The repaired ski was holding fine. Couple of hours later blood on the snow was a sign to cut the day short, Miercuri's paw started bleeding, snow can be very abrasive at times. Before our final descent to Bâlea Waterfall we crossed to the other side of the mountain through the longest road tunnel in Romania (887m) to enjoy some beautiful southerly views.
It was a bit windy at the top but snow was just perfect. Avalanche risk 3 out of 5 at above 2000m. We skied down a few slopes, taking pictures during breaks. The repaired ski was holding fine. Couple of hours later blood on the snow was a sign to cut the day short, Miercuri's paw started bleeding, snow can be very abrasive at times. Before our final descent to Bâlea Waterfall we crossed to the other side of the mountain through the longest road tunnel in Romania (887m) to enjoy some beautiful southerly views.
Bâlea Lac Hut with Capra Saddle (2315m) in the background
Paltinu Hut
View over Bâlea Valley
View from Doamnei Saddle
The entrance in Doamnei Valley
Leaving the tunnel
View to the South
One of the many avalanches we encountered today
Miercuri taking a break
Emerging Crocuses
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