Omu (2,514 m) – the highest peak of the Bucegi Mountains

Bucegi is a part of the Southern Carpathians and the third-highest mountain range in Romania. The king of these mountains is Omu (2,514 m), which features the highest-situated mountain hut in the entire Carpathian range. I remember this range for its lush greenery, the very small number of tourists on the trails, and incredible open spaces. The altitudes here are significant, but Bucegi is a relatively gentle range. If I were to compare them to something familiar, I would point to the Western Tatras or, possibly, the Low Tatras. I visited Bucegi during the Summer Crossing 2023, a trip organized by the Student Mountain Club (SKG) from Warsaw. Consequently, this text will be slightly different from what I have published so far. I will focus not only on the mountains themselves but also on the specifics of this interesting experience—participating in an international trekking camp. Welcome!

Table of Contents

1. How did I end up in the Bucegi Mountains?
2. A long journey to the Bucegi Mountains
3. Bran – at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains
4. The first night in the Bucegi Mountains
5. Summiting Omu (2,514 m)

How did I end up in the Bucegi Mountains?

It is July 2023, my last month in Poznań. I am sitting on a Lower Silesian Railways train, returning to the capital of Greater Poland from a one-day trip to the Owl Mountains. At that moment, I receive a message from Martyna, my sister. It turns out that Antek, her high school friend, is now active in the Student Mountain Club in Warsaw and is organizing a trekking camp in the Romanian mountains in August. It is supposed to be wild, an adventure, sleeping in tents. I am told not to think too long because places are limited. So… I sign up. Shortly after, I receive an email that both Martyna and I have been qualified for the trip.

In this way, the following weeks are marked not only by moving out of Poznań but also by assembling all the necessary equipment for the trip. The list of required items is truly long, so receipts from Decathlon often give me a bit of a headache. Fortunately, SKG provides “shared equipment,” including homemade freeze-dried meals and snacks, huge cooking pots, wood saws, and gas canisters. This gear is fairly distributed among all participants—everyone carries their own equipment plus a portion of the shared gear. We will have to get used to this sense of community, as it will become an inseparable part of our daily life during the nearly two-week trip. We collect our share of the common equipment at an organizational meeting held at the atmospheric SKG headquarters in Warsaw’s Jazdów.

And what exactly is the Summer Crossing? It is nothing more than an internal practical exam for a Student Mountain Club guide. In our case, the group consisted of nineteen people: eight examinees, four regular SKG participants, four participants from outside SKG, and three examiners. To take the exam, one had to pass earlier “qualifiers” held in the Polish mountains. Throughout the trip, the eight examinees took turns “leading,” sequentially taking over the functions of the group guide. I will try to weave the details of what was required in this test and how it all looked into my Romanian posts :D.

A long journey to the Bucegi Mountains

On August 8, 2023, in the afternoon, the entire group boards a scheduled Flixbus from Warsaw to Budapest. Martyna and I join in Krakow, which significantly shortens the first stage of our journey. After an all-night drive, we check in at the Hungarian capital around 7 AM. In one of Budapest’s parks, we eat our first field breakfast, and then the whole group walks to the Keleti railway station. There, we board a train that takes us to Brașov, Romania, in just over twelve hours. The journey through Hungary is quite monotonous, as only the endless, sun-scorched plains of the Pannonian Basin are visible outside the windows.

After crossing the Romanian border, border guard officers enter our compartment. Everyone must identify themselves with a passport or ID card. Fortunately, today, controls at the Hungarian-Romanian border are a thing of the past, as Romania became part of the Schengen area on January 1, 2025. We experience a moment of consternation shortly after, when without any warning, our carriage is disconnected from the train and left alone at the station in the border town of Arad. However, a new locomotive appears after about fifteen minutes, allowing us to continue our trip peacefully.

In Romania, there are plenty of mountains, so the landscape outside the window immediately becomes much more interesting. I watch and carefully observe this completely unknown part of the world… Ruined railway stops and decaying villages catch the eye… it is visible to the naked eye that in the difficult process of westernization, Romania is still at least a dozen years behind. About two hours before the destination, while passing through the vast Olt Valley, we admire the expansive panorama of the Făgăraș Mountains from the train window—the highest mountains in Romania, surpassed in the Carpathians only by the Tatras.

We arrive in Brașov shortly after 11 PM. We head through the streets of the night city toward our first accommodation—JugendStube Hostel in the heart of the local Old Town. The next day is spent sightseeing in Brașov. The city turns out to be architecturally quite interesting, especially since its rich history blends Saxon (German), Romanian, Hungarian, and Jewish threads. The first trekking accent of the trip is the evening ascent of Tâmpa (960 m) in the Postăvarul Massif, which towers over the city. The summit is primarily known for its captivating panoramic view of the entire Brașov and its characteristic sign, a reference to the American Hollywood.

Bran – at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains

The following day, August 11, 2023, we leave the hostel early in the morning and take a local bus from Brașov to Bran, a village at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains. On the way, we pass through Râșnov, the only ski jumping training center in Romania. In Bran, we visit the 14th-century castle, intensively promoted to tourists as “Dracula’s Castle.” Bram Stoker, the author of the famous novel, supposedly came across a drawing of the fortress in a guidebook to Transylvania. The engraving of the castle was said to have enchanted him to the extent that it became the prototype for the fictional seat of the famous vampire. However, Vlad the Impaler, the likely inspiration for the character of Dracula, never actually lived in Bran. That’s how rumors start, right? Regardless, since Transylvania is mainly associated with vampires, tourists must get something related to the Dracula theme. The fact that there is quite a high demand for this type of attraction is best evidenced by the massive queue of people waiting to visit the castle.

I would rather discourage a visit to the fortress in Bran. I would describe my activity in the castle not so much as sightseeing, but rather as steadily moving step by step in a gigantic crowd of tourists. I leave the building with relief, eagerly anticipating a visit to the empty and spacious Bucegi Mountains. After visiting the castle, we have lunch in a traditional Romanian restaurant.

We begin the trekking part of the trip around 2:30 PM. Asia is leading at the time, and the first four kilometers pass on a gentle ascent along an asphalt road. The dozen-or-so-kilogram backpack initially feels very heavy, but with each subsequent step, my back adjusts to the significant weight. At an altitude of about 940 m, we leave the last buildings of Bran, and the trail then leads through a dense forest. We are just entering the protected area within the Bucegi Natural Park (Parcul Natural Bucegi) when Tomek takes over the lead. We are now walking along a wide, forest artery, and our further path is marked by characteristic emblems with a red cross. It turns out that these crosses are a popular way of marking local hiking trails. In addition to them, horizontal stripes, dots, and triangles are also used.

The first night in the Bucegi Mountains

At an altitude of about 1,040 m, the “cross” trail turns right and becomes narrower and much more steeply inclined. The forest remains very dense, which effectively prevents us from spotting any views. Gaining altitude is not going smoothly, for two basic reasons. First, hiking with a heavy backpack is physically and cardiovascularly demanding. It sounds cliché, but I think people who have never traveled this way might not realize how drastically a dozen-or-so-kilogram weight affects the average walking pace. Second, when going on an organized trekking camp, one must accept that the group will move at a pace adjusted to the fitness of most of its members. Initially, this is quite difficult for me: I want to rush ahead, conquer more, and walk at my own pace. After all, when will I be in Romania next? However, with time comes an understanding and appreciation of the solidarity and inclusivity that the Warsaw SKG undoubtedly offers. So, if you are looking to start your adventure with the mountains, you will find a lot of patience, understanding, and kindness on trips with the Student Mountain Club, regardless of your fitness or experience.

During the ascent, the trail constantly changes width—sometimes widening, sometimes narrowing—all the while leading through dense forest. In this manner, over a distance of four kilometers from crossing the borders of the Bucegi Natural Park, we cover over 500 meters of elevation gain (which takes us about 2.5 hours). At an altitude of about 1,500 m, the trail levels out significantly, traversing the southern slopes of Mount Pântecele (1,705 m). During one of the breaks, I reach for water, greedily drinking several solid gulps. At that moment, Martyna huffs at me: “Since there are rules, follow them.” And indeed. I look around and discover that another golden rule of the trip is the community of water. This means that the person in the lead manages the supply of fluids, adequately dividing them among the members of the expedition. Initially, this seems unnecessary and slightly infantile. However, after our later adventures in the Baiului Mountains, I consider this communal approach to water to be a very wise solution.

A few minutes after starting the traverse, the forest finally begins to part shyly, revealing the rocky silhouettes of the surrounding peaks. Then, after about 13 km of walking, at exactly 8 PM, we check in at our first field camp—on the Gaura Glade (approx. 1,550 – 1,600 m).

On the Gaura Glade, the standard procedure starts, which would be practiced every subsequent evening. The person in the lead recruits part of the group to help with meals, sends others for water or kindling for the fire, or involves them in setting up tents. Proper management of the campsite and the efficient pace of actions taken are part of the examiner’s assessment. In this case, there were fewer duties because we did not collect kindling for fuel. Since we were in a national park, we prepared warm meals on tourist gas stoves instead of a campfire. Regarding the food on the trip, the variety of meals was truly impressive. Instead of ordinary freeze-dried food, we cooked our own dried food. Special thanks here to Tomek, as his contribution to the tedious process of preparing these meals was the greatest.

Even though I have spent hundreds of hours on mountain trails, wild camping remains a complete novelty to me. It is no wonder that all these seemingly ordinary (even primal) activities seem incredibly exciting to me today. On the first evening, I was assigned to kitchen duty. When everything was ready, the whole group ate the prepared meal, and then Martyna and I set up the tents. And then? And then it was time for sleep. We had to get some rest; we had a high mountain to conquer tomorrow!

Trip date: August 11, 2023

Trip statistics: 13 km; 965 meters of elevation difference

Summiting Omu (2,514 m)

On August 12, 2023, we wake up a few minutes before 7 AM. The pattern of action is similar: some prepare breakfast, others go for water, and the rest pack up the tents. In a free moment, I climb a small rock located in the central part of our glade. From there, I observe the packing campsite and the beautiful panorama of nearby peaks like Lancia (2,218 m), Scara (2,422 m), and Doamnele (2,402 m). We finally leave the glade around 9 AM. However, after only 300 meters of walking, we stop at the Cascada Moara Dracului waterfall, where a bathing break was arranged for us. To avoid polluting the environment, we use natural (biodegradable) detergents for washing.

After the bath, we continue the ascent along the “cross” trail through the bottom of the Gaura Valley. The terrain’s inclination is significant here: over the next two kilometers, we will have to overcome more than 400 meters of elevation difference. We bypass the waterfall via a forest path, but after about fifteen minutes, we emerge directly into the open space. We are now in a beautiful, expansive glade, surrounded by majestic peaks armed with dozens of towers and pinnacles. The trail becomes less visible at times, but the marking remains very good throughout. At an altitude of about 1,850 m, the ascent changes its character slightly. The terrain becomes more rocky, and chains appear on the trail. Although the section does not contain any technical difficulties, overcoming it with heavy backpacks is a bit tedious and requires special concentration.

After the chain section, we have a few hundred more meters of steep ascent on a sharply inclined slope. We say goodbye to the dwarf mountain pine zone at an altitude of about 2,000 m (due to the warmer climate, the pine reaches about 200 meters higher in the Romanian mountains than in our Tatras). A moment of respite comes at about 2,050 m when we reach a clear flattening. From here, we can see a vast part of the main ridge of the Bucegi Mountains as if on the palm of our hand. I am particularly impressed by the enormous spaces and the omnipresent greenery, which is very intense despite the significant altitude.

It is almost 1 PM, and we have about 3 kilometers left to the Omu summit. So, we ascend the green slope, heading toward the main ridge of the Bucegi Mountains. Initially, the terrain rises gently, but the inclination increases significantly over time. In the meantime, another change of leadership occurs—Antek moves to the front. A few minutes after 2 PM, we finally check in on the main ridge—at the Curmătura Hornurilor pass (2,320 m), which separates Scara from Omu. A special feature of this place is the incredible view of the monumental wall of Scara and the abyss gaping beneath it.

Above the pass, we ascend directly along the main ridge of the Bucegi Mountains. The terrain rises slightly here—over a distance of one and a half kilometers, one must overcome less than 200 meters of elevation difference. Unfortunately, at this stage of the hike, the weather completely breaks down. We cover the final part of the trekking amidst thick fog and biting cold. We welcome the Omu summit (2,514 m) with relief around 3:30 PM. Covering the 5-kilometer section from the Gaura Glade takes us about 6.5 hours today.

We spend a lot of time on the highest peak of the Bucegi Mountains—we prepare dinner here and heat water for tea. Dense clouds obscure the panorama from the summit for most of the time. They part only momentarily, revealing a view of the nearby Bucșoiu Mountain (2,492 m) and the upper part of the Valea Morarului valley.

I take the opportunity to visit Cabana Omu (2,505 m), the highest-situated mountain hut in the entire Carpathian range. The facility is open from March to November, has 30 beds, and lacks access to electricity and running water. A small buffet operates inside, where I happily buy a bar of Romanian chocolate. Next to the hut, there is a massive rock, which is the source of disputes over Omu’s true height. Including the unfortunate boulder, the peak is 2,514 m; without it, 2,505 m. Personally, I am more convinced by the first concept—the rock is part of the mountain, so the highest natural point will be on it. On the other hand, tourists are naturally not allowed to climb it, which would mean that according to this logic, I haven’t conquered Omu at all :D.

We start descending from Omu immediately after dinner, around 5 PM. Initial plans assumed that after descending the highest peak, we would stay on the ridge trail and follow it to the Cabana Babele mountain hut, located near two famous rock formations—the Sphinx and Babele. However, the late hour forces a change of plans, which involves shortening the planned route. On Omu, we leave the main Bucegi ridge, taking the yellow-marked trail running through the Valea Cerbului valley. The first two kilometers pass on a demanding descent on a sharply inclined slope. The path is very pleasant, though, thanks to the gradually parting clouds. I am particularly delighted by the amazing view of Coștila (2,490 m), easily recognizable because of the television tower located on the summit. Interestingly, this tower measures as much as 106 meters, making its top the highest situated artificial point in all of Romania.

The lower we descend, the greener the terrain around us becomes. The significant inclination is especially noticeable down to an altitude of about 1,800 m; later, the terrain drops much more gently. The clouds part more and more, revealing further fragments of the surrounding slopes. Suddenly, the sound of a whistle reaches us from the bottom of the valley. At this point, I must inform you that over 70% of the European brown bear population lives in Romania (approx. 11,000 individuals). Since the main method of deterring these animals is making noise, the sound of a whistle can mean that one of the bears is in the valley with us. I could portray myself as a great hero now, but I’ll be honest: the prospect of meeting a bear also seemed incredibly stressful to me. By the way, as it turned out later, the person closing our procession actually saw a bear by the trail… and even found enough courage to stop and take a picture of it (cheers Kuba, a bit of time has passed, but I still admire your composure in that situation).

We reach our point for tonight—the Poiana Coștilei glade (approx. 1,300 m)—after dark. Our route from Omu eventually totaled just over 6 kilometers, and we covered it in about 4.5 hours. In the light of headlamps, we prepare a warm supper and set up the tents. Oh wow… what a long and intense day it was… The next day, we get up early in the morning, pack up the camp, and descend six kilometers to the colorful town of Bușteni. Although our adventure with the Bucegi Mountains has just ended, the trip is really only picking up speed… We are heading into the wild Baiului range, full of gigantic mountain pastures, vast spaces, and frolicsome herds of shepherd dogs.

Trip date: August 12, 2023

Trip statistics: 18 km; 1,100 meters of elevation difference

Thank you to Alicja Szostak (check her IG!) and Michał Kobryń (check his IG!) for sharing beautiful photos!

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! If you want to stay up to date with new content, I invite you to follow me on Facebook and Instagram! I will be grateful for every like, comment, and share. If you find my content valuable and want to support me, I invite you to buy me a virtual coffee at buycoffee.to.

Trip Map