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.
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
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?
Hey Mike, your story actually inspired us to go to Romania and drive the Transfagarasan ourselves. We read your post last year and knew we had to drive this road as well. Last week we did it, just on time before the road closed for winter. We also saw a bear, but no photo.. You can check out photos here: http://www.livin4wheel.com/transfagarasan-road/
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
If you come back in Romania, don’t forget about TransAlpina. Nice mountain road, too.
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!
why did you not visit Italy?
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 (!)
Yeah wow it looks amazing. I’d love to get the van across the atlantic one day
Many people died building this road. 🙁
Yeah pretty bad. Apparently a lot more than what was officially reported as well
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
Hey Marie, It’s probably the best road in Romania actually. I was dreading getting back onto the ‘normal’ roads
DUDE! This is the most awesome adventure I have read about in a long while! Were you travelling by yourself or with a mate?
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!
Arr nice man, looks amazing! Travel safe 😀
Pretty sweet. So what do you do for entertainment after making camp, so to speak?
Good luck, have fun!
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
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.
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.
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!