Winter Mountaineering Tour in Fagaras Mountains - Sambata (Cataveiu) Ridge

I’m a great fan of outdoor adventures, particularly those where trekking on unmarked trails is involved.

Few of my friends are as fond of this kind of tours as I am. Nevertheless, there is always one who doesn’t say no and, more than that, he proposes quite challenging trips – Georgel.

He’s the cute little boy of our group, very funny yet sometimes very annoying, bouldering addict, off trail hiker, former parkour runner, rebellious, awfully strong (8a boulderer, one arm pull-ups guy!), in short: a great chap.

This is one of the tours we made this winter (2009). We had perfect weather and visibility up on the ridge; low clouds, frosty wind (minus 10 degrees Celsius). Being fatigued and late risers, on the second day, we only climbed up to the half of the ridge, where there is a nice plateau with a cairn in the middle. The flat highland overlooks Sambata Valley, Fereastra Mare a Sambetei, Dragusului Ridge and could be a great spot for overnight camping; in wintertime, the cornices will do just a great as a wind shield for a bivouac.

On our descent, we saw a brown bear, a few hundred meters below us, on the opposite slope, across the valley, which we took as a returning trail.

Photos and video taken with phone camera.

Map of the area and trail - drag and scroll (with mouse) for zooming

See map in 3D view:
http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=444728
Click on "See in Google Earth" button

Georgel making his way through the heaps of snow
Preparing for campingAbove the mistsTwo friendsCairn

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