The last day of autumn urged us to take refuge near the Pietrei Craiului Mountains, in Zărnești, intending to follow a wonderful route in the area, which we often read includes a walk in the village of Magura. Although we started without expectations, these are, however, fragments of human nature, difficult to calm down; as a result, we can say that this enchanting place has surpassed any crumb of waiting that would have made room in our thoughts, as you will see below, dear travel lovers.
The starting point was Botorog's Fountain near Zărnești, an area where there is enough space to leave with confidence any form of transport you use. The road, made of gravel, being accessible, we came by car from Zărnești, but it can also be reached by bike or on foot, at a brisk or slow pace, the distance from any guesthouse in the area to Botorog's Fountain being maximum 3-4 km.
The moment I said "Start the adventure!" it surprised us in the most pleasant way, because we had the chance to enjoy a calm snow, enough to excite us and not make it difficult to advance on the route. Winter made its mark on the vegetation, maybe a few days before receiving us in her arms, and this meant that we had enchanting landscapes - ice needles hanging from the still green plants, snow-covered firs more beautiful than in Christmas fairy tales and whitewashed turns by the charming Christmas girl.
Enthusiastically crossing a path meandered by a multitude of trees, after three quarters of an hour we were suddenly shown, bold and isolated, the village of Magura. Scattered houses appeared, and sheep protected by shepherds with jujeu, so that the latter would not take their soles after predators or other "points of attraction" that suddenly appeared. We were also an attraction for the Mioritic guards, but, to our happiness, they were content to watch us overtaking them in peace.
Because of its beauty, the panorama prevented us from advancing at the pace imposed by a classic hike - we stopped countless times to photograph the nature with which this piece of land was endowed (almost) forgotten by the world.
Wandering for almost three hours on the streets of Măgura village, we also reached Șaua Joaca, a crossroads that helped us, through the signs found, to continue our adventures towards Șaua Vlădușca, at the point known as La Table (route red cross), another road intersection.
At Șaua Joaca we also stopped to enjoy dishes prepared in the evening, which almost froze during the hike, but it did not stop us from enjoying the pleasure of serving meals near the Pietrei Craiului Massif, a precipice, with firs rooted in walls dug almost vertically.
After the La Table point, where we did not stop, we continued on the red cross route, “Towards Zărnești through the Zărnești precipices”, as the sign encountered showed. It is an area that started with forest paths, and we will finally enter, theoretically, on a forest road to the Zărnești precipices.
As I mentioned - theoretically. Reading some information and talking to other hikers, I found out about Cheile Pisicii, a more "wild" and exciting alternative to the forest road leading to the precipices, a variant we did not hesitate to choose. So, here we are, turning right, after half an hour, on a narrow road, subtly marked on a piece of wood with the name of “Cheile Pisicii”, which, together with the steep passages, would have shortened our path maybe with half an hour.
We do not regret that we went through them, but if there is humidity, snow, we recommend going on the forest road, because through Cheile Pisicii there are many stones, ups and downs, and the risk of slipping is high, as seen in the photo.
After the Cat Gorges, we arrived at the Zărnești precipices, which were not lower than the other parts of the route and, although it was getting dark, they offered us a great experience.
This was the last point on the route before we reached Botorog's Fountain again, the whole experience, with all the photo breaks, totaling five and a half hours.
We highly recommend this route!
If you go through it in winter, we advise you to dress in several layers of thin, but warm clothes, so that you can take them off at any time, because the road has quite long climbs, but also flatter sections. Don't forget the fronts, gloves, water and food, which even if it gets close to freezing, you will definitely enjoy it in a journey of over five hours.
If you found the article useful and have questions, or if you have already traveled the route, do not hesitate to ask us questions and share your experiences!
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