This time the base is Brașov, some three hours away from Bucharest. The city is a bit of a hub for the different sports you can do in the mountains. To maximize the biking in two days I used a guide from Mtbtours: Horia. Another guy from Bucharest that I didn’t know had the same idea so I had the company of Arnon from Israel. I paid 135 Euros for guiding, accommodation, breakfast and packed lunch. I asked for all mountain and all mountain it was! Two different mountains. First the Postavarul Mountain. It sits right next to Brasov. The top is at 1700 meters and Brasov is at 550.
Pretty nice view to wake up to
We started on bikes directly from the hotel and worked our way up the mountain. This dude started the day with a beer instead
A gravel road takes you up through the forest
After a vertical climb of 700 meters we reach the ski resort Poiana Brașov
We find our way beyond the Coca-Cola signs
Already a couple of hours in the saddle and time for a snack. We continue along the trail up and down some ridges.
A bit blurry, but just to show that there were some more technical sections also.
Lunch stop
And then off again
It’s weekend and the area is pretty accessible from the city. When we go for the sea side or to a lake they take the Dacia with all the gear and go up the mountain, bikini style…
We are not alone
The intensive and partially technical trails are just too much for the guy from the Middle East and he chooses to go for a break in the ski resort. I go for the cable car to up to 1700 meters with Horia and get to enjoy some nice downhill trails.
We meet up with Arnon and get the leftovers from the Pizza.
More downhill. Awesome trail. Fast, technical, sometime s like a machine made track. Hard to stay focused cause it’s just so fun. Horia catches the light so much better with his camera
But mine does the filming OK at least:
Downhill but with some sections of pedaling
And then the magic part of biking in Brașov: coasting down the streets to the square with the buildings from early 15th century
Almost 7 hours of riding, 60km and a lot of vertical meters… not really up for nightclubbing…
Next day. We leave for Zarnesti by car to explore Piatra Craiului.
The Bucegi Mountain with peaks of 2500 meter elevation as a backdrop to the Romanian Pisa tower.
We follow the canyon uphill
From 700 meter elevation to 1200. Arnon leaves us for a ride up to a cabin while we go for a detour. We hang out with the cows instead
And continue up the mountain through the forest and up to the plateau
Fresh water and some berries
A nice trail is taking us down from the plateau and then into a forest with a really nice trail
We end up at 1000 meter level and take a break for a snack before going up another canyon
Up up up and we are rewarded with this view. Postavarul to the left and Bucegi to the right
My energy level is low but we have to make it up to the cabin and to Arnon
After another two hours of very hard riding and partially push bike we spot the Cabana Curmătura at 1500 meters level
A soup and a coke and we are ready to go again! And whatever tiredness I felt before is absolutely gone going down the awesome trail from there
The shepherds are screaming at us. I didn’t understand but Horia did: ”crazy people!”
After 8 hours of biking with only short stops we reach the car!
