I am no power hiker and have not been up a mountain trail in too long to mention without being ashamed. So when the opportunity of enjoying a few hours in the fir tree forests of Bucegi, starting from the Busteni mountain resort, showed itself, I took it without thinking of the enormous pain I will be experiencing for the next few days after this power workout.
My friend Adriana and I decided to start by visiting Cascada Urlatoarea (Urlatoarea Falls, where “urlatoarea” means something in the lines of someone screaming/roaring/yelling, suggesting the powerful sound this waterfall makes). The waterfall is protected and quite hyped as a tourist objective, although it is not extremely big, being situated at 1125 meters above sea level. Yet it is the only one that’s worth a climb in Busteni, therefore everyone goes to see it. It’s not as much the waterfall as the leisure 30 minutes hike to it.
As that was not enough to stretch our sporty muscles, we then went back a little until the Urlatoarea trail joined the Jepii Mari hiking trail, a 3-4 hour hike up the mountain. I could objectively say it is a intermediate hike and climb, but after the first 30 minutes, with the other 45 from before, it felt extremely painful and hard. We never completed the trail, after about 2 hours of climbing up the very narrow path we thought we should stop for lunch, enjoying a few sandwiches and then start our journey back to Busteni.
All in all, 5 hours of hiking were just about as much as we could handle. For more or less experienced hikers alike, the Jepii Mari trail would be perfect for a day hike, with a lovely lunch stop at the nice huts up the mountain. If you’re confident you’re in brilliant shape, I do recommend trying mixing the falls with the completion of the train in the same day.
Regardless of your hiking experience, make sure you do not attempt to try the Jepii Mari trail on rainy weather. If you start your ascent and it starts to rain, just stop and go back. It’s way safer this way! The trail is quite narrow and steep on large portions of the climb, plus if a stronger storm hits the Bucegi Mountains, there’s the ever present danger of huge fir trees being broken or just pulled out of the ground and falling on you.
Jepii Mari, just as its sibling Jepii Mici, is a nice weather trail. It’s there to give you a blood and heart pumping workout while enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful scenery and it really isn’t as breathtakingly gorgeous when you’re taking unnecessary risks!
More photos from our hike here.
By Amey MyersAmey, an intrepid traveler and avid blogger, roams the world, absorbing diverse cultures, flavors, and experiences. Her writing captures the essence of her adventures, inspiring others to explore. Amey's infectious passion for travel and storytelling epitomizes a life filled with exploration and adventure.
