The shiniest hiking trip: from Moeciu de Sus to the Guțanu Meadow

The shiniest hiking trip: from Moeciu de Sus to the Guțanu Meadow

24th of january, a public holiday in Romania 

In Romania, the 24th of January is celebrates as the unification day –“ziua unirii”– public holiday when the population is celebrating the union of the modern Romania, more precisely, in 1859, under the ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Moldovia and Wallachia formally untied to create the United Principalities.

Thus, it is a day off for most of the people among which are counted the members of my family. We decide to take advantage of this public holiday and enjoy it by exploring and getting to know more beautiful lands that the country currently possessed.

From Prahova Valley to Moeciu de Sus: the roads to take

Because we want to go to places we haven’t been to yet, after doing lots of research and looking many times on hiking maps or asking other hikers opinions, we come to the conclusion to go to Moeciu de Sus and take a hiking trail leading to Poiana Guțanu and Bătrâna peak.

To avoid the crowded roads which are always forming, especially during a public holiday, we leave our home – situated in a village around The Prahova Valley – very early in the morning and, by taking the DN 1 road, followed by the 73A and 73F roads, in almost 2 hours we arrive in Moeciu de Sus, near a guest house named Mistral from where the footpath through the mountains begins.

Moeciu de Sus, a village on hills

Driving the car along Moeciu de Sus turns out to be a great discovery of a wonderful village located between the curvy hills and mountains. Although now Moeciu de Sus is more like a mountain resort with many guest houses and hotels, on the steep curvy hills we can see traces from the past: wooden haystacks for hay and cattle, which are giving the place an authentic aspect and are creating a charming landscape.

Who gets out of the car at -12 degress Celsius?

Is 8.00 AM and the thermometer of the car indicates almost -12 degree Celsius. As we park the car and stop its engine, we are strangely looking at each other and wonder who will be the first to encounter the cold outside? We stay a little on thoughts, laugh at the situation and finally take the courage to get out of the car. Uhhh, what a cold, fresh and crispy air! The first breath is literally awakening! The satisfying thing that I love the most is the sound of the frozen snow under my boots. I have been longing for this feeling in so long!

Family is out in the cold and in the back of the trunk to put a thick layer of clothes on and have some hot tea, coffee or quick snacks before starting on the trail. Staying only in one spot is not possible and I am moving around with the hot cup of tea to warm myself up or to try not to freeze.

Entering in Bucegi Natural Park: the foot path to follow

After the snack breakfast, we take our backpacks, in which we have more hot tea, coffee, water, snacks, changing clothes, a first aid kit and a physical map of the mountains we are about to explore, and enter, by crossing the barrier at the end of the road, The Bucegi Natural Park.

The tourist mark that we follow is symbolized with a red triangle. The full hiking route starts here, in Moeciu de Sus and finishes up at Omu peak – the highest peak of the Bucegi Mountains – passing through many beautiful points of interest and natural attractions such as The Guțanu Meadow or The Bătrâna peak.

If you wanna find out more about the Romanian Mountains and how to guide yourself through its many path, here Worth seeing places in Romania: The mountains you can read an article that might help and give you answers to questions such as: what are the tourist markings?

Leaving the road behind and entering into the forest

The cold makes us to walk rapidly but we have to pay attention to the slippery frozen path. In the beginning, we keep going on the forest road being surrounded from both sides of fir trees and spruces.

Soon, we find an indicator telling to leave the forest road and turn left to cross a wooden bridge and enter the forest.

Here, the terrain steeper and steeper as we move up forward. What’s impressive in the woods is the foot path which, at same points, shrinks, deepens and transforms into a high groove looking very interesting and mysterious. We don’t feel the cold anymore and I am actually sweating from all of the effort it takes to go up the mountain. Here and there, the path way is covered with frozen snow and ice making the way up more difficult.

A cold, but shinning morning: the light of the forest

In one place, the dense forest allows us to take a look between its tall trees and we can observe from here the opposite mountains, more precisely, the Leaota Massif with its ridge covered in snow.

The morning light starts to shine strongly through the trees, warming up the landscape and creating movie scenes like. The little forest’s vegetation is beautifully highlighted by the warm light. I stop so many times to capture as much as I can and I don’t know where to look first because there are numerous tiny things to admire. It seems such as the light is powerful, creating a magical appearance everywhere it gets.

Abruptul Brănean starts to appear into the horizon

Shortly, the path is lowered and goes smoothly to an open space, a meadow where we are overwhelmed by all of the surroundings which are beginning to appear each by each from many corners and horizons.

The “Brănean Steep” of the Bucegi Mountains emerges from the distance, standing high, proud and unshakeable over the top of the trees. Here, we stumble across another tourist indicator announcing that the Padina Hut is at 3 hours away.

We keep moving forward or to the right and the path is no longer steep, but gentle and walking on it feels good, comfortable.

“Abruptul Brănean” becomes higher and higher and, on the other hand, not a few massifs begin to make their presence felt. To the right are spreading the Leaota Mountains, turning our heads back, very far in the distance, are raising up the Iezer Păpușa Mountains and the Piatra Craiului Mountains.

The sky is so blue and extremely clear allowing us to perceive all of the environment far and beyond. It cannot be more perfect then that, we are so lucky and blessed with such an appropriate and flawless weather. I cannot believe all of the views which are slowly spreading and uncovering in front of my eyes.

I’ve been hiking through the mountains in a while, but being here, around these places, gets me completely speech less and this probably ranks as one of my favorites mountain location I have ever trekked.

The former haunting house "Bângăleasa"

The former hunting house “Bângăleasa” is introduced into the landscape as well as The Guțanu Meadow, the last one being situated at the base of the steep mountain. Unfortunately, the former hunting house is now abandoned.

I don’t know the story of the house, but I can say for sure that the wooden construction would have been remarkable if it was still used or even better, transformed into a mountain cottage, keeping its specific architecture and included in the mountain tourist circuit.

The position of the house is just extraordinary: at about one to two hours away from Moeciu de Sus, positioned at the intersection - and near – many hiking trails coming from different directions and in a breath taking landscape, at the base of Bucegi Mountains. I just cannot explain myself why the former hunting house is kept in this awful situation, desolated.

Arriving to the Guțanu Meadow: how many mountains are there to see?

As we pass by the sad but still beautiful in a way Hunting House, and move up forward, there are other hills and mountains appearing into the landscape. The view gets pretty clear as well as the entire mountain massif we are in the middle of. Under the great, might steep of Bucegi Mountains spreads The Guțanu Meadow and we have finally reached it!

The meadow is all powdered in snow and bordered delightfully as it seems safe guarded by the still green fir and spruce trees. This is probably the most wonderful meadow I have been to and, even if the altitude we are at is not so high, only around 1500 meters, the views from here are amazing.

The 3 trekking path intersecting in Poiana Guțanu

There are 3 tourist hiking trails meeting in Poiana Guțanu: the red triangle which we have been following since morning, the red stripe that leads either up to Refugiul Strunga and then even upper to the ridge of the mountain, connecting the mountain shelter with the Bătrâna peak or goes down to the Padina Hut (in 3 hours) and the blue triangle which directs to the Gaura Mountain.

How long does it takes to go from Moeciu to Guțanu Meadow?

To get from Moeciu de Sus to the Guțanu Meadow lasts about one hour and half to two hours in conditions of snowed and bit slippery path. Plus, we have stopped quite a few times to take photos, have a snack and a drink, look longer at the views or on the map to get to know more of the locations.

After we take a photo break in Guțanu Meadow, we decide, because we still have plenty of time and daylight to continue on the same trail, to climb upper to discover more of what’s next.

Climbing through the snow and fir trees

There are -1 degrees Celsius outside right now and there is not even a slightly movement of wind, thus, it feels like there are +10 degrees in the air. Is time for same good old fashioned mountain bronze in the middle of the winter. It is so warm and peaceful, there are no other people on the trail and actually we haven’t meet nobody on the pathways.

Going up, between the fir trees, we take another small break, this time for eating: the biscuits, hot tea and coffee are out of the backpacks! We get energized and then maintain the lovely path way up and ahead.

The red and the blue triangle are dividing here

Shortly, we are out of the little forest and into what appears to be another meadow where we come across different indicators announcing that from here the two triangles are splitting: the blue one goes in Bran passing through “Valea Gaura”, one the other hand, the red triangle climbs through the huge rocky mountain and reaches the Omu peak in an approximate time of 4 hours passing by Bătrâna peak.

We are not climbing the Bătrâna peak today...

Even if we had in thoughts to maybe climb the Bătrâna peak today too, we kind of feel a little bit overwhelmed and not totally prepared or in time to ascent all the way up and then back.

We don’t know the condition of the foot path, if there is going difficult portions with ice and so on, thus, we come to the conclusion that is better to climb it in the spring or in the summer when we will have more daylight and there will be no snow on the ridge of the mountain.

For now, we are just happy and pleased that we got here and have this perfect weather outside giving us the chance to enjoy all of the landscapes we are surrounded by. If we spin around, all we see are mountains, forests and small villages.

The livelong mountains ahead and beyond: where are we?

Of course, we pause in this place once more to admire the livelong views. In the back we have the Western steep of the Bucegi Mountains and in the front a comprehensive panorama including, from left to right, the Leaota Mountains, the Iezer Păpușa Mountains, the mighty Piatra Craiului ridge and lots of curvy hills with villages such as Fundata, Fundățica, Șirnea, Peștera, Măgura, Șimon.

It senses like heaven here! We literally don’t want to leave this place, there isn’t something much more beautiful and magical then nature and its diversity of shapes and colors.

Seeing a wild rabbit

Suddenly, as we are watching the landscapes, my father notices a wild rabbit running – to probably hide – into the woods. Although he runs up the mountain, he’s speed and posture is impressive. Poor guy, he might have been scared by our presence. Sorry, tiny lovely rabbit. After a long break for watching the views, the time has come to descent the mountain even if, all I want to do is remain for as long as it takes.

We don't want to leave, but we have to

We begin going down the mountain freely through the high snow, get to what appears to be forest road which is leading us to the Guțanu sheepfold from where starts another trekking path directing to the village of Șimon.

Throughout the top of the trees, the former Hunting House "Bângăleasa" is visible: the scenary reveals as if it came from the beginning of a fairytale. We get back to the hut and follow the path way back.

Small conclusions on the hiking day we just had

This one day hiking trip opens the doors to what is presumably the most astonishing, surprising and bidder region belonging to the Bucegi Mountains regarding the hiking mountain routes. Thus, today is only the brief beginning of many journeys that we have now in plan to do along the western part of Bucegi Mountains. We will back for sure in this completely extraordinary place.

Photo gallery