While the family sleeps – Road trip in Romania

 

We just did a road trip in the country that we like more and more. Bikes on board for family rides but I did some morning rides on my own also. I left just before sunrise and made it back for breakfast. It added up to three rides:

First ride – Masivul Ceahlău, August 8

We stayed at a simple pension in the valley below this steep mountain. Steep from the very start but still possible to ride. Here is a more flat section

After that I had to carry the bike for quite a while to get up to the ridable trails further up

A bit further away is a cabin and the highest peak at 1850 meters elevation

You can live with the view looking towards East…

Not far away there is this cabin – Cabana Dochia

Down there is where I started:

I continue

On the way down it gets incredible steep and spiced up with rock formations that might make you think of something else…

It was a trip of 3,5 hours but only 13 kilometers (!). On the other hand some 1200 meters of tough climbing. This is what the mountain looks like from a distance

Second ride – Bucovina, August 10

This part of Romania in the Northeast is called Bucovina and is famous for all the monasteries. Magic scenery for a sunrise

I had checked some forestry road up to a hill and started to find my way

Made the right choice at some forks and made it to an open section at the top. Had a chat with the shepard and got the story of what it is like to work 04:00-22:00. Every day…

Such a nice feeling having the downhill in front of you.

All in all it was a three hour ride with some 800 meters of climb.

 

Third ride – Maramureş, August 13,

Going west we passed Borșa and a mountain range with peaks around 2300 meters. No biking there but family hiking. Next stop was in the Mara valley in Maramureş. One of those magic mornings again…

I did some 20 kilometers on asphalt and then some dirt roads that lead up to a nice opening

Bike on the back for 30 minutes and I reached plateau with amazing views

Some fire has taken out most of the vegetation, but it is still very beautiful

From Cresta Cocoșului, at approximately 1000 meters elevation, there is a fantastic view of the Mara valley and the continuation of the Carpathians into Ukraine

From there a steep single track is taking you down to an opening (picture) and from there a dirt road that offers berms, small jumps and awesome grip kilometer after kilometer. It has the perfect slope where you just give it a stroke or two to maximize

Back home after 50 kilometers in 4 hours. More than 1200 meters of climb. This was a place that really made me want to come back and explore more. Leaving Mara valley the idea was to do some riding in the neighborhood of Transalpina (the road that crosses the Transylvanian Alps at more than 2100 meters of elevation) but a thunder storm ruined the plans.


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