Piatra Craiului mountains guide

Piatra Craiului

Piatra Craiului Mountains include a single ridge, limited by steep and rocky versants. The ridge stretches on about 25 km and reaches a maximum altitude of 2238m, in La Om Peak or Piscul Baciului Peak. Piatra Craiului Massif was declared Natural Reservation in 1938 and Natural Park in 1990.It is the favourite place for experienced mountaneering people, though summer time is accesible also by trained tourists.

Vertical walls

The geology and geomorphology of the massif differs from that of the surrounding mountains, which consist almost entirely of crystalline rocks, the Crai being a sharp and steep blade composed of metamorphic rocks, mainly Jurassic limestone, approximately 24 to 26 km long, with a southwest-northeast orientation, and 6 to 8 km wide. Its famous vertical walls, 400-650 m high, are the result of the horizontally layered limestone.

Wild life

On the high cliffs there are chamois, wild boar, red and roe deer, pine martens and red squirrels. Some 270 butterflies species, 110 birds species, 17 bats species, many large carnivores (wolfs, brown bears, lynx) can be observed in the park. The gorges are a good place to see wallcreepers and alpine swifts, three-toed and white-backed woodpeckers and Ural owls in the forested areas.

General trails

The paths are generally accessible for everyone with a medium psysical condition, the ridge being divided into 3 parts: the west ridge, the northen ridge & the south rigde; one can do the whole in a day when weather is sunny - this is a mountain where it rains rare, so a fully sunny day is easy to get; there are many paths going up to the ridge from each side, though not easy, the advantage is that it doesnt take long - in 2-3 hour one can reach from bottom to peaks.

Surroudings

Near this mountains lies some famous resorts

Poiana Brasov sky resort, a place for romanian TV-s stuff (stars) to relax.

Other familiar places are Bran Castle, Rasnov Fortress, Poiana Marului, the monasteries from Sinca, Predeal sky areal, Sinaia Castle s.o.

Bran Castle

& Rasnov Fortress

Placed in the areal, 20km from each other and from PC (Piatra Craiului) mountain, this two mountain small cities are growing by each year; everybody heard about Dracula Castle from medieval times (Dracula or Vlad Tepes was a ferocious ruler which punish the thiefs and enemies of the country by sticking them alive; it was said that, while he ruled, nobody steals the golden goblet left near the fountain in the middle of nowhere); there are many fortresses left by this ruler in Romania. Rasnov Fortress is a XIV century peasant fortress (summertime rock concerts takes places there, small rock bands, not famous)

Links page

Entertainment

The whole areal is a family entertainment place, quite domestic, no night clubs, no deviant art; people are simple and welcoming, also they are not curious!

Summer time

The main attraction in summer are the forest roads which goes unlimited into the forests (those which escape human clearing).

Microclimat

Some areals rich in caves posses a microclimate with maxim 25 degrees, while outside, 1km away, can be 40 degrees.

Dangers

When somebody get used to the rigde, paths look quite welcoming, but for a first timer, lot of courage is recommended a .Wolves & jackals are numerous, so are the bears.They also attack!

Winter time

Because walls are very steepy, avalanches are often here; try climbing the ridges in winter either at first snow or at last one; though, this year, snow was not heavy, the whole rigde could have been done any time.

Piatra Craiului sharp rigde mountains