Ascents in Văi şi brâne

Descent off Tapului. Slight snow, no ice

On descent. Got a tad lost for a few minutes at one point near the traverse.

So much easier in the daytime. Don't get there before sundown often, it seems.

On descent. Broken up snow on the upper part, full snow in the valley proper up to the waterfall, which is a waterfall now. Still downclimbable on the left.

One of the last days the downclimb to the left of the main obstacle can be done, the rimaye is getting big and the snow ridge is getting delicate

Solo. Perfect, perfect snow, covering everything under BMC. The major obstacle above BMC is also almost entirely covered - maybe 3m of M2 today. Didn't continue, though, since on such a warm and sunny day there was quite a bit of rockfall, a lot of it funnelled through the obstacle, and considering the visible corniche on the right upper line and that the invisible and theoretically corniche free left upper line involved a rocky friable ridge I didn't yet know if I was ok with unbelayed, I decided against the version of reality where I had a good chance of needing to go down the funnel...err... major obstacle once again 2h later in full noon sun. Easy descent, 90% walking and a bit of downclimbing, on not yet sticky snow, in 1h

Love.

Inferior part still fully covered up, although we did have quite a bit of fun exploring the occasional rimaye. Some of them are full caves by now.

Obstacle over BMC is partially uncovered (just below the crux) - we climbed some swiss cheese of a snowblock to get to rock. Crux below the suspended boulder is pretty awesome, some rather marginal crampon and axe holds on the right face (or, in summer, a bouldery undercling on the suspended boulder + smear feet on the right face) that take you to an offwidth crack used to mantle over the face. Decently protectable, there's a good in situ piton (plus a slab that can be tied off with a sling) above the initial ledge, and a crack that takes medium friends on the left after the crux. Easy terrain there, then another fun exit over a spherical chockstone (in situ and not very good piton on the right of it, room for a small friend on the left, but by the time you're above the pro you're home free) - it's all about the feet. There's a new piton 2-3m above the obstacle to the right, and a crack that takes small/medium nuts 1m above the obstacle, so the second has it easy.

Above that, there's an uncovered slab which we avoided on the right due to seeing a bunch of footballs roll down it as we were packing up our gear, and then the valley splits. The rocks had come from the left arm, so we took the right arm (uncovered initial chimney, quite light - there's some red cordelette around a sketchy boulder - probably a rap station - and then pure snow). We first tried a direct exit through the corniche, since it had vastly diminished in size, but we still had 1.5m of snow above, too poorly consolidated to do any overhanging moves on, so we avoided it on the right where a small ridge meant a break in the overhang.

Dry up to 1600m, mixed higher. Single, nontechnical axe (as second, leader used two in some areas), went around some of the main obstacles including the Big Break so quite a bit of bush climbing in the end Exited on BMC, descended via Priponului

On approach to Muchia de Sus a Crestei Frumoase. Inferior part up to the Big Break, then we crossed over on a ledge to Creasta Frumoasa, climbed that for a while, and then followed Seaca Costilei up to Strunga Neagra. Mostly dry with some wet spots, some ice beginning at 1800m

10-20cm of soft snow. Retreat at 1700m (crossing Valea Verde and Malinului and descending on Valcelul lui Teodor) due to bad weather and late time. Single, nontechnical axe (fine as second if avoiding the main obstacles)

Initial plan was Hornul Ascuns, and this as approach. God, but it was less weedy 2 years ago

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

Partial (from Valea Seaca a Costilei to Valea Malinului), as retreat off Valea Seaca a Costilei.

From Seaca Costilei to Malin

On descent, after failing to find the right crossing point for BMC (10m visibility, we found ourselves lower than we should have been) and deciding that'd take too much time anyway. Absolutely lovely gully, must be a complete delight to climb dry, however, we were downclimbing it wet which is a different type of fun. 5 raps out of which 2 very short ones off boulders above Lespezi to avoid unstable-feeling downclimbs, 2 off the regular rap stations and 1 off the top bolt of the chain-equipped lowest obstacle (iffy bolt btw, it's a homemade one with a painted hanger where the paint is showing twist stress lines)

Dry rock, climbing a pleasure. First time on a 1B with no help from above.

On descent. Iffy traverse from Creasta Malinului, then run for downhill/run for your lives since it's high noon and high sun and the corniche is spectacular. Wet firn, easy to move on. Rocks the size of a couple fridges and a van have recently falllen from the chimney on the opposite of Valea Hornurilor

Pleasant walk from Strunga Galbinele to Braul Mare al Costilei

Above Strunga Galbinele, to Brana Mare a Costilei

Good snow, rock nearly entirely covered. We only used a real belay on the first rocky bit, and everything was easily climbable on a single non-technical ice axe

Lower portion (we traversed to Coltilor valley after the crux, then ridge walked between Strunga Coltilor and Strunga Galbinele). Wet but not overflowing, made the crux a bit distressing since the exit tilts you to the right without a footsmear and the rock wasn't exactly in smearable conditions. The traverse to Coltilor is a 50m long grass ledge that starts out narrow (protectable with pitons, or small/medium nuts - we didn't leave anything in situ tho) then widens out and fills up with shrubs.

On lead, which was far more chill than I'd have thought. It's good to have a belay. Great conditions and dry rock btw.

First obstacle goes straight on the faace under the first piton rather than following the still wet crack (I took a slide). 3 UIAA, bunch of pitons in the crack, next time I'll only bother with the first one since it's easy terrain and it only makes it more of a bother for the seconds, if going on the same rope. Tallish btw, 20m of rope to the bolt belay.

Second obstacle went free on the 'window' half (such a great window, too, all twisty) for everyone. Backpacks were a mess tho. Got belayed on the second part (pinkpoint not redpoint since Meehai also wanted to climb it on lead 😃) and if you're not using the in situ rope ladder, it's a honest 5 I think, that move where you get past the overhanging part of the offwidth by using a sideways 1cm ledge for your right foot, a smear for the left and nothing useful for your hands is quite honest.

We did the third optional obstacle as well, it's pretty great. A bunch of slabby 3 UIAA chimney, with a 4 traverse to a window. Make sure to sling the window (120cm sling, dyneema, extend with aan alpime draw) to keep your seconds from swinging into the wall should they fall in the lower part. Preferred not to belay on the string of chockstones above (one goes, all go) but there's a large boulder above that can be slung on a 240 (amd a bit more iffiily on 180

My thanks to a really great team!

On descent. 15-20cm sticky snow over moderate amounts of tree detritus. Crossing from Valea Verde a tad tricky - small wall with v. friable dirt + v. friable trees

On descent. 4 rappels (bolted anchors), downclimbed the last major obstacle (e.g butt-scooted)

Did the whole chimney (including the eponymous chimney) rather than just using it as a detour to get past the main obstacle on Galbinele valley, since the second obstacle on Galbinele valley was, shall we say, not in condition. Friction slab + verglas != love.

Loved the chimney, btw. It's precisely me-sized, so felt comfortable trying all sorts of crampon feet without worrying what happens if I fall.

Climbed up to Braul Strungii but I feel comfortable calling this a tick rather than a retreat since it covers the major technical bits. Lovely condition, rock relatively uncovered, ice enough for screws. We pitched the whole of it on account of a rather newbie second (me). Took the Braul Strungii exit on account of likely major wind slabs in the top funnel - right decision, I feel, considering the amount of slabbage we had to dodge on retreat.

Somewhere in the middle of this I first started feeling like my frontpoints are part of my feet, rather than weird unwieldy tools I need to place from a distance.

Started off where we retreated last time. The 'window' obstacle is uncovered for 5m or so, quite possibly the coolest bit of climbing I ever did on a gully, and made even better by a) doing it solo and b) having my partner on the last attempt on whatsapp offering support (encouragement, jokes, angling for my Totems if I gank it). Thanks mate. Also, there's a piton stack above it on the right as you climb, black cordelette. Above that, the snow is relatively continuous but with big rimayes so sometimes you're climbing snow ridges, and there's a couple rock ridges as well but nothing harder than M2. Below, as far as I could see, the entrance is dry and the technical part is in great mixed conditions, partially uncovered rock and patches of snow. First 2 pitches of Furcile are also snowed up, the icefall has melted tho.

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).

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

Short and sweet, had to do a bit of ballet to avoid wind slabs

Almost entirely dry. The routes on Umarul Galbinele are in summer conditions as well.

Descent from Strunga Hornurilor. Heavy but stable snow, annoying to go waist deep occasionally though. Some snow hollows in the middle part so stay roped up, ending up with your feet treading air can be interesting

Skipped the main two obstacles on Hornul dintre Fire. Mostly free, had my leader hold my arm on the exit of one problem as I switched feet on a hold but next time that shouldn't be necessary

We came, we saw, we fucked off. Too much work for an approach route.

Mostly continuous snow in the inferior part. Second obstacle pokes out 2m. Above the split with Hornul Coamei, interrupted snow. Above Braul Strungii, it's dry. Solo.

Lovely walk on perfect snow. Rock obstacles barely uncovered, easily downclimbable

Horribly aerated snow up to Saritoarea Mare. Some sort of unholy marshmallow consistency. Nasty rimaye next to the first obstacle

Good snow, all covered

Skipped the first obstacles on grassy right, was belayed thrice in the canyon, continued on the left side, mostly between gullies. Retreat on Brana Mare a Costilei. As imprecise as Romanian alpine grades are, this is definitely more than 1B if going straight up the fall line. Sustained UIAA 4 'problems' throughout the lower canyon

Retreated at the canyon - a bit too much rockfall going on around me to risk it in the Costila particle accelerator.

On knee high fresh snow and 4/5 avalanche risk, it becomes a completely different route. Pitched the whole rocky part of the ridge, then rapped/downclimbed back on our tracks to avoid the Hornul lui Gelepeanu exit and the associated risk. 18 hours

From Valea Tapului to Valea Priponului. 20-30cm of snow, some ice at the gully crossings. Belayed the more exposed Urzicii crossing - there are 2 old pitons, 1 on a small face right before the crossing, 1 right after the crossing protecting the slight downclimb, and then as you follow the BMC there's a clepsidra that takes a wired nut right before the bend, and a belay boulder (150cm+ sling) right at the end of a 30m rope.

From Creasta Malinului to Valea Priponului