OK, a bit of an update, with some photos this time (if I can get them to show in something like the right order).
Starting from the beginning, Brendan Lally gave me a call on Sunday (4th September) to say he was in Brasov and had missed the train down to our village, so I popped up there to collect him, and we took a little ride out to Bolboc reservoir.
We moved on to the Pestera Monastery... this is the approach by foot up to the entrance gate to a cave in the cliff-face...
Inside the cave is this cute little church
Brendan's no slouch when it comes to overlanding, in 2014 he made his way back from Alaska to the UK via the USA, South America, and after shipping his 80 to the Cape, back up through South Africa, Eastern Africa, Syria and across Europe from East to West. 30,000 miles across 4 continents with 3 kids in a year!
Nice guy, thanks Brendan for sharing your experiences and popping by.
Next to show (on Monday 5th) was Shayne & Helen in the mighty 90, with Chas in his "characteristic" 80. Welcome back guys!!
We weren't home when they arrived late in the afternoon, we were dropping Brendan back to Brasov. That meant that they'd had time for a shower and they'd put the kettle on, so there was a brew waiting for us when we got home!
Next day (Tuesday 6th) we went up on the ridge. It was fine, dry and sunny. We stopped just outside Seceria on the start of the track and Chas & Shayne aired down a bit to shed the motorway economy pressures in their Cooper SSTs.
I didn't bother, so I sat having a ciggy while they sorted themselves out. The climb up to the ridge was waiting for us patiently....
The going was effortless, perfect weather and good visibility. We stopped at the first natural vantage point at 1,550 m or so, for the obligatory line-up shots.
... and from the good side...
I'm not posting too many photos because there's already a plethora of pics from similar runs along this ridge on other posts, but I did notice a "new" memorial stone on the way...
Apparently, a 34 year old 4 x 4 driver was doing a multi-point turn on this narrow track, lost control and his truck rolled down the mountain. Luckily his wife and 2 young kids jumped or were thrown clear unhurt, but sadly he lost his life to the incident. Another reminder that the mountain is not forgiving and the slightest error can end in disaster. RIP Marius Georgescu.
Thankfully, our trip was without incident and back at base-camp we all settled down to a cuppa, a well earned meal (thanks to Aura) and a few bevvies...
Next day (Wednesday 7th), we ventured to the Seven Springs cascade, not far from home, at the back of the Bucegi range of the Carpathian Mountains. This pic is taken from the top, but it's been so dry since June, the falls were not very impressive at all.
Looking up towards the power-house ...
A bit further on was the hydro reservoir, Lacul Scropoasa where our 8 year-old daughter Ana enjoyed the ducks...
In the heart of the mountains, every view was pine and rocks, and occasional foreigners out for a stroll, mentioning no names Chas...
This was actually a nostalgia trip for my wife Aura, she'd last been here on a school trip when she was about 11 years old
.
... and some classic views of the mountains as we got back onto tarmac for the descent back down to civilisation...
On Thursday 8th, we took the forest road up Valea Doftane which eventually comes out at a village called Secele, on the outskirts of Brasov.
The blue skies continued with temps around 25C which was rather pleasant. It was still dry so Shayne's truck was gathering dust as he was the "sweeper" taking up the rear of the trio.
Chas' 80 wasn't much different as he was following me...
We found a hill track going back into the forest, quite irresistible as it was quite a steep one, well, you have to don't you...? Shayne's 90 romped it, as you'd imagine, up....
... and down...
My truck did too, but I think my photographer Aura was trying to suggest that it wasn't steep at all... funny though, I've not seen pine trees growing at that angle...
Safely down. As Chas was slightly older, and somewhat wiser, he stayed on terra-firma and I guess he thought it was all a bit childish...
A bit further on, we found a nice little spot by the stream, just right for a BBQ, some leisurely drinks and a chin-wag.
It was a nice spot, so we chilled... while the chicken grilled.
Eventually, we pressed on to the end of the valley where it widens and horses graze on the open grass areas...
Then we emerged in Secele and headed home on the rather busy DN1 back to Comarnic.
Friday 9th took us to the picnic spot by the river that we've adopted, good fun for a splash in the shallow water, and more BBQ.
While I was getting the BBQ lit and some grub on, Chas decided to drive along the river to the start of the "deeper" bit just before the hydro-lake barrage. Not such a good idea, marked only by the lack of photos here. I hope Helen posts some of the video/pics she took of Chas, whilst he was crackling on the CB something about his trousers getting wet while his 80 was churning up the silt, going absolutely nowhere.
Oh bugger, so muggins hot-footed it in my 80, up behind him at a safe distance, not wanting to be anywhere that would stop me pulling him out. There I was in my undies, wading in slimy mud and silt to attach a winch-line to his up-to-my-shoulder-in-cold-river-water recovery point.
It was strange though, while pulling him, and despite loads of revs and churning bubbles coming from his zorst, his rear wheels weren't going round. In fact none of his wheels were going round as I dragged him backwards.
Mmmm, something not quite right there I thought...
Back on dry land, he gave it some revs and the Auto 80 started to creep forward. Eventually he got back to our impromptu BBQ site and we started the diagnosis of what might have happened to kill his reverse gear and make the forward drive rather lazy, to say the least.
Some emergency SMS messages to Julian V and a lot of umming-'n'- ahh'ing, we decided his auto box was well and truly drowned. The ATF looked like Heinz's finest mayo and reverse gear simply didn't work. Forward gears did though (of a fashion) so we limped him back to base-camp for a dry-out and an unplanned change of ATF and some dry clothing.
Maybe more about this later...
On Saturday 10th, we visited the Salt Mine about an hour and a half's drive from us. A strange experience, as they loaded us into dodgy looking Iveco mini-busses, and set off through the village where we promptly disappeared into a tunnel and started a spiral descent.
What greeted us (even with some warning) was quite stunning. These chambers deep underground, were at the least 40-50m high.
The biggest FO chainsaw I'll ever see ... the blade is about 2 m long and the teeth are carbide or diamond...
A bit difficult to photograph because the light was quite low, and no photo really captures the sheer height and scale of this place.
The strata in the rock salt was quite impressive and you can see folds both in the foreground and the background, cut-faces.
So, after cooling down in the bowels of the earth (or rocks more-like) we stopped by our little river spot for more BBQ.....
Some beer (Chas had another mishap shutting his can in the door...)...
Marshmallow toasting for afters...
Which went down well with choco-dip for one in particular...
and the customary fireside natter till it went dark...
More to follow....
A quick edit...
1. It's 3:15 am and I should be in bed;
2. I think I have the days mixed up a bit; and
3. Where did these photos come from?
I think I must have been hibernating or something as I could have sworn you had only just left.
