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The best road in the world? – driving the Transfagarasan mountain pass

October 6, 2014 by Mike 18 Comments

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sunset-transfagarasan-pass-romania

I’m not really into roads and cars. And I don’t really listen to what that Jeremy Clarkson has to say. But driving this road through these Mountains is pretty exhilarating – even in a van.

This is the Transfagersan mountain pass in Romaina

The road closes for the winter on the 1st of October and reopens mid summer. I wasn’t sure about doing this road at first – an old, overloaded van with steering wheel on the other side plus I didn’t know if there would be much snow at the top.

BBC: one of the 7 riskiest roads in the world

Large sections of this road have sheer drops of up to 1000ft – with no barriers. If the brakes fail on this road then that’s it! Brakes only fail in films though so it’s cool. Today is the 30th of September – I have 24 hours before this road closes…

Transfagarasan facts

  • Second highest road in Romania at a peak of 2034m (after the Transaplina which is 2100m). It runs across the highest section of the Southern Carpathian Mountain range (Făgăraș Mountains)
  • Built between 1970 to 1974 as a strategic military route stretching 90km
  • 6 million kilograms of dynamite used in it’s construction
  • It’s estimated that ‘hundreds’ lost their lives during the road’s construction
  • In 2010 they used a section of this road to film Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, with Nicolas Cage.

I drove an LDV Convoy on the best road in the world

I started on the North side (I think TopGear started on the South) at 3.30pm at a village called Cârţişoara and finished on the south side at 10.30pm at a village called Curtea de Argeş.

Near the village of Cârţişoara on the North side of the mountains
Near the village of Cârţişoara on the North side of the mountains
There were a lot of scarily tame foxes
There were a lot of strangely tame foxes
A soon as I hit the ascent it was difficult not to stop at every opportunity to get a picture
A soon as I hit the ascent it was difficult not to stop at every opportunity to get a picture
Looking South from the North side to the highest point (2034m) – a tunnel (887m) goes through to the south side
Looking South from the North side to the highest point (2034m) – a tunnel (887m) goes through to the south side
Bâlea Lake – a glacial lake at the top on the north side, just before the tunnel
Bâlea Lake – a glacial lake at the top on the north side, just before the tunnel
This chalet is open all year round. There is accessible by cable car when the road is closed during winter
This chalet by the glacial lake is open all year round. There is accessible by cable car when the road is closed during winter
Balea-lake
Bâlea Lake – looking south. The peak of the mountain
Looking down at the southside ascent. This is the crazy twisty turny part of the road which everyone talks about. It is about 25km
Looking down at my ascent on the North side. This is the crazy twisty turny part of the road which everyone talks about. It is about 25km
View from the weather station at the top, looking south west.
View from the weather station at the top, looking south west
glacial-lake-transfagarasan
An angry cat guarding the lake
Stalls selling cheese, dried meats, jams.
Stalls selling cheese, dried meats, jams
Looking south on the south side of the tunnel at the top.
Looking south on the south side of the tunnel at the top

Then it got dark

I had to drive the last 40 miles of the decent in the dark. I was the only one on the road. It was great, if a little surreal – the moon coming in and out of view, the trees moving past the huge rock faces in the background, the crystal clear stars in the sky… and the Ravi Shankar music I was playing in the van.

I missed a few things (dam, the lake, the castle) because it was dark but I reckon it was worth it to see sunset at the top when no one else was there.

And then I saw a bear!

A bear crossed the road and then stopped behind some bushes by the roadside and watched as I slowly passed. I stopped just a bit after the bear. We stared at each other for about 20 seconds. My photograph attempt was pretty much a failure though. I’m sorry

Alright It's the only picture I have. I completely forgot how to work my camera. You can just see the face over the bushes - eyes, ears and snout
Alright It’s the only picture I have. I completely forgot how to work my camera. Can you just see the face over the bushes – eyes, ears and snout?

I spent the next 3 days back in the mountains looking for more bears (see post about looking for bears). It looks like that picture is the best I’ll get.

The end

What do you reckon… the best road in the world? would you drive it?

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Filed Under: Living and travelling in a van Tagged With: romania, travel

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Comments

  1. Pookiehair says

    October 8, 2014 at 6:04 pm

    OMG! Beary good! What an adventure! Are you on your own now? Pretty scary! Where are you stopping at night? No I would not drive it.

    Reply
    • Mike Hudson says

      October 9, 2014 at 8:32 am

      Yeah it was a good one! yeah I am. I stop anywhere… just free camping. The spots vary a lot from a sketchy concrete city suburb one day to a beautiful mountain vista the next.

      Reply
      • Susy Worzencraft says

        January 13, 2015 at 6:09 pm

        I spent 5 weeks in my Kangoo van in France (nope not quite Romania!) last summer. I love mountain passes, though I don’t know if the van would go up that one 1200 engine only. I’d have a go, though I’d rather be with a friend than on my own. This year trying for Orkney, and France again, in the van. Maybe Chile (not in the van ..). I’m 68 this year, can’t believe it, keep on trucking!

        Reply
  2. Jacques says

    October 8, 2014 at 11:51 pm

    Pretty sweet. So what do you do for entertainment after making camp, so to speak?

    Good luck, have fun!

    Reply
    • Mike Hudson says

      October 9, 2014 at 8:25 am

      Hey, depends where I am really. When I’m on my own in the van I read, listen to a lot of music, make music, learn guitar/accordion, work on site. I’ve just started learning Android development as well. There’s a lot to do. Out the van, I go explore, take pictures, drink Palinka with the street gypsies

      Reply
  3. Graeme Voigt says

    October 9, 2014 at 7:20 am

    DUDE! This is the most awesome adventure I have read about in a long while! Were you travelling by yourself or with a mate?

    Reply
    • Mike Hudson says

      October 9, 2014 at 8:16 am

      haha glad you like it. Yeah I was/am on my own. I’d easily come back one summer with a mate and do some camping here. It’s perfect wild camping country!

      Reply
      • Graeme Voigt says

        October 9, 2014 at 10:08 am

        Arr nice man, looks amazing! Travel safe 😀

        Reply
  4. Marie Boniface says

    October 9, 2014 at 1:58 pm

    Such a remote road – but from what I could see, still in better condition than the lanes near us! Amazing to have spotted the bear. I hope you manage to see another one in daylight. I love reading about your travels. Stay safe. Mariex

    Reply
    • Mike Hudson says

      October 9, 2014 at 6:25 pm

      Hey Marie, It’s probably the best road in Romania actually. I was dreading getting back onto the ‘normal’ roads

      Reply
  5. Andreas Moser says

    October 9, 2014 at 5:45 pm

    Many people died building this road. 🙁

    Reply
    • Mike Hudson says

      October 13, 2014 at 3:22 pm

      Yeah pretty bad. Apparently a lot more than what was officially reported as well

      Reply
  6. Amber Layton says

    January 1, 2015 at 3:31 am

    Dang… Looks pretty surreal & beautiful~Gonna have to check that out if I ever make a eurotrip… 🙂 If you ever come to America you should drive the 1 & 101 along the west coast~ pretty amazing as well~ lots of scenic ocean views and redwoods (!)

    Reply
    • Mike @vandogtraveller.com says

      January 3, 2015 at 11:29 am

      Yeah wow it looks amazing. I’d love to get the van across the atlantic one day

      Reply
  7. Rosichieh says

    January 11, 2015 at 9:48 am

    why did you not visit Italy?

    Reply
  8. Brian Walters says

    January 12, 2015 at 11:51 pm

    Nice, Mike, my wife thinks we are adventurous when we travel the A75 from Montpelior to Clemond Ferrand, France, through the midi Pyrenees. A 100 miles up hill most of the way!

    Reply
  9. Eli Sorlin says

    February 2, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    If you come back in Romania, don’t forget about TransAlpina. Nice mountain road, too.

    Reply
  10. Andreea Mercurean says

    May 27, 2016 at 4:39 pm

    Been there a lot of times hiking and camping, def an adventure every time! can’t wait to get with my van there 😀 just love it <3 Amazing country

    Reply

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