Probably one of my favorite days so far this semester was this past Saturday when we went on a hike in the Calimani Mountains. Our destination was a look-out peak called Scaunul Domnului (the Chair of God). We started our hike at 10:30 am and reached the top of the cliff around 2:00 pm! We carried our lunch in our pockets, and stopped to eat in an open valley on the way up the mountain. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day for a hike!
On the trail up towards the top, we saw fresh signs of a large bear, as well as signs for wild boars. Thankfully, the only animals that attacked us that day were sheep dogs. Apparently, sheep dogs can be pretty vicious, but the shepherds were nearby and able to keep them under control.
It was a long hike to the top, and the view was definitely worth it!
We ended up taking a different route down the mountain and didn’t make it to the bottom until 6:30 pm. The last couple of hours were miserable for some because we were all tired and hungry, but David, our tour-guide, was cheerful and showed us the food we could and could not eat while on the mountain!
It was a long day, but definitely worth the time and energy. I felt rejuvenated after this hike, and I cannot wait for my next chance to go back to the mountains! Hopefully the snow and cold weather will hold off, because I want to go hiking as much as possible while here.
Au o zi buna!
~Marga