Then it was up, up and up to the top. We started up a road which lead into an open valley, along the right edge of the valley until it turned to the right up into the woods; and then up with switchbacks until we reached the summit. A real workout but again breathtaking views from the top of a huge flat rock. While we were resting, another couple showed up and asked Peter to take their picture with their camera which he did. After giving the couple time to move on, I began my search for one of Peter’s caches. The trail was narrow, along the rock edge, but then turned downhill into the trees. Not far down, a tree lay across the trail which essentially prevented going further. I looked and looked but with little success; finally Peter had to give me some hints and only then was I able to locate the cache, cleverly hidden in such a place that it could have bitten me, had I gotten that close to it. Peter checked the cache for earlier activity, I recorded my name, and we started our way back down the mountain; round trip by the time we got back to the car, about 6 kms, I didn’t note the altitude change.

We then drove to the Bicaz Gorges, it was late afternoon so we did not hike down into the gorge but rather got out and walked along the road, which followed the gorge, a rapidly flowing stream at the bottom of the gorge visible from along the hiway. The gorge finally leveled out, and the stream flowed right along the hiway. We walked about a km down the road along the stream. At a wide spot in the road there were some souvenir booths along the road. Some teens were climbing down to the water (at this point like our shut-ins) and were jumping around the rocks which did not appear all that safe as the water was flowing quite rapidly and forcefully. We walked back up the road to the car. On the way home, we stopped at another roadside spring for water. Then found a restaurant for dinner where I had another broiled trout, a cabbage salad which was quite good (I don’t enjoy coleslaw). Having left too much tip, Peter negotiated a second bottle of mineral water for me. It was already rather late by the time we returned to Miercurea Ciuc, and went to Peter’s apartment to view pictures on his computer. Peter has thousands of photos, arranged by the various events and places he visits. Of particular interest were the shots of his most recent caving event, and some of the tight spaces the groups (including several women) had to navigate. They also had to lower themselves into an 80 meter deep pit, and back out again using the techniques being taught. I hope he will post the picture of this group on the internet for us all to see. We also enjoyed part of a bottle of Romanian red wine, very pleasant, a pinot noir. Back to the Bella Vita by about mid-night.

Next - Mohos Peat Bog