Tag Archives: Balea lac

LESPEZI PEAK SPRING SKIING, FAGARAS MOUNTAINS

Probably the last ski day of this season, but we shell see. Not much options left, no lift access, not allowed to ride in larger groups, this kind of post apocaliptic atmosphere its nice but I don’t want to get used to it…

We put a nice patch to a rather bad season, with this last ski touring day. Looking bad, yes, we had bad snow, yes, we had less ski days and almost no powder but it was nice, I for one have good memories and got to ski some new places this year so i m pretty much satisfied. Now ill wait for the next one and hope that bike season will not be to much affected by these uncertain times… Thanks and ride safe y’all!

BALEA LAKE POWDER DAYS

An experience of some weekends ago, probably the only powdered days of the year.
Balea Lac and Fagaras mountains remain one of the coolest back country and freeride areas in RO and probably the only mountains with serious lines. Easy to admire but dangerous to approach 😆😅💪… I m glad we chose to go there. In the first day we skin our way up from Capra cottage to Balea Lac, then ski down to Doamnei valley, skin up again and made a final descent on Balea Valley, just under the cable car. We had fresh snow and was nice to remember how that feels. Then we took the cable car up and parked out skis at Balea Lac.
We sincerely liked to stay at Balea Lac or Balea Lac 2 cottage, clean rooms, clean bathrooms, hot water and good food, we clearly recommend it.
The second day spent at Balea we skin our way up vaiuga , near Vanatoarea lui Buteanu peak, made a descent to Capra lake, skin up again and then chose to go down the south part, in the sun and at a later hour, following a group of austrian skiers that had a guide. I would honestly  recomand to avoid this area on clearer days and with temperatures over 5-6C degrees, especially when there is fresh snow accumulations. I found the snow quite heavy…
Ofcourse, we had to go down anyway because we had our car at Capra and we would either go down now or later…The transfer to the south part during the heating periods is very debatable.
Until next time, ride safe!

Fagaras mountains on a blizzard weekend

FAGARAS MOUNTAINS BACKCOUNTRY SKIING ON A BLIZZARD WEEKEND 22.02.2020

This is from 2 weeks ago when we did some back country skiing in Fagaras mountains. It was not the perfect conditions but no regrets. Any day on the mountain its a good day, if nothing bad happens…. It was fun, riding in winter conditions on flat light and a blizzard, ingredients for a good adventure 🙂

We skied on the south side of Fagaras mountains, around Transfagarasan mountain road, just above Capra hut and bellow Transfagarasan tunnel. Enjoy!

Ski touring on Lespezi peak, Făgăraș mountains, Romania

Ok, judging from the first pic of this post, this is a proper winter for shredding… but take a look at the other pictures… and this happens in January 12, 2020… this is critical…

Not even in spring did we catch these conditions here. Don’t look too far, we ourselves are the cause. But how radical the situation must become in order for us to change this… I’m really curious if technology or something else will save this one…ok, let’s leave this aside, for now.

This weekend we did the Lespezi descent, a bit too early because of the poor snow and spring conditions.

Lespezi peak is one of the easiest to access 2500m peak in Făgăraș mountains, and one that you can ski from the very top.

It’s a nice tour, the pictures from the last part of the climb, and from the peak are just awesome, as well as the descent. This one calmed my appetite for ski, but not for long. I really hope it’s one of those late winters that shows their strength in March :D, how wonderful would it be!

Until then ride safe!

Balea lac freetouring powder days

This is not a recent one, but we just haven’t had  time to write something about it.

It happen last mouth in one of the perfect weather weekends that we had. It was an weekend with all inclusive, powder, joy, happiness, problems, panic, doctors and again… powder :))). But all turned out alright as you will see. And we have the pictures to back it all up :P.

The plan was to claim a room that we paid over 2 months ago at Paltinu mountain hut (nice place by the way, VRR approved :D). We hunted this good weather weekend and now it’s here.

I haven’t been to Balea on more then one occasion, doing an avalanche course last year so I was pretty eager to go and better discover the place. Once up by the cabin we went directly to Paltinu to live Bubble (Cosmin’s dog) and go touring.

We climbed to Capra Lake and on the ridge of the mountain to Vaiuga peak. It was the most beautiful ridge walk I have taken so far, man that feeling. After this we made a first descent from under Vaiuga peak to Balea valley and on to the start of the cabin.

After this we took the cabin back up and go again to Paltiu to check how Bubble was doing. It seemed he driven the guys from the hut mad, so we had to take him with us. Bad idea! It was pow day and the dog is like 15 cm tall :))). This being told, Cosmin ended up carrying the dog almost all descent. Then, after following Cosmin on an narrow couloir and straight underneath Balea Cascada, disaster stroke. Cosmin took a silly fall and had his operated shoulder injured. We then had to go to Sibiu and go to hospital to check his shoulder out. We had some luck because Nicu stayed at Paltinu for this last descent and he could send to us some stuff and my car keys in order to go with Cosmin to hospital…. after the hospital experiences, Cosmin’s arm was immobilized and he took the next day off from riding. That night we go out to grab a pizza and then straight to a colleague of mine that helped us with accommodation for that night, thanks!

Next day was a bit cloudy. Cosmin stayed at Balea Cascada, at the start of the cabin, and I have gone up for one last ride with Nicu that ramaind at Paltinu to claim the room :)). We did a nice run to Doamnei Valley and back to the cabin. It was also powder day and the clouds ware low and over 2000m we had such a beautiful day.

After some further consulting, it turned out that Cosmin shoulder was ok and only needed some rest. One important advice, don’t take small dogs on powder days! :)))

Here are the pics and an edit. Enjoy!

Curs de ski alpinism si studiul zapezii cu Adventureguide

Curs de ski alpinism si studiul zapezii cu Adventureguide, acesta este postul ce trebuia sa il scriu de o luna si ceva :). Am o scuza totusi caci s-au petrecut si niste sarbatori intre timp, dupa care greu mi-am revenit. Totusi, acum mi-am zis ca ar fi timpul sa ajung cu postarile la zi caci ar urma seria de aventuri pe schiuri, fiecare insotita de un post… sau cel putin asa speram, vor urma :P.

Revenind la subiectul de fata, acum ceva timp, peste 1 luna, am participat la un crus de ski alpinism si studiul zapezii, curs tinut de Adventureguide, Adrian Valean si Ovidiu Tanase. A fost prima data cand am schiat in zona Balea Lac si pot spune ca mi-a placut enorm. Si cursul in sine a fost mai mult decat interesant si chiar il recomand. Totusi, trebuie sa aveti in vedere ca un curs de 3 zile nu este de ajuns. Nu este nimic rau in a participa la cat mai multe astfel de cursuri, si, mai importand de atat, ar fi sa exersati ce ati invatat de fiecare data cand aveti ocazia. Nu este o pierdere de timp sa exersati cautarea cu transceiver-ul, sau sa faceti cate un profil de zapada. Nu mergeti mereu pe ce a zis X sau Y. Da, este bine sa va informati dar in plus de asta, sa si verificati. Facand acest curs mi-am dat seama ce greseli am facut anul precedent in unele ture. Ma pot gandi la cel putin 2 iesiri in care ar fi trebuit sa verific mai mult starea zapezii inainte de a cobora.

Asa ca exersati, exersati, exersati, nu asteptati o situatie reala pentru a va pune in practica cunostintele!

Revenind la curs, acesta a cuprins urmatoarele:

Tehnici alpinism:

  • Mers cu coltarii si utilizarea pioletului
  • Tehnica de asigurare, tehnici de coarda
  • Tehnica de catarare pe zapada si mixt
  • Tehnica de catarare pe gheata

Tehnici ski:

  • Tehnica de deplasare in sus, panta mica si medie, tehnici pentru schimbarea de directie
  • Tehnica de deplasare in conditii dificile, gheata, zapada mare, inclinatie mare
  • Tehnica de coborare in afara partiilor
  • Tranzitia: urcare-ski-alpinism
  • Alegerea rutei, atributele unei rute
  • Tehnici ski-alpinism

Curs de avalanse:

  • Generalitati si harta avalanselor
  • Teren, meteo, tipuri de zapada, mecanisme de formare
  • Stabilitatea straturilor de zapada, tipuri de avalanse
  • Factorul uman, Evaluarea pericolelor, Anatomia deciziilor
  • Tactica de prevenire si tehnica de salvare din avalansa.

Toate cele de mai sus sunt condensate in 3 zile faine si daca vremea tine cu voi, veti avea parte de cel mai fain weekend prelungit. Exceptand temperaturile scazute, am avut 3 zile senine si o zapada pe cinste.

Atentie, trecerea prin tehnicile de mai sus se face destul de rapid si trebuie ca, dupa curs sa mai si exersati, asa cum am spus si la inceputul postarii, din cand in cand. Este foarte important caci altfel, atunci cand veti avea nevoie, va trebui mai intai sa va aduceti aminte si nu veti avea siguranta ca puneti cum trebuie in practica.

Programul pe scurt a fost cam urmatorul:

Ziua 1 – tura spre Laitel ce a implicat mai multe coborari. A fost o tura in care ne-am cunoscut mai bine si am si reusit sa facem cateva coborari faine :). Seara am exersat cautarea in avalansa si ni s-au explicat mai multe detalii despre studiul zapezii + un seminar mai explicit dupa, in cabana.

Ziua 2 – am stat in zona Balea Lac si am incercat atat tehnici de coborare pe schiuri cat si de urcare. De asemenea am incercat tehnici de coltari si piolet, tranzitii, amaraj etc.

Ziua 3 – am facut tura spre Vaiuga, urcare la coltar/piolet, tranzitie si coborare pe schiuri, retur la cabana. Pe scurt asa s-au desfasurat cele 3 zile.

Cazare se face asa cum am zis in zona Balea Lac. Noi am stat la cabana Paltinul, foarte fain, am avut chiar apa cald la baie, ceva neasteptat 😛 si mancarea la cabana a fost foarte buna.

In rest, numai de bine, instructorii de nota 10, atat Adrian cat si Ovidiu, Oana si Aurel. Le multumesc pe aceasta cale pentru cunostintele transmise si sper sa ne revedem cu bine la o tura de ski sau chiar la un alt curs :P. Pana atunci va las mai jos cateva poze din timpul cursului precum si un filmulet prea putin concludent  :). Enjoy!