05/10 Piscul Negru - (Transfagarasan) Cârţişoara (Transsilvània)
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 29.67 mi
- Elevation gain
- 4,426 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 6,683 ft
- Max elevation
- 6,732 ft
- TrailRank
- 32
- Min elevation
- 1,702 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 6 hours 24 minutes
- Coordinates
- 2634
- Uploaded
- April 11, 2020
- Recorded
- August 2018
near sub Balea Lac, Județul Sibiu (România)
Viewed 124 times, downloaded 8 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Bicycle tour, 10-day circular tour (by bike) to Transylvania, in the Carpathians of Romania, in August 2018.
- 47.07 km
- Average speed av: 13.2 km / h.
- Positive difference in level: 957 m.
- 100% asphalt.
We leave the "Cabana Dara" in Piscul Negru at 9:20 am.
It's nice weather but it's cool.
After Piscul Negru the road is very nice. Lots of mountain atmosphere.
There are not many cars yet, which will change as we gain height.
A few km away, a cyclist (the first one we see) from the Basque Country (Berriz - Biscay) arrives at our height, with whom we have a pleasant conversation until we reach the neck of the road. He is traveling alone and seems to be going to work. Pedal morning and afternoon and do twice as many km as we do.
There are more and more cars. How can it be? A caravan of stopped cars is located 1 km before the entrance to the tunnel. There is a lot of car noise using the horn. There seems to be a concentration of old Peugeot 205 cars coming from France and are in a constant party. Today they are doing the queen stage.
The Transfagarasan road reaches an altitude of 2034 meters, with Lake Bâlea (north face).
The road is normally closed from late October to late June due to snow.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transf%C4%83g%C4%83r%C4%83%C8%99an
We make the tunnel with the front and the lights of the bike. It is dark even though there is some shy light. It's all full of parked cars. Let's go with prey because the situation is not pleasant. The ground is wet, and the tunnel is shabby.
Once we get to the other side (north) we find a chaos of cars trying to park, people managing the parking area, shops for tourists, noise ... what a way to break the romance of the mountain passes.
We say goodbye to the Basque friend and wish him luck on the trip.
Let’s try to take a picture of the area and eat something. There is Lake Bâlea, a mountain hotel and a fast food truck. Lots of people everywhere.
We take pictures of the familiar bends on the north face. The descent on the north face is very beautiful and aesthetic. It is full of cars parked on this side as well. This is madness.
As we know later, in August every day there are queues of cars that want to go up to Lake Bâlea (or surroundings) to spend the day. Lots of local tourism. Too bad the road is so beautiful for cycling.
At the top, the road crosses the longest tunnel in Romania (884 m), which has rather mediocre artificial lighting. It is best to bring a front and rear lights on the bike to show off. In fact, there is no sign of the neck, and the highest point must be inside the horrible dark, damp tunnel. That detracts from the romance on the road. I miss a sign to take the neck photo.
The northern part is used annually as part of the cycling competition: Tour de Romania (Romanian: Turul României).
In September 2009, the British TV show "Top Gear" filmed a show on this road and gave the road a lot of popularity.
The descent is quite fast, but we are in no hurry and let ourselves fall. We shelter for the descent.
From the top to Cârţişoara there are 31 km and we do it with 1:06 h calmly.
Before arriving in Cârţişoara we stopped for a pizza at a restaurant on the road.
Once in Cârţişoara we will look for the pension where we have the reservation. We sleep in the "Casa Mosului" in Cartisoara (Alexandra Buzic T. 0745939248 www.casa-mosului.ro) Double room 165 lei (= 35.46 €); Breakfast: 24 lei / per (= € 5.16); Dinner: 35 lei / per (= € 7.52). Total 165 + 24 + 24 + 35 + 35 = 283 lei (€ 60.81). We are very comfortable there. Very nice room, a very cozy dining room, a huge garden with lawn and sun loungers, a very good dinner (fish). The old man who looked after us (his young men were not there) did not speak English but we understood each other. Highly recommended.
We spent the afternoon in the same house, resting in the garden. Nice memory ;-)
Cartisoara is a town with little urban core, few shops and many nice boarding houses to sleep.
Next day's route:
06/10 Cârţişoara - Sibiu (Transylvania)
Transylvania; Transylvania; Ardeal; Siebenbürgen; Transylvania; Reach; Erdelistan.
- 47.07 km
- Average speed av: 13.2 km / h.
- Positive difference in level: 957 m.
- 100% asphalt.
We leave the "Cabana Dara" in Piscul Negru at 9:20 am.
It's nice weather but it's cool.
After Piscul Negru the road is very nice. Lots of mountain atmosphere.
There are not many cars yet, which will change as we gain height.
A few km away, a cyclist (the first one we see) from the Basque Country (Berriz - Biscay) arrives at our height, with whom we have a pleasant conversation until we reach the neck of the road. He is traveling alone and seems to be going to work. Pedal morning and afternoon and do twice as many km as we do.
There are more and more cars. How can it be? A caravan of stopped cars is located 1 km before the entrance to the tunnel. There is a lot of car noise using the horn. There seems to be a concentration of old Peugeot 205 cars coming from France and are in a constant party. Today they are doing the queen stage.
The Transfagarasan road reaches an altitude of 2034 meters, with Lake Bâlea (north face).
The road is normally closed from late October to late June due to snow.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transf%C4%83g%C4%83r%C4%83%C8%99an
We make the tunnel with the front and the lights of the bike. It is dark even though there is some shy light. It's all full of parked cars. Let's go with prey because the situation is not pleasant. The ground is wet, and the tunnel is shabby.
Once we get to the other side (north) we find a chaos of cars trying to park, people managing the parking area, shops for tourists, noise ... what a way to break the romance of the mountain passes.
We say goodbye to the Basque friend and wish him luck on the trip.
Let’s try to take a picture of the area and eat something. There is Lake Bâlea, a mountain hotel and a fast food truck. Lots of people everywhere.
We take pictures of the familiar bends on the north face. The descent on the north face is very beautiful and aesthetic. It is full of cars parked on this side as well. This is madness.
As we know later, in August every day there are queues of cars that want to go up to Lake Bâlea (or surroundings) to spend the day. Lots of local tourism. Too bad the road is so beautiful for cycling.
At the top, the road crosses the longest tunnel in Romania (884 m), which has rather mediocre artificial lighting. It is best to bring a front and rear lights on the bike to show off. In fact, there is no sign of the neck, and the highest point must be inside the horrible dark, damp tunnel. That detracts from the romance on the road. I miss a sign to take the neck photo.
The northern part is used annually as part of the cycling competition: Tour de Romania (Romanian: Turul României).
In September 2009, the British TV show "Top Gear" filmed a show on this road and gave the road a lot of popularity.
The descent is quite fast, but we are in no hurry and let ourselves fall. We shelter for the descent.
From the top to Cârţişoara there are 31 km and we do it with 1:06 h calmly.
Before arriving in Cârţişoara we stopped for a pizza at a restaurant on the road.
Once in Cârţişoara we will look for the pension where we have the reservation. We sleep in the "Casa Mosului" in Cartisoara (Alexandra Buzic T. 0745939248 www.casa-mosului.ro) Double room 165 lei (= 35.46 €); Breakfast: 24 lei / per (= € 5.16); Dinner: 35 lei / per (= € 7.52). Total 165 + 24 + 24 + 35 + 35 = 283 lei (€ 60.81). We are very comfortable there. Very nice room, a very cozy dining room, a huge garden with lawn and sun loungers, a very good dinner (fish). The old man who looked after us (his young men were not there) did not speak English but we understood each other. Highly recommended.
We spent the afternoon in the same house, resting in the garden. Nice memory ;-)
Cartisoara is a town with little urban core, few shops and many nice boarding houses to sleep.
Next day's route:
06/10 Cârţişoara - Sibiu (Transylvania)
Transylvania; Transylvania; Ardeal; Siebenbürgen; Transylvania; Reach; Erdelistan.
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