Baiului: Zamora

In the weekend of 1st December I had planned to go to Costila refuge to take some pictures of dry tooling climbers but the great weather and sun changed our mind: we've taken up to Baiului on Zamora unmarked ridge.

Very beautiful weather and panorama, a sunset to remember, like you see once per year and a brief encounter with former club mates from "Floarea de Colt Bucuresti" were the notable events of this well chosen and inspired hike. (si pt. Emi: rusinica ! hotarasem sa mergem in Leaota in ziua respectiva)








more sunset photos will be added soon...

Bucegi: Cota 2000

Half a month ago, I've made another (unsuccessful) try to reach Vanturis waterfall, in Bucegi mountains. We've left with ropes and climbing equipment, in order to abseil the waterfall, or at least to try to kill ourselves :D But again the chairlift didn't worked and by foot was a too long quest to the waterfall in the big snow. We've entered deep in the forest following the tracks of the big bears...
Finally the forest was to dense to advance, so we got out toward Cota 2000, where a very strong chilly wind had hit us, frozen our bones. So, we've just reached Mioritza and we've assisted at a magnificent sunset, then we've descended back to Cota 1400.













Maybe I should say some bad words about Sinaia's mayor, which remember us each time that we leave in Romania, like in Somalia: the very icy road toward Cota 1400, no salt or something, a lot of cars turning back; hours of waiting at the cabin queue to go up the mountain while the chairlift doesn't function, the cratered road in which I've entered while driving down to Sinaia :( no parking lots, and much more...

Ssssuuuperrr Model !

... Burton Supermodel ! it is my new snowboard and last weekend the big layer of snow allowed me to try it for the first time.
It is like passing at a higher level of ride and slide because of the new technologies incorporated in the board (Supermodel is about 7 years younger that my old Johan board...). It is smaller lighter faster, most responsive and the first tests in the forests of Poiana Brasov were astonishing :) Thumbs up ! and a big thanks to Mishu for recommending and bringing me this board !

The snow was like this, below, on Saturday and Sunday and my friends were in a great shape too ;)






A big thumb down to 'copos' for his visit in Poiana Brasov, leading at a significant rise in the price of cable transportation :((( but without any improvements of the ski domain...
70 lei for 4 hours of ski is more expensive than in Austria of France...

Bucegi: walk & ride

Saturday we had a big disapointment trying to ski in Postavarul: the snow had almost dissapeared below Poiana Ruia, and all the upper snow fields were rock frozen :(
So, on Sunday I've decided to go to Bucegi Mt. for some free ride and ski on the Sinaia/Carp side.
This time my inspired guide was Iuliana, which has proposed an interesting new tour for me: starting from Babele cable station through Cocora and Laptici toward Valea Dorului, then up to Cota 2000 and then some ride down on the eastern face of the mountain. There we had "a closely look" at some bushes and trees :P and I've almost lost my board in some ....ing young forest.

All in all it was a very beautiful day, just too beautiful to walk or ski, but perfect to take a winter sunbath... And the snow ? well it could have been better than that... but there are good signs right now :)

ETNOvember 2007

Well, last Sunday I was not so convinced to go snowboarding again (I was waiting for the snow :D but not on this monday !) so I've taken up my bike in order to get to Poiana Brasov, through some forest road. On the way, I've stopped to ETNOvember festival, a new thing for me, althought I was like the 13th edition !
I had a very pleasant surprise: there were nice costumes, dances and songs, a lot of people (despite the bitter cold weather), a great location (Bastionul Tesatorilor) and an opportunity to take interesting pictures. So, I've renounced to go up with the bicicle, and I've stayed for a couple of hours and enjoyed the festival hunting for the photos:

Moonlight ride

"Jamais deux sans trois" are saying the french: yesterday night I was trying the freshly fallen powder, at midnight, under the moonlight, near my house. I couldn't resist to take some pictures:

No.2

Saturday it was the second day of the season on the snowboard: the snow was enough to get down to the cabin, on Bradul, to our great surprise.

The weather was very misty, definitely not a time for photos ...

Two mammoths staying like dinosaurs, smoking like snakes, waiting for the cabin ;)



Iuresh, by Coman:



(Air)Erika grab:

the day the Snowboard came to town !

After less than six months since the last free ride, "Ecoul Malinului" in Bucegi, the 2007-2008 winter season in OPEN ! yyyoooouuuupppyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy !!!

Yesterday it was my fist day of snowboard, from a long series this winter, I hope to keep the last years average of 40 days/year of free ride ! And the snow was at the rendez-vous, over 30cm of fresh snow, with a little base layer, I've even ridden between the trees, as the photos below expose it !

It was great to meet a lot of friends, I think I have personally known half of the people from the slopes, most of them "hard core riders" or simply snow lovers ;)






Unfortunately an incident had reduced our joy: here is live our friend Iepurasul, which felt at full speed and has a nasty hit in the back (there is a zoom in below) :(( It is still at the hospital at this moment, but we have hops that everything it will be all right !!! Alagna is waiting for you Iepurila !

Aici trebuie spuse si cateva cuvinte despre serviciul execrabil Salvamont Poiana Brasov, care nu au nici macar o akie ! adica l-am intins pe o placa de sowboard si l-am carat 6 insi... A stat peste o ora pe partie, riscand hipotermia, pana cand cineva s-a sinchisit sa apara si sa ne explice ca nu trebuia sa ne dam, ca sezonul ne e deschis bla bla bla... Cineva s-a dus personal la salvamont, pe Bradul si acolo a fost luat la rost ca de ce nu are nr. de mobil de la salvamont din Cristianul, sa vina aia sa il ia. Si apoi tipul de la salvamont de pe Bradul a incercat sa ii sune el pe cei din Cristianul dar nu au gasit pe nimeni... La vreo ora juma de la accident, in timp ce 10 insi eram stransi in jurul lui Iepurila, sa il incalzim, a aparut un scuter chemat de cei de la salvamont si-am pus sezand pe locul pasagerului ! pe cineva lovit la spate :(((
Ma abtin de la comentarii personale, dar va rog eu sa avetzi grija ca nu cumva sa va accidentati, ca in Poiana a-ti incurcat-o !!! Mergetzi si voi sa va dati in Austria, Frantza etc...

Nepal: you can't carry this !

There are so much to say about the porters, those small guys which sometimes carry loads even above 50kg ! for days, with the risk of their health and life, in order to feed their families ! For the moment I let the pictures "talk":