Grade | Route | Gear style | Quality | Climber | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sun 14th Apr 2024 - Sinaia | |||||||
Stânca Sf. Ana Carieră | |||||||
6a | ★★ Traseul Negru | ★★ Very Good | |||||
6- Easy | Traseul Roşu | 15m | |||||
5+/6- Easy | ★ Traseul Galben | 15m | ★ Good | ||||
5+ Easy | ★★ Traseul Albastru | 15m | ★★ Very Good | ||||
Sun 14th Apr 2024 - Sinaia | |||||||
Stânca Sf. Ana Brâna | |||||||
7 | Muk | 20m | Average | ||||
Fri 12th Apr 2024 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Peretele Animalelor | |||||||
6 |
★★ Muchia Iepuraşului
- with
Andrei Badea
| 220m | |||||
Thu 11th Apr 2024 - Caraiman | |||||||
Valea Spumoasă Pintenul Cascadei Inspumate | |||||||
Meșterică - with Andrei Badea | 100m, 16 | ||||||
Probably a fun easy slab route when not covered in crap
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Thu 11th Apr 2024 - Caraiman | |||||||
Valea Spumoasă Colțul Berbecului | |||||||
6+ A0 |
Fisura Berbecului
- with
Andrei Badea
2
6+
30
lead by
Andrei Badea
Took flight with a rock the size of my head... same hold my 3kg lighter partner had put his whole weight on, on lead above crap pitons. No bueno. Spent some time working the moves in the overhang, felt quite proud to eventually manage it without aid. Couldn't do stuff like that last year. The lovely dihedral people mention is... fine I guess, but also short and bushy. Said fuck it and went home | 85m | Crap | ||||
A family of worms crawls out of a pile of shit. Baby worm asks: mommy could we climb in Montserrat? Yes son, we could. Mommy but could we climb in Meteora? Of course, my dear. Mommy mommy, but could we even climb in Costila? Certainly, nothing's stopping us. Mommy, then why are we climbing in fucking Caraiman?
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Sun 24th Mar 2024 - Pietrele lui Solomon | |||||||
Faleza Junilor | |||||||
6a+ | ★★ Clasa zero barat - with Cristina Podocea | ||||||
Toproped a plumb line containing bits of maybe 3 routes. Really cool overhanging start on alveoles. Footslip on a bit of the 5a I had done fine in boots earlier lol
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6a | ★★★ Studentă eminentă - with Cristina Podocea | ★★★ Mega Classic | |||||
Had to try it on lead even though it was beginning to rain. Rain stopped and sun came out the moment I was over the first bolt ♥
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6a | ★★★ Studentă eminentă - with Cristina Podocea | ★★★ Mega Classic | |||||
Common start with Stagiatura. Turns out I'm not too short to reach the start hold if I deadpoint it a little. Really cool route above, varied and kinda alpine climbing (loved the small traverse, and the forearm-and-foot-jam crack above)
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5c A0 | ★ Stagiatura - with Cristina Podocea | ||||||
Too short to reach the start jug, so clipped the first bolt with a kong panic and then pulled on that. Also a weird moment near bolt 2, didn't quite trust a hold
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5a | ★★ Mami vreau la grădiniță - with Cristina Podocea | ||||||
In boots, for practice. It's really hard to unclip the crux bolt when seconding
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Sat 23rd Mar 2024 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Faţa Hornurilor | |||||||
6 |
★★ Muchia Panseluţei
- with
Cristina Podocea
3
5+
35m
lead by
Ruxandra V
Stopped a bit in the crux - far less scary than it was the first time though. Far less rope drag on halfropes too
5
4+
62m
lead by
Ruxandra V
New belay station right after the old tree. Rapping down the line can be done in 4 raps on 60m halfropes (unite pitches 2 and 3). Next time I'm doing it with my ropes on me tho, they got tangled in all possible bushes | 220m, 13 | |||||
Sun 10th Mar 2024 - Caraiman | |||||||
Peretele Albişoarelor | |||||||
2A | Albişoara Strungii - with baza | ||||||
Amazing conditions, perfect snow and just the right amount of drytooling
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Mon 4th Mar 2024 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Negoiu - Lespezi - Călţun Peretele Nordic Lespezi-Călţun | |||||||
2A | Hornul Călţunului | ||||||
Solo,up to the major obstacle of the gully - so I really just did a bunch of snow frontpointing, and an attempt to bypass on the right ridge that fizzled out on account of 2m of shit snow I would have liked a belay on. Had a good rock for that and everything Tried going on one of the ledges that cross the wall (apparently the old timey routes are less committing than the modern stuff, since you can use those ledges to retreat to Hornul Caltunului when you cross them) but had weird vibes about the snow (corn crust above deep completely unconsolidated pow, on a northern face that sees no sun but a helluva lot of wind) so nah. Oh well, results not excuses.
Did a nameless gully on the aiguille across the Portita Caltunului as a consolation prize. Classical Romanian 1A, up on snow, then switch to some grassy ledges with a couple chimney moves to cross through a narrow saddle on another grassy ledge (1 weird but very short traverse where the hold I'd have needed to reverse broke in my hand, and this above 30m of void) and then a walk up to the refuge. All in all, a very enjoyable morning. |
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Sun 3rd Mar 2024 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Negoiu - Lespezi - Călţun Peretele Nordic Lespezi-Călţun | |||||||
WI3+ M5 Hard |
★★ LID (Lure Ice and Dry)
- with
dan colniceanu
1
WI3+
50m
lead by
dan colniceanu
Hard blue ice is a different story alltogether than whatever grows on Bicajel 2. Need extra focus on my foot placements. Fell 3 times.
2
M2
30m
lead by
dan colniceanu
After blowing it on the previous pitch I didn't feel confident to try and lead the easy stuff either. Did the easy version that avoids the bolted crux on the right.
3
M1
30m
lead by
dan colniceanu
This pitch is the Terenul de Fotbal of this route. A walk on grass (well, snow)
4
M3
45m
lead by
dan colniceanu
Ice on the initial icy part pretty fucked, and not a lot of it either. Kudos to Dan for flying up it.
5
M5
50m
lead by
dan colniceanu
Tbh this felt harder than M4 on the direct line. We got good ice up to the first bolt, managed to get 3 screws in. Dan traversed a bit too far to the right to reach the third bolt, I went on the direct and would think this a M5 - couple short overhangs including one exit with axes in shit snow and frontpoints on schist ....texture, since I really can't call those holds, that had me peel off a couple times. | 210m, 8 | ★★ Very Good | ||||
Three years from the mountaineering class that started everything. The most "wow" thing there, for me, had been toproping a frosty boulder and ....can't believe I'm here now, rather than in five years' time. Granted, it helps that this is the babies' route, with bolted belays and everything, rather than the "leader must not fall, second must not fall either" style of the rest of the wall.
Conditions aren't really optimal btw,hard friable ice. P1 has enough of it, and P5 has bonus ice up to the first bolt, but the crux of P4 is hollow-sounding in points and a bit too thin to protect properly even with short screws. Descent in 4 raps (we united p2 and 3). Watch out for the p3 rappel, it's easy to get your ropes stuck in grass |
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Sat 24th Feb 2024 - Coștila | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1B | ★★★ Valea Coştilei | ||||||
Sat 24th Feb 2024 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Cheile Râşnovului New Dry-tooling Crag | |||||||
M8 | 7 — 2 attempts - with Tiberiu Popa | 13m | |||||
Sat 24th Feb 2024 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Cheile Râşnovului Cave (Overhang) Dry-tooling Crag | |||||||
M8 Hard | ★ Corabia Nebunilor — 4 attempts - with Tiberiu Popa | 22m | |||||
Fri 23rd Feb 2024 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Bâlea Lac (Bâlea Lake) Paltinu Mixed Crags Central | |||||||
M8 | ★ Te Dai ori nu te Dai - with Mara Miron | 18m, 5 | ★ Good | ||||
Cleaning the route.
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M8 | ★ Te Dai ori nu te Dai - with Mara Miron | 18m, 5 | ★ Good | ||||
Easily redpointed up until the chains. Spent some time there de-pumping and decided to go for the ice overhang, with screws on me, having no pre-set holes in the exit ice and no pre-placed gear in place. In hindsight, a screw way up there where the ice was stuck to the rock, with a sling on it would have been beneficial for clipping right after I cleared the ice. Got above the chains, committed to the ice, and went over the lip, feet still under. Did some bashing in the very hard ice and manage to slowly advance on some okish ice tool placements. Heinous stuff, swinging from lock-offs from under the curtain. Spent another minute de-pumping and decided to fully commit and made (an intentional) cut-loose, and in one single motion, brought my feet over the ice and voila, made it over the curtain. Unfortunately, just a few seconds after, my right tool blew (the okish one), and with 2.5-3m of rope from the chains, and rope stretch and fortunately a dynamic fall, took a mega whipper, being catapulted in the back (since I pulled my entire body back from the tool) with a severe arch, head down, body rotated, and smashed my body-sideways into the ledges of the overhang 8m lower. Hurt my back and spine pretty badly, no lung issues, and my elbow and forearm. Took my clothes off, got in the snow to lower the inflammation, and 10 minutes later redpointed the route again, but without attempting the ice once more time. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
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M8 | ★ Te Dai ori nu te Dai - with Mara Miron | 18m, 5 | ★ Good | ||||
Putting up the draws and breaking off all the rotten ice from the curtain. Strenuous, 30min job, but managed to clear all the bad ice and was left with a hefty ice overhang, ready to be climbed.
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Thu 22nd Feb 2024 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Bâlea Lac (Bâlea Lake) Paltinu Mixed Crags Central | |||||||
M10 | Ice Lure - with Mara Miron | 30m, 15 | |||||
Climbed the first 10m, which follow a narrow icicle/flow, used only screws and rapped from a V-thread. — with Mara Miron
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M10 | Ice Lure - with Mara Miron | 30m, 15 | |||||
Climbed the first 10m, which follow a narrow icicle/flow, used only screws and rapped from a V-thread. — with Mara Miron
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M10 | Ice Lure - with Mara Miron | 30m, 15 | |||||
Climbed the first 10m, which follow a narrow icicle/flow, used only screws and rapped from a V-thread.
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M10 | Ice Lure - with Mara Miron | 30m, 15 | |||||
Climbed the first 10m, which follow a narrow icicle/flow, used only screws and rapped from a V-thread.
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Thu 22nd Feb 2024 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Bâlea Lac (Bâlea Lake) Paltinu Mixed Crags Right | |||||||
WI4 Hard | Tracos I - with Mara Miron | 40m | Average | ||||
Tried a harder, vertical line.
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WI4 Hard | Tracos I - with Mara Miron | 40m | Average | ||||
Set up a belay just under the rime mushrooms. The exit was not feasible in these conditions.
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Thu 22nd Feb 2024 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Bâlea Lac (Bâlea Lake) Paltinu Mixed Crags Central | |||||||
M6 Hard | Access Direct - with Mara Miron | 25m, 8 | Crap | ||||
Cleaning the route.
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M6 Hard | Access Direct - with Mara Miron | 25m, 8 | ★ Good | ||||
Friable and dirty, cleaned the first few meters. Redpointed in two bits, some holds (drilled ones) are broken, making the lower half almost impossible to link. Placed screws on lead and set up a V-thread with quicklink at the top for others to use.
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Wed 21st Feb 2024 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Bâlea Lac (Bâlea Lake) Bâlea | |||||||
WI3 | ★★ Cascada de la coada lacului dreapta - with Mara Miron | 15m | ★★ Very Good | ||||
WI3 | ★★ Cascada de la coada lacului dreapta - with Mara Miron | 15m | ★★ Very Good | ||||
WI3 ~WI5 | Cascada de la coada lacului stanga - with Mara Miron | 15m | |||||
The overhanging icicles on the left.
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WI3 ~WI5 | Cascada de la coada lacului stanga - with Mara Miron | 15m | |||||
The overhanging icicles on the left.
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WI3 ~WI5 | Cascada de la coada lacului stanga - with Mara Miron | 15m | |||||
The overhanging icicles on the left.
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WI3 ~WI5 | Cascada de la coada lacului stanga - with Mara Miron | 15m | |||||
The overhanging icicles on the left.
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WI3 ~WI5 | Cascada de la coada lacului stanga - with Mara Miron | 15m | |||||
The overhanging icicles on the left.
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WI3 ~WI5 | Cascada de la coada lacului stanga - with Mara Miron | 15m | |||||
The overhanging icicles on the left.
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WI3 | ★★ Cascada de la coada lacului dreapta - with Mara Miron | 15m | ★★ Very Good | ||||
Slabby line.
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WI3 | ★★ Cascada de la coada lacului dreapta - with Mara Miron | 15m | ★★ Very Good | ||||
Center, vertical line.
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Sat 3rd Feb 2024 - Coștila | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1B | ★★★ Hornul Coamei - with ionut brencea | ★★★ Mega Classic | |||||
Up to the Window and rappelled back. Dry start, poor ice on the second major obstacle, more snow above (gets kinda shitty under the Window). Not that cold, but 90km/h gusts, and not a lot of space between.
Rappel line we used with 2x60: one end of the ropes one from the Window to just above the piton at the entrance in Furcile lui Baticu, one 15m one from that to the bolt, one long but not full length one to a 2-piton belay station (on a ledge to the left of the chimney proper) and another end-of-the-ropes one to a few easily downclimbable m above the start |
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4 | ★★ Valea Gălbinelelor (principal) - with a merry bunch | ★★ Very Good | |||||
Good snow, all covered
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Fri 2nd Feb 2024 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Cheile Râşnovului New Dry-tooling Crag | |||||||
M4 | 2 | 10m | |||||
M6 | ★ 4 | 12m | |||||
Sat 13th Jan 2024 - Sinaia | |||||||
Zona Vânturiș | |||||||
WI3+ ~WI3 | ★★★ Cascada Vânturiș - with Dana Bazacliu | ★★★ Classic | |||||
Really cool, highly featured ice, the initial pillar almost feels like dancing. Did this once in the morning, came out of it super pumped. Spent the day running laps on the mini-waterfall above it, trying to train my brain in wasting less energy. Tried it again at the end of the day when I already felt tired and beat, came out on top with barely any pump. Yay learning
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Sat 13th Jan 2024 - Piatra Craiului | |||||||
Padina lui Călineţ Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1B | Brâul de Sus - with Andrei Badea | ||||||
Hornul N portion. Retreated pretty quickly due to shit snow
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1B | Padina lui Călineţ - firul principal - with Andrei Badea | ||||||
Good snow up to Saritoarea Mare, snow deposits and some windslab above. Most obstacles partially uncovered. We roped up for the last big obstacle (my head not in it that day) and descended the way since climbing nontechnical terrain on shit snow in high winds didn't sound fun
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Sat 6th Jan 2024 - Bucşoiul | |||||||
Padina Crucii | |||||||
M2 | Muchia Padinei Crucii - with a merry bunch | Don't Bother | |||||
Worst approach-to-technical terrain ratio ever. 2 very short pitches, at most M2, on friable bullshit that the new bolts improve but can't fix, and you do about 1500m altitude diff on trail and grass face for it. The company was lovely though, and at least it was good cardio, am not feeling v peaky these days
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Tue 2nd Jan 2024 - Caraiman | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1A | ★★ Valea Albă - with Dan Colniceanu | ★★ Very Good | |||||
On descent, horribly loose avalanche boulders under the Blid
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Tue 2nd Jan 2024 - Caraiman | |||||||
Peretele Albişoarelor | |||||||
★★ Brâul Văii Albe - with Dan Colniceanu | ★★ Very Good | ||||||
Almost no snow
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M3 | Albişoara Brânei - with Dan Colniceanu | ||||||
Good snow up to the Amphitheater, almost none after. Obstacles covered in the lower side, above we had a fun lil bit of drytooling, and an ice chimney that unfortunately mostly had ice on the exit
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Tue 2nd Jan 2024 - Piatra Craiului | |||||||
Măgura Faleza Mică | |||||||
5+ | ★★★ Uranus — 2 attempts | 10m | ★★★ Classic | ||||
Fri 29th Dec 2023 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Văiuga | |||||||
M3 | ★★★ Muchia vestică - with dragos neagu | 300m | ★★★ Mega Classic | ||||
Love.
My first winter lead (as opposed to winter gully solos, which are far lower responsibility). 4/5 avalanche risk (thankfully the wind that had created it had blown mostly westwards) so we kept to the rock more than the first documented ascent, which avoids the notch on the last portion of the ridge by a gully on the left... which we avoided since we wanted to not be found in early summertime with flowers growing out of our mouths, and took the ridge proper except for one sketchy downclimb and snow ledge traverse when the ridge got committing enough that I wasn't sure I could downclimb back if it turned out the V notch wasn't easily downclimbable/rappellable. Well, I say sketchy, but it was easy secure and protectable M2, it was just that I wouldn't have setup a 8m downclimb for a beginner second if I could have helped it without getting in worse trouble. It was all easy terrain, somehow you could find a M3 version of anything as long as you were willing to accept the zigzags and the runouts. Mostly shortpitched, with a bit of shortrope on the snow bits and full belay on the last portion of the ridge where shit gets weird, Lots of rime, 30cm long blades in many places, could play havoc with your rope if you weren't careful. Dull Sarkens far better than sharp Darts for this sort of terrain since they stick well in such shit. And such an adventure, the easy rock and good weather made doable a lot of alpine fuckery. Classical Fagaras schist pro only for babies like me I'll think about this climb for a long time. All I knew was the grade, a line drawn in Paint on a picture of Vaiuga west face, and one of my guide friends saying I could handle it on lead. He was right. Love. |
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Thu 28th Dec 2023 - Coștila | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1B | ★★★ Hornul Coamei - with baza | ★★★ Mega Classic | |||||
Really cool conditions (mostly dry in the lower side, hard ice patches) but after the approach from hell we were out of time. Rapped down from below the Furci icefall (not yet formed).
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1B | ★★ Valea Gălbinelelor (principal) - with baza | Crap | |||||
Horribly aerated snow up to Saritoarea Mare. Some sort of unholy marshmallow consistency. Nasty rimaye next to the first obstacle
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Sat 16th Dec 2023 - Coștila | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
M2 | ★★ Valea Gălbinelelor (principal) | ★★ Very Good | |||||
Lovely walk on perfect snow. Rock obstacles barely uncovered, easily downclimbable
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Sun 10th Dec 2023 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Sâmbăta Colţul Bălăceni | |||||||
M3 |
★★ Muchia Nord-Vestică
- with
Andrei Badea
1
M3
lead by
Andrei Badea
Ridge to the right of the normal gully, so we wouldn't bother the other team on the route
2
M2
lead by
Andrei Badea
Some M2 and more M1, we simulled maybe 10m
3
M2
lead by
Andrei Badea
Rejoined the official line. Back to the obelisk belay we retreated from last time. L'aventure commence.
4
M2
lead by
Andrei Badea
Spiciest pitch to lead. It's an easy but v exposed ridge, covered in unconsolidated snow. Can't see holds or pitons. With a lot of patience, housecleaning, commitment and a smidge of luck (hmm what is this great hold my right tool is on? Oooh a piton) it went well. Really fucking spectacular. Belay kinda leaning in our harnesses in one piton since we weren't sure we'd have anything better in reach
5
M3
lead by
Andrei Badea
Committing bit of ridge right after that single-piton belay, flake on the left looks like a good mobile placement but it'll fly. Easy, exposed ridge after
6
lead by
Andrei Badea
From the dihedral belay, we did the traverse versiron rather than the direct (one nut in the middle of the traverse, no pro otherwise. Found the crux quite spicy, it's a 5 in summer but small weird holds | 320m | ★★★ Mega Classic | ||||
Sun 10th Dec 2023 - Morarul | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
M4 | Râpa Zăpezii - Râpa Mare - with baza | Crap | |||||
Perfect consolidated snow in the lower part. The obstacle below the intersection with Rapa mica was recently affected by rockfall. The lower slab is full of crap, the upper right exit is blocked, and the upper left has you go through a new and poorly consolidated chimney and exit thru a sharp-edged window for a committing, exposed move on friable crap.
Between this and the hopefully-not-tuberculosis cold from hell, I had bad vibes about continuing so we rapped off (we added a second piton to the rap station over the second obstacle - crack could be deeper, but it should do) |
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Sun 3rd Dec 2023 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Cheile Râşnovului New Dry-tooling Crag | |||||||
M8 | ★★ 6 — 2 attempts - with Ruxandra V | 13m | |||||
M6 | ★ 4 - with Ruxandra V | 12m | |||||
Am pus buclele
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M6 | ★ 4 - with alex | 12m | |||||
Really glad Alex told me to try it, I'd never have guessed I can get my ass up a m6, even with rests
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M5 | 3 - with alex | 10m | |||||
Much less of a struggle than last year
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Sat 2nd Dec 2023 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Cheile Râşnovului Sector Creasta Generalului | |||||||
M5 | ★★★ Traseul 7 | 12m | |||||
Went slightly to the right of the bolt line, on the crack rather than the arete
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Sat 2nd Dec 2023 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Cheile Râşnovului Sector Pintenul Magarului | |||||||
M4 | Bondarul | 20m | |||||
Fluturele | 20m | ||||||
Sun 26th Nov 2023 - Jepii Mici | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
M5 | ★★ Valea Seacă dintre Clăi - with baza, Dragos Neagu, Marius | ★★ Very Good | |||||
Full start-of-season mixed conditions: wet in the lower third, snowed up in the middle third (I put on my crampons before the second window, later than would have been best), some ice in the upper third (2-3cm thick, easily separable from the rock below, we had some warm days before this). Made for easy but surprisingly cool climbing, esp somewhere in the middle where Baza decided against the classical, pitoned up traverse solution, free soloed some M4 mostly direct, then since I was on toprope and the M4 thing looked a)swingy and b) built for tall people I tried an overhanging direttisima version, maybe M5? There's a really bouldery fit-in-a-tight-box-and-then-do-a-long-move-over-the-overhang bit. Loved it.
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Sat 25th Nov 2023 - Jepii Mici | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1A | Brâul Mare al Jepilor - with baza, Dragos Neagu, Marius | ||||||
20-30cm powder. Snowfall looking lovely in our headlights
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Mon 20th Nov 2023 - Piatra Craiului | |||||||
Padina lui Călineţ Văi şi brâne | |||||||
M2 | Brâul de Mijloc - with Andrei Badea | ||||||
A completely different fucking experience in unconsolidated winter snow. Our initial plan had been climbier, but blizzard conditions meant we decided to stick to easy alpine. Was ... not super easy. Also managed to take a tumble into the bushes near the bivy spot, lol. As the poem says, "agatat in vid de-un jneapan" XD
Did the bit from Scara de Fier to Amfiteatrul Coltilor Gemeni. Small detour on what was probably a portion of Braul cu Scorusi (we saw a mouse!) .Wanted to do the median portion of Valea Podurilor, but the entrance traverse would have been too sketchy (and impossible to protect) in the current conditions. Having nothing better to do, we tried to see if you can get from the lower saddle of ACG to the upper one on the ridge rather than by descending and ascending. You can, it's 1 40m pitch of M2 with marginal pro opportunities (climbing the "fang" itself is sketchy AF due to super chossy rock and the aforementioned shit pro, but there's a ledge to be taken left after the initial chimney) and 1 rap down off a tree near the ledge (red cordelette now on it) |
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Sun 19th Nov 2023 - Făgărașului Massif | |||||||
Bâlea Lac (Bâlea Lake) Bâlea | |||||||
M3 | Piscul Bâlii - with Ionut Stirbu, Dan Colniceanu | ||||||
Alpine rope techniques class. We retreated off the penultimate peak since we wanted to catch the cabin down and we had moved quite slowly, since, again, classtime Absolutely lovely weather, 40-50cm unconsolidated powder snow.
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Sat 18th Nov 2023 - Piatra Craiului | |||||||
Valea Vlăduşca - Vâlcelul Căldării Ocolite Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1A | Traseul Anghelide - with Dan Colniceanu, Ionut Stirbu, Smaranda Tolosano | ||||||
On descent. Alpine rope technique class. 10-20cm snow
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M3 | Vâlcelul Crăiţei - with Dan Colniceanu, Ionut Stirbu, Smaranda Tolosano | ||||||
Alpine rope technique class. Straight up unti the traverse to Anghelide canyon, rather than taking any of the right chimneys.
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Sun 12th Nov 2023 - Caraiman | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1A | ★★ Brâna Portiţei | ★★ Very Good | |||||
Up to the Portita. Beachtime, and vibing away with the mountain goats.
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Mon 23rd Oct 2023 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Peretele Animalelor | |||||||
7- | ★★★ Lupul cel Rău | 200m, 3 | ★★★ Classic | ||||
Sun 22nd Oct 2023 - Coștila | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1B | Valea Seacă a Coştilei - with marius, elena | ||||||
Initial plan was Hornul Ascuns, and this as approach. God, but it was less weedy 2 years ago
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3 |
Coltul Prapadit
- with
marius, elena
1
3
lead by
marius
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We were expecting 100% bushwhacking to get there, so imagine our surpride when we got a relatively bush-free scramble, leading to a great view
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1A | Brâna Caprelor - with marius, elena | ||||||
From Seaca Costilei to Malin
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Sat 21st Oct 2023 - Bucşoiul | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
4- | Valea Pietrelor - with ursuletzii, etc | ||||||
Nice and dry. Main line. On lead for the main obstacle (only bit we roped up for). There's a manufactured bolt in the middle of it but it's not very useful.
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Mon 16th Oct 2023 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Peretele Animalelor | |||||||
7- | ★★★ Lupul cel Rău | 200m, 3 | ★★★ Classic | ||||
Sat 14th Oct 2023 - Coștila | |||||||
Peretele Văii Albe | |||||||
5 ~Ac |
★★ Lespezi
- with
andrei badea
1
3
lead by
andrei badea
2
5
lead by
andrei badea
3
1
lead by
andrei badea
4
4
lead by
andrei badea
5
5
lead by
andrei badea
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Partner not feeling well. From the Great Traverse, one can retreat down to the Sarutul Pamantului belay on Terenul de Fotbal in 1 55m rap, and then down the line of the route.
At least I know the way now. |
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Sat 14th Oct 2023 - Pietrele lui Solomon | |||||||
Faleza Junilor | |||||||
6a | ★★ Recreația mare — 2 attempts | ||||||
6a+ | ★★ Examenul de capacitate | ||||||
5c+/6a | ★★ Chiulangiul - with Ruxandra V | ||||||
6a+ ~6a | ★★ Examenul de capacitate - with Cristina Podocea | ★★★ Classic | |||||
Got scared of the space between bolts on the layback (do I hit a ledge?). Wasted a lot of armpower, ended up falling with my feet 1m above the bolt. Turns out I do not hit a ledge. However, at this point I had run out of forearms.
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6a+ ~6a | ★★ Examenul de capacitate - with Cristina Podocea | ★★★ Classic | |||||
A really bitchin' layback crossing into some cool dihedral/crack climbing. Climbs like a very tiny multipitch.
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5c+/6a ~5b | ★★ Chiulangiul - with Cristina Podocea | ||||||
Some moments of excitement when I wasn't very sure where the bolts were. Otherwise tho, good holds and obvious moves everywhere
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6a ~5c+ | ★★ Recreația mare — 2 attempts - with Cristina Podocea | ||||||
Fun dihedral, plaisir climbing.
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Fri 13th Oct 2023 - Piatra Craiului | |||||||
Prăpăstiile Zărneştilor Sectorul Grota | |||||||
6+ ~6 | ★ Guşatu' | 17m | ★ Good | ||||
Der Einstieg ist am besten etwas rechts des ersten Bohrhakens. Im unteren Teil würd ich die Route leichter bewerten, auf dem Band nach links fordert sie dann mehr. Insgesamt würde ich sie aber nicht schwerer als 6 bewerten. Insgesamt schöne Tour.
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Sun 8th Oct 2023 - Morarul | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
1A | ★★★ Brâul de Sus | ★★★ Mega Classic | |||||
On the northern side, a very fun walk on a nice path with amazing views and 1 easy (if exposed, assuming you're taller than me) rock move.
On the southern side, it's all grass of the sort that gets damn slippery in autumn, so it was a careful and focused traverse. Views on the north side are really out of this world though. Heavily recommended. |
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1A | Vâlcelul Morarului | Don't Bother | |||||
The day's plan was Brâul de Sus, but I wanted a belayer for my preferred approach on Valea Adanca, and I couldn't persuade anyone that climbing northern gullies on a day with a meteo alert for high northwestern winds would be type 1 fun. No worries, you can get there on Valea Morarului + grass slope, even if it's boring and you don't wanna. Had a Freudian moment when I came to the intersection between it and this gully though, looked at the red arrow pointing right and continued leftward, still being somehow sure I was on the right path
Realized this wasn't Kansas anymore maybe 150m higher. Up to Brâul Mare al Morarului, the gully is technically very easy ... which made it climbable even while covered in lubey gunk. How to make a 2+ friction slab feel like 4+, basically. Downclimbing it would have been shitty, and I didn't want to descend the left face on 6-7 20m bush rappels either, so I continued upwards, thinking to reevaluate my situation on Brâul Mare. Was quite cheered up by a message from a friend with an encyclopedic knowledge of the area* telling me that the iffiest obstacle of the route was right under the Brâu but otherwise life should be smooth sailing, which arrived just as I was navigating it successfully. Now, the thing about Romanian scrambling grades is that they rely on the "official" detours being taken. Following the geological line, or taking non-official detours, can lead to a far more fun day than you'd expect given the grade. The second part of my friend's message said that after Brâul Mare, I should leave the gully proper and climb the dwarf pine patch to the right until the end. Dwarf pine bushwhacking for a few hundred meters altitude difference is not my idea of a good time though, and I could see a decent grass face on the left up to Brâul de Mijloc, so decided to find my own way instead. The grass face went fine. Brâul de Mijloc was also where I thought I'd find it, but rather than traversing on it until the middle of the dwarf pine patch proper, I thought I'd try my way a bit higher on the grass+rock portion under it before rejoining. These tend to be famous last words in Bucegi - for those of you who hadn't had the pleasure, a problem with these slopes is that they're very friable (both the grass pillows and the rocks easily detach from the substrate). So when the angle gets high enough that you're climbing rather than walking, you'd better be very careful about what you're doing, and there's no guarantee you'll be able to reach a point 30m away without gambling your life. It's micro route finding all the way, looking for the holds that are secure enough to take a bit of pressure and the line that will allow you to climb with the minimum pressure, and the micro route finding led me to almost the top of the gully before I could rejoin the bushes (my favourite species in the world by then). Probably the most committing thing I did this year. It was a very fun adventure for this one particular climber in that one particular mood on that one particular day, but I have to rate this Don't Bother because the "official" line will have you dislodging dwarf pine bits out of various orifices for a week after, and the line I took .... well, the sort of thing where you're barely even climbing but if anything breaks you die and everything is very friable and completely unprotectable is a typical style in the wilder corners of the Carpathians, but a very acquired taste. P.S: the wind was fine, as I guessed, the area would be in the lee of Omu/Bucsoiu/Creasta Balaurului. *If any of you want a guide for scrambling in Bucegi, Andrei Badea from BackToNature is your man |
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Sat 7th Oct 2023 - Piatra Craiului | |||||||
Padina lui Călineţ Padina lui Călineţ | |||||||
5 | ★★ Creasta Frumoasă | 180m | |||||
Tue 26th Sep 2023 - Coștila | |||||||
Peretele Gălbinelelor | |||||||
4+ - 6+ A0 |
★★ Grotelor
1
2
3
4
5
| 150m, 2 | |||||
Sat 23rd Sep 2023 - Coștila | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
2A | ★★★ Valea Urzicii | Crap | |||||
Sun 17th Sep 2023 - Muchia Cheii | |||||||
Peretele Animalelor | |||||||
6 A0 |
★★★ Lupul cel Rău
- with
Andrei Badea
1
5+
lead by
Andrei Badea
Nice and smooth, classical first-pitch Animale bushwhacking
2
6 A0
lead by
Andrei Badea
3
6 A0
lead by
Andrei Badea
Layback is easier if you don't layback it. Very aesthetic pitch
4
6 A0
lead by
Andrei Badea
Really cool dihedral here. By now I was quite beat and rested on the rope a lot. The traverse was incredibly fun.
5
5 A0
lead by
Andrei Badea
Ropes ended up crossing each other quite a bit, made things a bit tough in the crux since I needed to sit on my PAS in the piton below and untangle them with about a meter of extra slack before I could reach the draw in the crux. | 200m, 3 | ★★★ Classic | ||||
Sun 10th Sep 2023 - Morarul | |||||||
Colţii Morarului | |||||||
4 | ★★★ Traversarea Acelor Morarului | ||||||
Sun 10th Sep 2023 - Caraiman | |||||||
Văi şi brâne | |||||||
5 | ★★★ Valea Seacă a Caraimanului - with baza | ★★★ Mega Classic | |||||
Hornurile Vaii Seci version, retreat on Braul de sub Streasina rather than up on Caraiman to save some time. Still missed my train tho.
The inferior part (up until the end of Valcelul Mortului) is pretty much dry - led or soloed most of it (exception: Saritoarea lui Zangur, where I really didn't like using a rotten log and an even more rotten piton as pro, with my last good piece (red Totem) halfway between me and the ground)). On account of life being very wet, we didn't try the initial chimney of the Hornuri version directly, but did the "classical" version that avoids it on the right. Rest was led by Baza, wet but not horribly so. An extra piton was added in the Big Chimney at the beginning of the crux (rock looks like that's where the Great Snake Accident of 2023 happened). Took us 12h from Busteni to the top - I'm not the fastest lead, plus we had a lot of pitons to test and hammer back in. Descent on Braul de sub Streasina + Valea Spumoasa + Braul Portitei + Jepii Mici. Don't really recommend the Spumoasa trick in summer unless you absolutely have to, top part is a shitty grass slope where one slip means you end up a few hundreds of m lower. |
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Sat 9th Sep 2023 - Piatra Craiului | |||||||
Padina lui Călineţ Padina lui Călineţ | |||||||
6+ A1 |
★★ Creasta Coarnele Caprei
- with
Dana Bazacliu
1
4+
40
lead by
Dana Bazacliu
Did the original pitch, belaying off a rock. Dana tried the 5+ leftmost variant (quite friable), I did the 4+ right one (not friable, but grassy, some pro opportunities available on the right). The theoretical new bolt belay is actually a single bolt, and the following 4+ chimney is only protected at the base, so we continued on the original pitch.
2
6+ A0
50
lead by
Dana Bazacliu
Did the old pitch, but broken down in 2 pitches (can't increase pitch number on thecrag), by using the new P1 belay (1 bolt, 1 tree, not 2 bolts like on the drawing) as an intermediate belay. First bit is cool but really pumpy - aided my way up until the overhanging dihedral, which I freed, but rested on the rope. 25m 7- if free Second bit just has 1 draw I pulled on, at the initial overhang, and then easy (5 or less) terrain to the belay at a rock. 25m 70
3
5-
60
lead by
Dana Bazacliu
Also broken down in 2 pitches on account of rope drag. Final belay on rock horn + red totem
4
6-
30
lead by
Dana Bazacliu
Did the original version, with the photogenic layback (protectable by slingable chockstone). Belayed at a rock right after reaching the ridge, since Dana wanted to warn me about a very loose rock on the ridge (still there, there were people in the gullies below). Bolt belay (2 bolts) is 10m onwards on the ridge, at the base of the first face, which would be a 50m pitch then.
5
3
30
lead by
Dana Bazacliu
Had almost forgotten about that bushwhack
6
6 A1
60
lead by
Dana Bazacliu
My favourite pitch. Accidentally stepped on a piton, so rather than 6/6+ let's say 6 A1.Fancy, balancy, well-protected 6 UIAA face climbing mixed with 5 UIAA friable alpine crap | 270m, 10 | ★★ Very Good | ||||
Not quite the pitches in the CR drawing, since not all of the belays are actually where that shows them.
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Mon 4th Sep 2023 - Sinaia | |||||||
Stânca Sf. Ana Carieră | |||||||
6a | ★★ Traseul Negru | ||||||
Mon 4th Sep 2023 - Sinaia | |||||||
Stânca Sf. Ana Brâna | |||||||
7 | Muk — 9 attempts | 20m | |||||
Bau | |||||||
Before the top the trail vanishes & I finished it in CuCu
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