Showing posts with label trekking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trekking. Show all posts

Winter Trekking Tour - Barbecue and Caving



Winter kicked the spring back from where it came (Africa perhaps...) but that was no reason for us to stay at home. It was rather an incentive to go outdoors once again for a trekking tour - a simple yet voluptuous treat: to walk through heaps of snow and to breathe the cool, fresh forest air.

My obsession with building a fire has manifested once again and that's how we ended making a little experiment - warming the ground for a bivouac. I heard that nomad Gypsy people used to build big fires and kept them burning for several hours, then they would clear the ashes and place their blankets or tents on the warm spots.

We didn't fell much warmth as we added too many branches as padding but we did feel the ground was hot without the spruce mat.

After that we went to a so called "Ice Cave" (RO: "Pestera de Gheata") which is more like a huge crack in a limestone block - a chimney if you want. There was some ice on the steep floor at the entrance but nothing spectacular that would make it deserve it's name. The icicles on the cliff overhangs and the ice stalagmites were more impressive.

Explore outdoors and seek adventure!

P.S. I cut out the footage took inside the cave as the GoPro HD shoots poorly in low light conditions...

Free Trekking T-shirt Vector Design - The Simple Pleasures

Trekking T-shirt
You walk up the mountain, carrying a heavy backpack, sweating a lot but... what for?

There's no ready made answer for such a question. The simple pleasures of admiring the view, lighting a fire and sleeping in a tent are sufficient. Passionate trekkers and outdoors enthusiasts know what I mean.

Hiking T-shirt DesignTrekking ShirtsMy suggestion for printing your trekking T shirts and hoodies

Be safe!

Winter Mountaineering Tour in Dragus - Fagaras Mountains



Just before 2009 we had a window of clear weather that lasted about two weeks - it basically spanned from 2008 to 2009. It was freezing cold and the sky was clear, at least on the top of the mountains it was.

A seven hours hike brought us to the hunting cabin, up in Dragus Ridge - Fagaras Mountains, where we had our base camp. From there we hiked up on the ridge and took photos of the beautiful landscape.

This year the weather wasn't too great and thus we didn't have the opportunity to go there. Instead of snow and frost we only had rain and mild temperatures...

Here is a short list of useful things one should have when mountaineering in wintertime:
  • waterproof winter boots
  • vacuum flask with hot tea
  • mini stove (Primus)
  • snowshoes or cross country skis
  • gaiters
  • 4 season sleeping bag (filled with down or hollow fiber)
  • wind and waterproof pants and jacket
  • telescopic trekking poles
  • crampons
  • ice axe
View whole set of photos here, taken by Alex Scurtu.

Looking forward for some snow. Cheers!


Zanoaga Ridge