Ephemeral paths in the heights of Bucegi

Dear traveler,

Let me tell you a story about paths that appear and disappear, about dancing clouds and chamois. It's a story that was recounted to me, as I did not took part to this journey.

Mamarmot was telling me for a long time about this trail she really wants to walk, in her dear, Bucegi mountains. 

The Jepi trail, climbing the small ones and returning on the big ones, was in her mind for a long time but she simply did not get the chance to do it.

Being a trail somewhat difficult for me and a bit dangerous, I decided to give my folks a weekend off, so they can adventure on their own but to return with stories.

They left on quite a good weather, but pretty cloudy, with small chances of rain. 

This trail climbs the entire mountain, up to the Heroes Cross, hence I did not want to go, seeing from down there how much is to climb. Maybe some other time.

They start walking through the forest full of raindrops and dew and they walk until they reach a waterfall. The path is sprinkled with mist most of the time, which every now and then makes a bit of room for a sight in the distance.

The snow still lingers in these valleys and the sun is still not brave enough to show up.

He makes its presence felt for a short moment, somewhere near Caraiman cabin, after a lot of climbing.

My folks are walking today with our friends, with which they adventure most of the times on hikes of this kind, in endless trails or more technical ones, those hikes which Mamarmot likes to call "haiduceli".

During a snack break at the Caraiman cabin, the sun starts to break the clouds, making our hikers very happy, and not only them...on a mountainside, a group of chamois can be seen, stretching in the sunlight.

The break is over and now it's time to start to their next destination, the Heroes Cross, through the Great Ledge of Caraiman. Mamarmot was a bit nervous as she's not the best friend of heights, but as she kept hiking in different places of this kind she kind of started to conquer them. Still, she had some small butterflies in her stomach when she thought about this ledge.

As the butterflies, the chamois start to skip as our hikers continue on their path, Mamarmot managing to photograph them only from afar. Only one sits still, too lazy to give up on her sunbathing.

The sun runs again for a while, and so does the trail, the path or the chamois. Everything is ephemeral under the spell of the mist that took over the Bucegi mountains today.

Sometimes, the paths seem to take towards the end of the Earth.

There are snow patches here as well, through the steep slopes that must be crossed. My folks tell me that these patches must be crossed on their top, never transversal. 

The snow layer looks pretty dangerous but also interesting. 

The paths continue in the same design for a while, but as they move forward, the sun starts to cast the mist away, opening some fairytale sights. 

Mamarmot is fascinated by this dance of mist, trying to catch these moments in her photographs.

And she's not the only one that's fascinated, but also this chamois, that's contemplating at the beautiful nature.

They reach the Heroes Cross and from here onwards, there are sights I know as well. 

The hikers know this trail by heart, enjoying a chill walk and the beautiful sights that the Bucegi plateau shows through cloud patches.

Reaching the trail that goes towards the place called Jepii Mari, the path looks like a labyrinth through the thick mountain pines. The mountain pines will be their companion for a long time on this path, but the milky sky is starting to slowly clear, so once they reach the Schiel forest lodge, they can see Prahova Valley shrouded in the yellow sunlight, with no clouds in sight.

After some segments of a more difficult path, where they have to step over mountain pines and snow, the trail continues its long way through a green and dense forest.

Usually, on these types of descents, Mamarmot starts daydreaming, thinking about the wonders she saw and the fears she conquered.

Even now, when she tells me about the hike, she seems trapped in another world. Could this be the effect the Bucegi mountains have on her? I need to go there and find out.

I ask Mamarmot:

-"And? The next adventure?"

-"Marmot, I think we will go to enjoy the beautiful Rhododendron."