Routes as trad in Bucegi Massif

4B 6+ (6 A0), one of the easier, better-protected routes in the area.

P1: head right on a slab then up left on a crack (with a slightly overhanging, airy, tricam-eating exit) to an intermediate, single-bolt belay on the right (only needed if rope drag is going to be a problem). Then head left over a series of ledges under a short overhanging dihedral. Belay on bolts, next to a tree.

P2: head up on a finger-width crack, ignoring the line of pitons heading to the left. After the first bolt, pay close attention to the holds you're using since there are some friable slabs that would fall on your second if pulled loose. There's especially some sketchy sandstone - especially after rain or in freeze-thaw cycles it may be safer to just pull on draws instead. Follow the bolt line to the right on a traverse to a chockstone (the rock gets decent again right before the chockstone) and up left on the chimney the chockstone fits into. It'll narrow to a crack as it goes past an overhang. Traverse right at the second overhang, belay on a ledge

P3: Head left on a grassy, slabby dihedral then bushwhack a bit to the belay (bolts,next to a tree)

P4: Traverse left to a very well protected dihedral, past an overhang, then into easy but unprotected terrain for the second half (there's a crack version which is harder, or a ridge one which is easier). Clip the bolt on a ledge near the exit and belay off some trees.

P5, 6 (optional): Continue on the ridge, on easy but hard to protect terrain (sling the occasional bush, plus there are a couple pitons and anchors, go over a small peak (there are two pitons, a boulder that takes a 120cm sling and a tree to use as pro so the second doesn't downclimb it unprotected), belay in a small col off your harness while clipped into a piton.

Retreat: If not doing the optional pitches, rap down the third (platform) belay on Hermann Buhl (2x 35m, first rap on a piton rather than the tree to prevent the ropes from getting stuck). If single-piton raps aren't your thing, stop after the 3rd pitch and get down to the last belay of Fisura Însorită (20m), then down the second belay of Hermann Buhl (30m) and down (30m). If doing the optional pitches, continue right around the ridge (on a fixed rope) to anothe col full of bushes, that has a tree with a piton in it. Rap off the piton since the tree leads to the ropes getting stuck (30m), and throw your rope to your right since the crack on the left eats ropes.

5A 7- (6 A0)

A very well protected route that traverses almost the whole wall. Consider splitting the longer pitches (it crosses half the routes on the wall, and most of them have a belay close to it or directly on it) and/or not clipping every piton you run into, else even 20 draws might not be enough.

P1: Two variants, the one higher being the original. The secondary, lower version is 7c rotpunkt, an overhanging left-facing crack that leads to an intermediate belay on P1. The original version climbs on a slab into an overhanging but aidable dihedral, then traverses right to an intermediate, 2-bolt belay (this is where the harder variation rejoins the main line). From there, head up a slab, then once over a ledge, into a right-leaning dihedral. Belay on the gigantic boulder making up the left wall of the dihedral

P2: Downclimb carefully left on a grass ledge that leads to very gentle slab, then gain a ridge (airy move, exiting the ridge by an overhang) and onto vegetated terrain left, to a belay on a ledge at the base of a slab.

P3: Follow a ramp to the left the whole pitch. Consider not clipping all the aid pitons, or even 20 draws won't be enough. The start is easy and heavily vegetated, then life gets harder and rockier until the ramp is interrupted by an overhang (crux of the pitch, easily aidable) and continues left on easy terrain to a belay on a ledge at the base of dihedral. There's an intermediate belay on a slab on the ramp (2 close bolts)

P4: Head up on a dihedral but traverse on a left crack as quickly as possible (the line heading directly up, to the ceiling, is a harder route). The crack leads to a small overhanging face, that can be bypassed on the left (crux of the route, aidable A1). Then head up and to the left, bypass an intermediate belay, then up on a dihedral to a belay next to a tree with a red bit of metal stuck to it ("Smoking place"). The pitch continues up on a small, well-protected dihedral and then on very easy terrain to a single-piton belay, but it's advisable to stop here to belay the second since you're on bolts.

Retreat: rap down from the Smoking Place (60m, potentially iffy rope recovery) or continue on the ridge (uphill, on the right side,on a fixed rope) to another col full of bushes, that has a tree with a piton in it. Rap off the piton since the tree leads to the ropes getting stuck (30m), and throw your rope to your right since the crack on the left eats ropes.

The first pitch has the first protection 4 m above ground and it and ends with a traverse to the right on small pebbles. The second pitch traverses diagonally to the left.

Route difficulty: 3A Romanian, 6+ UIAA rotpunkt, 5- A0

Approach: upwards from Costila refuge on the crossing into Galbinele valley

Gear needed: 60m rope if you want to connect some pitches, 50m otherwise. 12 draws, preferably extendable (the route is very sinuous). 3-4 120cm slings in addition to the belay gear. Small to medium friends (BD 0.4 to 1 or equivalent) and/or tricams can be useful

Pitch 1: (40m, 4 UIAA) Easy if a tad runout slab - head upwards and keep to the left to find fixed pro, and supplement it by slinging the occasional tree.

Pitch 2: (20m, 5+ UIAA) Climb a crack to the left, then continue on an airy, if well-protected traverse which crosses a chimney (an alternate route entrance) and head up to the belay in the saddle above the rock formation you've traversed (2 pitons in a vertical crack, or contine up pitch 3 and belay off a tree)

Pitch 3: Walk upwards through the forest until you reach rock again. The rock you reach is right in the fall line of some rather large and loose rock formations (latest collapse: 2022) so, rather than using the bolted belay (also in rockfall line) try belaying off the last tree. Depending on how you choose your tree or protect the following pitch, this may require a few meters of simulling, with the second on easy scrambling terrain.

Pitch 4: (55m, 3 UIAA) Climb the slab on the left, aiming at first towards a tree on the near-the-wall side and then keeping on the dihedral, until reaching a the belay in a flat overhang (single chemical anchor) Both in situ and natural pro are quite sparse

Pitch 5: (40m, 4 UIAA) Continue left on the belay ledge and climb left, up on a dihedral and then left again to a bolt under a dwarf pine field.

Pitch 6: (60m, 1+ UIAA): Walk up through the dwarf pines, crossing a small slab, until reaching a chemical anchor belay on the rock wall

Pitch 7: (50m, 6+ UIAA) Used to be 2 pitches (5+ and 6+) but the intermediate belay lost most of its pitons and they're vertical pitches so it's best to do them in one go. Pitch 7a goes up a small, slabby dihedral, crosses slightly to the right then heads up on a dihedral that leads to a crack up until a ledge where the bad belay can be found. Pitch 7b continues on the rightward crack (the crux of the route, well protected) and heads up to a belay platform.

Pitch 8: (35m, 5 UIAA) Follow a crack on the left to a left traverse, then another friable slabby crack to a belay. There is another intermediate belay in the following pitch that can be reached on 60m ropes, if you prefer.

Pitch 9: (55m, 3 UIAA) Go up easy, friable slab and a small chimney to some bushes,go past the bushes to find an intermediate belay, and up another slab to reach the second belay

Pitch 10: (25m, 5+ UIAA) Head up a chimney. After it, there are two alternatives. To the left, there's a slab with visible pro. To the right, there's an easy variant going to the right of a boulder above (protection can be found behind that boulder, and there's a good horizontal crack under the boulder as well). Belay on a comfortable ledge (3 pitons). The left variant may allow skipping the piton belay and going straight to the bolted belay in the following pitch.

Pitch 11: (40m, 2 UIAA) Head up easy slab to the chimney visible above. Bolted belay on the right side of the chimney, on a large platform.

Pitch 12: (20m, 5 UIAA) Follow the chimney right of a large boulder, to an intermediate piton belay under a roof. Traverse left then climb a friable little ridge to the final belay.

Retreat: Follow the ridge upwards for 300m until Brana Mare a Costilei

Impracticable due to major rockfall