As I said before, the first time I went hiking in the Ciucaș Mountains it was in February 2014 and since that moment on, I`ve always wanted to go there in autumn: to see that view kissed by autumn`s colors.
The Ciucaș Mountains, part of the Eastern Carpathians, are best known for their unusual karst formations, shaped over time by weathering. The most impressive are: Tigăile Mari and Tigăile Mici (the Large/Small Pans), Turnul lui Goliat (Goliath’s Tower), Babele la Sfat (the Gossiping Old Ladies) and Mâna Dracului (the Devil`s Hand).
So, we left Bucharest very early in the morning to what had been forecast as a perfect autumn day outdoor. And it really was perfect: sun, clear skies, hundreds of colors in the forest and amazing views.
Most of the hikes begin from the local mountain resort of Cheia. Just eight kilometers away there are two chalets: the Red Mountain and Silva. We parked our car at the latter and started the hike on the yellow stripe to the Ciucaș Lodge, carrying only a light backpack and a photo camera.
The route is not difficult at all and, once you reach the lodge, the view totally pays off, as from there you can see the whole of the Zăganu Ridge, another beautiful route in the Ciucaș Mountains. We took some photos and continued our hike along the red stripe path to the summit: the Ciucaș Peak 1,954 m (6,411 ft).
To return to the Silva Chalet we took another, longer path through Tigăile Mari and Tigăile Mici, following the red stripe which continued with the red cross up to the Ciucaș Lodge, and then the yellow stripe.
We had lunch in a sun-bathed saddle 20 minutes away from the peak, we took lots of photos and spent an amazing day without any contact with civilization apart from the far-off planes soaring up high. :)
Some people say that one must be crazy to spend an entire day or maybe more in the mountains, with no phone signal, “subjecting” yourself to tormenting walking for hours on end, but I would say that it’s really worth all the effort. There are no words to describe the beauty one can take in reaching those places and there are few lucky people who can do that!
images: personal archive