39. Fatherly Advice

Paul - Piatra Craiului Mountains

Often compared to the back of a dinosaur, the imposing ridge of Piatra Craiului has a fairytale appearance, more of a creation taken out from the fog of heights than a shaping of the earth. Considered the pearl of the Romanian Carpathians, these mountains overwhelm through their charm, silence, and mystery, with delicate flowers that color the pastures.

I stop the car where the asphalt ends. There’s quite the climbing awaiting me ahead. The track is pretty easy as long as you stay on the tourist trails. But after I reach 1000 meters in altitude, I have to go straight through the forest.

The morning sun rays peek over the narrow ridge resembling a saw. I’d forgotten my jacket on the backrest of that chair, so I trudge over the slope through the chilly mountain spring air just in my shirt.

My shoes are not made for climbing, rendering my endeavor even harder. They don’t provide any grip on the mixture of ice and snow that covers the ground. Here, the su