Tag: track
It was scheduled to happen in June 2020, but a tiny virus had other plans for the entire planet Earth. More than one year later our Belgian guests finally arrived in Romania for the week-long Transylvanian Alps tour, adding the South East Carpathian Mountains to their impressive list of mountain biking destinations. The menu was, as always, complex: long and demanding climbs, push and carry-bike sessions, epic descents on "Bonanza trails". Zero bears encounters, but a few shepherd dogs (honestly a bigger threat for the unaccustomed traveller). Lots of loughs,…
One of the great things about mountain biking is that, with every new ride, you become a different mountain biker. With each new trail you've ridden, with each day spent on bike, you get better at it. You trust more your balance, you hone your skills a little bit more. You look at the same trail a little bit different. You see new lines, new options on sections of trails you thought were't holding no more secrets. Sometimes you do it on your own, sometimes you do it with your…
Our second instalment of the Carpat MTB Enduro program happened in July 2019, featuring a couple from Sweden enjoying a longer family trip to Romania, and three German friends on their routine mountain biking trip abroad. A great week as always, in spite of some rather tricky weather, unusually wet for mid summer, and a few technical and logistical problems with one of the bikes. Nothing that can't be solved with the appropriate clothing and a good set of toolbox - plus equipment to spare. We biked up on Bucegi…
A tour that was in the planning for quite some time now finally happened on a perfect weather weekend of October 2019: the trails around Cabana Bârcaciu in Făgăraș, The Carpathian Mountains. We are usual guests at Cabana Bârcaciu, we go there often for our hiking, trekking, ski touring trips (more at www.mountainguide.ro). With bikes it is more difficult, as it is located at some distance from our home trails around Brasov city - which are pretty abundant. And it is strategically located at the end of a 5 km…
We've selected the most challenging bits from our traditional programs (Bucegi Circuit, Transylvanian Alps). We've added some extra gnarly trails close to some cable cars. Eliminated the parts where access was simply too difficult. The result is what we consider a nicely balanced, physically demanding but not overwhelming, technically testing but not overkill, pure mountain biking adventure: The Carpat MTB Enduro program. A group of joyful German mountain bikers had the pleasure and the honour of helping us launch this ship to the heavy seas, and in style they did!…
We've been riding our Bucegi Circuit for more than five years now, but we keep getting enthusiastic about each juicy single trail descent we are about to head into. And boy, they are many! Each time we make a promise: "Next time I'll stop and take some proper photos and videos of this descent, but for now I will just enjoy it!" We keep on making the same promise, and who knows, maybe, sometime... Till then you'll rather see photos from uphills, sandwich brakes in scenic places, etc. [ngg src="galleries"…
There is always a gamble when doing a long mtb tour in September. While your chances to get nice, dry, stable weather with mild temperatures in the mountains around Brasov are probably the highest along the whole year, there's always the issue of those few days when things turn wintery, just to announce the coming cold season. The first snow up to 2000 m plus usually comes in September, sometimes at the beginning of the month, sometimes later, towards October. It fades away in a matter of hours, or in…
This season we tested extensively the papanași* as a genuine Romanian sports nutrition supplement. They worked wonders before, during and after intense mountain biking riding :). (Hey, some may argue the papanași are a very good substitute for sports itself, but we definitely wouldn't go as far). And what better endurance test than the Transylvanian Alps tour? Intensive climbs, technical descents, single trails riding up and down from 800 to 2500 m altitudes, through forests, pastures, deep into the mountain gorges or on the mountain crests. Plenty of carbohydrates, sugars,…
Most of the times mountain biking is a man's world. Any stats I stumble upon, be it magazine readers, equipment purchase, website's audience (yes, including this one), they all show that men are an overwhelming majority in anything related to mountain biking. It's true even with topics leg waxing, or what gloves colour would do justice to the newly bought lime-green frame-set (and also accommodate those awesome purple baggy pants). So, a seven persons group of mountain bikers from Germany counting no less than four women was something really out…
In a day and age where the electric mountain bikes are stealing the front pages, a six days trip around and up the Bucegi Mountains with Mark, Rob, Rod and Paul was as refreshing as a gulp of fresh water from a mountain spring. With just one guy below 60 to balance a little bit the average of the group, the four Brits proved time and again that age is just a number. Long climbs on dirt roads, like going from the old city of Brașov up to the local…
