What you need ot know if you go Hiking Piatra Craiului

Hiking Piatra Craiului can be a delightful experience, however there are a few things you need to know before going. The Piatra Craiului massif is the only mountain that stands out for its altitude and spectacular ridge, it is compact and prominent. The Crai is also said to be a steep and steep „blade” of sedimentary rock, some 25 km long and 6-8 km wide. Here we also find the highest density of valleys. And while we’re on the subject of superlatives, you’ll find that the maximum altitude of the Craiului is reached at Vârful La Om or “Piscul Baciului”, 2238 metres.

Piatra Craiului Mountain has numerous other peaks over 2000 metres: Vf.Padina Popii, Vf. Ascuțit, Vf. Căldării Ocolite. Study closely all that the National Park has to offer, and in particular the Piatra Craiului Massif.

Piatra Craiului National Park is located in the Southern Carpathians, including the Pietrei Craiului Ridge and areas in the neighbouring Rucăr-Bran and Rucăr-Zărnești corridors. The park covers parts of Brasov and Argeș counties, namely areas in Zărnești, Moeciu, Bran, Rucăr and Dâmbovicioara. The total area is 14773 ha, of which more than 7800 ha in Brasov. There are only two villages inside the National Park: Măgura and Peștera.

The Piatra Craiului massif became a nature reserve in 1938, due to the unique character of the massif and the beauty of the landscape.

How to prepare accordingly

To have the Piatra Craiului Massif in your neighbourhood, to watch the movements of the cloud ceiling, to sit with a tight heart that you will catch, or not, the best shots to keep in a precious archive of photographs.

The lifeguards’ forecast is optimistic: „You’ll have sunshine on the Crai in the morning!” It did, but only for a short while. This is something to be taken into account by all those who go Hiking Piatra Craiului, the weather changes very quickly. And the right equipment is a must.

There are also some shelters for tourists: Diana, Spirlea, Vf. Ascuțit, those in Șaua Grindului or Șaua Funduri, in the form of igloos.

There are more than 30 tourist trails, with varying degrees of difficulty, about 20 are main tourist trails, and a few are only for experienced mountaineers.

Common sense advice from a professional mountaineer

Hiking Piatra Craiului can be fun if you know how to prepare beforehand. Check the map of the route you want to do beforehand. Also, download offline Google Maps, it might be useful for orientation, it has helped us, mountaineers many times (where there is GPS signal). Offline, because without GSM signal you won’t have much of a map to load on your screen.

Check online for blogs or sites that have written about this route. To get an idea of what to expect in terms of difficulty, dangerous sections, markings and conditions. You can also get information from the mountain huts or the mountain rescue points in the area you are going to hike.

Also, check the weather conditions. We do not recommend family hikes when rain or storms are forecast. If you can’t really enjoy the beauties of nature, then what’s the point of that hike?

You need mountain gear – boots (not sandals, not sneakers, not slippers), sturdy boots with grippy soles and thick enough so you don’t feel the rocks and their corners. Also, raincoats because the weather can change at any time on the mountain, plus something thick to put on in case the wind gets too sharp and cold. Protect yourself! Trekking poles can be useful both on the way up and especially on the way down, to use as a foothold.

Take plenty of water with you, especially on hot days, as there are few water sources on the plateau Something sweet, fruit is good for extra energy on steep passages. Sunscreen is also a must. Protect your skin from sunburn

In your rucksack, a minimal first-aid kit won’t hurt (bandages, spritzer, disinfectant, good aspirin after exertion to minimise muscle fever)

For bears I’d recommend firecrackers, pressurized air volutes or pepper spray. But the easiest would be to make your presence felt on the forest paths, mainly by talking, whistling occasionally. Anyway, on the popular trails frequented by many tourists, a bear encounter is less likely, theoretically speaking.
And of course, don’t litter the mountain, after eating and drinking, put everything back in your backpack.