Catching the Colors of the Carpathians - in the Ciucas Mountains
...or...one of the steepest climbs I've ever done with my (once)broken bad knee. Luckily it ended up being absolutely worth every moment - Issue #34
In the southernmost region of the Eastern Carpathians, also known as the Curvature Carpathians (Kárpátkanyar) you’ll find the Ciucas* Mountains (Csukás hegység). I also refer to their Hungarian names, since that’s how I know them. The names used by my grandparents, parents, brothers, and Hungarian friends. I am a Hungarian, who grew up in the shadow of these Transylvanian mountains, now part of Romania.
On the road to our hike, we passed through the old border between Transylvania and Muntenia (old Romania). The border has been irrelevant for about a hundred years, but the old border checkpoint buildings still stand near the road, decrepit and forgotten.
Still, we all know when we cross the old border. The style of homes are still different, the feel in villages we pass is different.
However, nature surrounding us is all the same. If homes and people weren’t around, we wouldn’t know we were in a different territory.
The colorful autumn leaves along the road are the same, the distant peaks don’t tell us whose land they fall upon.
We drive through gorgeous countryside, through hills and valleys, all glowing in the morning light on a beautiful autumn day.
We pull onto a dirt road, with no other cars or even horse-drawn carriages around. Though the Ciucas Mountains are a well-known tourist destination, the trailhead we are heading to is only familiar to a few locals and ‘in the know’ hikers.
The surroundings are even more beautiful here. No towns or villages, only a few sheep-herders with their sheep and dogs stare at us as we pass. No greetings here, just curious stares, as if asking “what are you doing here?”
We keep driving until we arrive to a gate.
Though open, my brother parks the car just outside of it.
“In case they close it before we come back,” he says.
We get out, enjoying the crisp, cold autumn breeze and start walking along the rest of the dirt road inside the gate.
Surrounded by a gorgeous forest showcasing its autumn colors, we walk to a seemingly abandoned house. It isn’t abandoned, but built for no one to live in, a refuge house, always open for long-distance hikers for a short, or longer, often overnight rest.
No one was there at this time, and we didn’t need to stop yet, so kept going through the valley. Soon we reached the steepest part of the trail, after crossing a small stream.
We were enveloped by the forest now, surrounded by tall trees showcasing their gold, rust, and yellow colors on both sides of the trail.
As we started climbing though all I could do is watch the rocks under my feet, trying not to slip, making sure I set my walking sticks between them, and focusing on leaning on them as much as on my legs.
My brother gave me his sticks to borrow, and taught me how to use them a few days prior. All this to help with my bad knee (broken when I was 14 by a Trabant when I crossed in front of it).
Putting one foot in front of the other, I was slowly making my way up this incredibly steep trail. I stopped only to take in the views when I noticed a break in the dense canopy allowing me to see past the forest, the valley below and the mountains in the distance.
Eventually, the steepest part of the incline ended, and we continued on a less rocky trail, with a more mellow incline. By now, we were in an evergreen forest, surrounded by towering pines on both sides. As I turned around, I noticed the autumn colors of the deciduous forest below, lit up by the sun, making the colors exceptionally vivid surrounded by the deep green of the pines.
As we continued to investigate, we noticed mushrooms in the forest. Bright red, with white dots, I spotted the only poisonous mushroom I recognized, though I have only seen them in pictures before, never in real life.
And we still kept climbing…
Eventually, we arrived at a break in the forest.
We were above the tree-line now, in a grassy meadow, with perfect views of the famous rocks the Ciucas Peaks are known for.
“We can either stop here and just walk around a little, or continue up to the top,” said my brother, who organized our little expedition.
“I am fine here, no need to go to the top,” I answered a little too quickly, “but you guys can go on if you’d like, I’ll wait for you here.”
“No, we are all staying together, we’ve been up here plenty of times,” he answered.
As I looked around, I decided I wanted to hike up the top of the “little hill” nearby.
So we did. It was a bit longer and steeper hike than I thought, but I made it to the top.
“If we’d continue along this trail, it would lead us to the peak,” my brother pointed to a distant peak.
“I have the perfect views right here,” I said, as we all found a spot to sit and have a snack and drink.
The views were indeed perfect. Sitting on top of a grassy peak, we had unobstructed views in every direction, of valleys and peaks, grasslands, deciduous and evergreen forests, and rocky outcroppings on the highest mountaintops.
We sat there, enjoying the views, each others company, and the snacks Cristina packed for all f us.
Eventually, towards sunset, we made our way back down through the meadows and forest.
It was dark by the time we made it back to Brasov. With no training, I hiked more than I have in years. But while I thought I would not be able to move the next day, I was surprisingly ready to walk again. Not a long hike, but walk through town.
Though sometimes hard work, the day-trip was absolutely worth it, the highlight of my visit to Transylvania.
*Ciucas as well as Csukás both read as [Chukash]
The high mountain meadow is beautiful and surprising! As well as the rest of your photos. Your knee made it! Yay! How wonderful to be there with your brother and family.
Thank you for taking me along on your hike in an area I’ve never been to. Lovely views and glad your knee held up!