Salt Taste

Thursday morning (28.09.2017) starts early. Last night a group of hikers reached the campground at Lacul Avrig in the dark. We greeted each other briefly through the tent wall and from their conversations I could hear the intention to get up early. Fortunately, the neighbors don't start at half past five as planned, but an hour later. So I take the opportunity for morning hygiene, a short chat, and to capture the morning atmosphere in the mountains. However, it is still cold and foggy, so I decide to give myself another couple of hours in the sleeping bag. Around nine o'clock, Rango and I have breakfast. Then I pack our things and we start an hour before the other hiking group, who doesn't seem to be in a hurry. Our path today leads us back along the red-marked Făgăraş Ridge Trail. After about an hour, we reach Şaua Scărița and then climb the mountain Vf. Scara (2306m). Meanwhile, the sun has fought its way through the cloud cover, and we can hike in partly beautiful weather. On the way, we catch up with a Czech couple who have just taken a break. The two of them hike with light luggage and are therefore faster than me. Rango takes the opportunity to show me that I am clearly too slow. After about three and a half hours and approximately 5.5km, we reach the summit of Vf. Şerbotă (2331m). Until then, our path was challenging but passable. Now there are two different options for our further way to the Negoiu summit via Şaua Cleopatrei. We can follow the red-marked ridge trail, which is labeled 'caution challenging'. Alternatively, there is a bypass along a yellow-marked path. After a short internet search, I decide to take the yellow path. However, it has become foggy again, and on 'www.karpatenwilli.com' it is advised not to hike the Custura Sărății (the church roof) under these weather conditions and with heavy luggage. However, the first 200m of the yellow-marked path also turn out to be very challenging, so I end up back on the red path shortly after. I must have been too busy climbing somewhere and deviated from the right path. Because of the experience on the first section of the yellow path, I decide not to waste time searching for it and to make my way across the church roof. There are a few situations where I should regret this careless decision because the Custura Sărății proves to be a real challenge. At the beginning, I let Rango continue off leash. But the way he moves increasingly seems unsuited to the terrain, and as expected, the big guy loses his foothold after a jump, tumbles along the path for a bit, and finally manages to regain his composure on the grassy steep slope. His backpack is damaged, and I have to repair it makeshift. From that moment on, Rango is back on the leash and learns, under my guidance, to climb cautiously instead of jumping over every obstacle. In the further course of our expedition, I have to leave my bear trap behind and pull Rango up the rock on the leash several times at critical spots. Here, the decision for a long leash pays off at the latest. The big guy, of course, doesn't like it at all, as he is giving up full control to me. Sometimes I have to persuade him for a long time until he dares to approach the rock. Somehow, however, he seems to be aware of the inevitability of the procedure and does not let me down - a great companion. On the way, it is necessary to free him from his backpack for a passage. In doing so, a bag slips out of my hand and rolls down the mountain. I listen to it falling wistfully for a while before we continue climbing along the church roof. After about 3 hours, we have overcome the most critical kilometer (1km in 3 hours!!!) and make better progress again. But the church roof has cost us valuable time, and so we only reach the summit of Vf. Negoiu (2535m) around 6.00 pm in the evening. Since we are still hiking in the clouds, we unfortunately do not enjoy a great view of the second highest mountain in Romania. For the descent, there are again two options, a red and a yellow path... Due to the narrow time window before it gets dark, I briefly consider the Strunga Dracului (Devil's Chimney). However, I quickly dismiss the silly thought and make my way down to Portița Călțunului along the Strunga Doamnei (Lady's Chimney) with Rango. Once there, it is only a short descent to Lacul Călțun (2135m), today's stage destination. We reach the lake shortly before nightfall around half past seven and are greeted directly on the shore by the Czech hiker we met earlier in the morning with his girlfriend. He recommends a slightly more comfortable weather shelter hut nearby, and so we spend an entertaining evening with the young hikers. However, we are somewhat worried about the other hiking group from the morning who had also aimed for Lacul Călțun as their daily destination. After we retreat to our sleeping bags, this group also reaches the weather shelter hut. Apparently, they like hiking late at night, as it is already shortly before midnight. We exchange some more words before the eventful day takes its toll and nighttime peace settles in the hut.