I first made plans to visit the Făgăraș in 2017. The fruition of certain plans can take a bit longer than we expect.
My first glimpse of the Făgăraș, through the window of the train.
Pentax MX, 50mm Portra 160, June 2023.
At the outset of a new undertaking, it is easy to underestimate the time that is required to complete the intended objective. Whether our aim is to walk across a mountain range, to fix a broken piece of equipment, or even something as simple as preparing a meal we haven’t cooked before; if there is an element of unknown in the process, there is a good chance that we will experience delays.
The forest had started to reclaim the train tracks. Pentax MX, 50mm Portra 160, June 2023.
Hungary lies in the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe. The Carpathians are the second longest mountain range in Europe and ring my country of birth with their protective arms. They run for a total length of two and a half thousand kilometres, and hug Hungary to the north, east and south, curling around like a giant horseshoe.
There are two sections that could be described as the crux of the mountain range, the Tatras in the north and the Făgăraș in the south. Both these ranges contain peaks over two and a half thousand metres tall. And while the Tatras contain the steepest mountains and are rich in mountaineering history, the Făgăraș in Romania contain country that is a lot more remote and wild. Not to mention that Transylvania is a stronghold for wolves, brown bears and lynx. And although vampires haven’t been sighted there in recent years, carrying the odd clove of garlic cannot possibly hurt.
The train station’s platform at Valea Fratelui looked as if no one has stepped on it for about a decade. Pentax MX, 50mm, Portra 160 April 2023.
I visit Europe about once every five years, to catch up with family. This year, it came time again to go back and to reconnect with my roots, culture, language and of course, to eat Hungarian food. And while I was there, I figured I would take a couple of weeks and do a solo trip to traverse the highest section of the Southern Carpathians, the Muntii Făgăraș.
My crossing of the Făgăraș began with the crossing of the Olt River on a railway bridge. This photo was taken while standing on the bridge.
Pentax MX, 50mm Portra 160, June 2023.
Historically, Transylvania was part of Hungary and so we have our own name for these mountains: ‘Fogarasi Havasok’, which translates to the ‘Snowy Fagaras’. I undertook my trip in mid June 2023, only a couple of weeks before mid summer. Although I didn’t know at the outset, these mountains would live up to their name.
The Snowy Făgăraș. Pentax MX, Kodak Pro 100, June 2023.
When we visit a place that is unknown to us, it is natural to encounter delays that are presented by obstacles we didn’t expect. It is good to expect the unexpected. Even then, we may end up being surprised.