June can be heaven or hell! Well not as hot as is in hell maybe, (I never been there. Yet) but sometime weather can be unfriendly! Of course, weather is not so important when you traverse half of the World for hiking in Transylvanian Alps, the important part is the equipment you bring with you for a tour like this, the adrenaline you have and the expectations. In small words, we get wet every day of our trip, but also we dried the equipment over the night, being ready for the next day adventure. And we enjoy every step we did in Bucegi and Fagaras mountains, we enjoyed every breath taking view we had over the cloudy valleys of Fagaras mountains, and never the less, we enjoyed to observe young marmots playing!
I think the expectations were 100% full fitted, the adrenaline keep us hiking on pooring or heavy rain, so the result was just a perfect hiking tour on beautiful mountain paths!
Iulian, August 2013Â
Truly breath taking
Hiking in the Romanian Alps was surreal. We ascended into the mountains and had lunch on the top of a mountain as the clouds rolled in from the valley below. Being able to see Iulian’s home made the trip personal and allowed a peek into Romanian culture and life. The views, fresh air, and incredible flowers that covered the mountainsides were breathtaking!!
While Iulian offers pure backcountry summer and winter treks for the hardy, we had an eclectic group of 30- to 60- year olds who appreciated a shower, robust dinner with ample wine, and a bed after our 17-22km dayhikes. The spas in some of the sporthotels saw some action. The countryside felt like a trip back a century among sheepherders with their dogs, cheesemakers boiling milk in their mountain huts (sharing the fruits of their labors with passing hikers!), and random encounters with free-ranging horses and donkeys (but none of the 6000 bears in the Carpathians). Lively mealtime conversation explored eastern European life pre- and post-communism and the influence of the EU. One of the things I love about hiking in the extremes of the Alpine range is that you see no other Americans and very few non-native Europeans, so you can immerse yourself in the local culture.
I have organized group hikes in many European countries and Iulian was by far the best local guide. Every detail was attended to, including individualized transfer and hotel arrangements for various group members who stayed on in Romania after the hike, at great prices. Last minute adjustments for missed flights and lost luggage were handled seamlessly. Iulian quickly picked up on the group culture and personalized the experience, from the never-ending case of local wine in his duffel, to picking out a unique Romanian pin to add to the collection on my hat. Guided tours of Bran and Peles Castles, monasteries, and the cultural heritage cities of Sibiu and Brasov added historical elements to the trip.
Dr. Michael Soulen –Â Professor of Radiology & Surgery at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and a group of friends, June 2013
