Vf. Vladeasa

On Tuesday (29.08.2017), it is time to leave Smida and head back into the mountains. Rango refuses the offer to eat his rice with fish, despite the fact that I have mixed it with fried noodles and bacon. By midday, we have packed our belongings and set off towards Doda Pilii. Upon arriving at the kiosk, I treat myself to a coffee and an ice cream. Hoping that Rango will eat his rice after the first leg of the journey, I stock up on nearly 3kg of meat for him. We continue northwards, heavily loaded. Before reaching the smaller paths, we have to walk about 4km on the main road. After about half of the distance, an opportunity arises to hitch a ride in a small van. The driver seems to be collecting mushrooms in the area - he shows me a photo of the van full of them. We get off at the desired location and continue on our way. Ahead of us lie several meters of ascent, and it is already early afternoon. There are some obstacles to overcome along the way - someone seems to have tried to block the path with felled trees. But that doesn't stop us, of course. By 6pm, we have reached the mountain ridge and I set up our tent just below Vf. Nimăiasa, at an altitude of almost 1600m. The chosen camping spot offers a very beautiful panorama. While I prepare for the night, a shepherd passes by with his livestock. I miss the right moment to control Rango, and he ends up getting into a fight with a shepherd dog. In no time, Rango finds himself confronted with three more dogs of the same kind. The shepherd remains calm and indicates to me that I should let the dogs do their thing. Soon, Rango also realizes that his swagger doesn't impress anyone here, and the situation becomes increasingly uncomfortable for him. It was quite funny to watch - I must admit I felt a bit of schadenfreude. After the eventful day, Rango finally eats his rice. In the evening, I enjoy the magnificent sunset in the mountains and slip into my sleeping bag around 8:30pm.

The next morning, the first rays of sun reach the tent early, and I have breakfast in glorious weather. Meanwhile, an older woman comes to my tent and indicates that I can and should buy cheese from her nearby cabin. We arrange to meet in the morning at her cabana. Shortly afterwards, her husband also comes by with the sheep. He follows the herd to their feeding place. Unfortunately, I forgot to replenish my supply of cigarettes in Doda Pilii, so I can only offer some palinka. It's a bit early in the day for my taste, but in the interest of international understanding, it seems like an acceptable option! After breakfast, I head in the direction described and find a small hut after about 2km. I am invited inside and get to taste 2 different types of cheese. I purchase about 500g of each and also receive some vegetables as a gift. Back at the tent, I pack everything up and we start our hiking day in the early afternoon. Our destination for today is Vf. Vladeasa, the second highest mountain in the Apuseni Mountains, at 1836m. Unfortunately, after about 2km along the mountain ridge, we have to descend for a while. So, in the afternoon, we will have to overcome a considerable difference in altitude. In the meantime, I console myself with the abundant supply of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries along the way. After about 10km, we have crossed the valley floor and gather our strength before the final summit push. The chosen spot offers a beautiful view of the mountains to the south. A bar of chocolate serves as a motivation aid, and so we start the ascent with confidence. The path takes us almost directly towards the summit, without wasting any meters with annoying switchbacks, going up at an estimated 60° angle. I have to pause several times on the "wall" and am far from being able to keep up with Rango. By 5pm, we reach the summit and I temporarily leave our luggage near the summit cross. There is a building nearby and, after a short rest, I decide to look for a coffee. There, I meet a young man who speaks English quite well. The house is a meteorological station, staffed by 2 people. They can organize a coffee for me, and during our conversation, they offer me accommodation with meals for 30RON. After a brief consideration (my spot near the summit cross is also tempting), I agree. For an additional 10RON, I can use the shower and have Rango stay in my own room. For dinner, a delicious polenta with pickled peppers is served, and for dessert, there are boiled pig ears and bread. We spend the evening with plenty of palinka with blueberry syrup, and conversations about life, history, politics, and philosophy (approximately in that order). In the early morning, slightly drunk, we head to bed.