Night and Dawn Trails in Forests of Transylvania

I'm a week, most of a week, working away from home at our technical centre in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in the heart of Transylvania. Friends and colleagues have been asking me if I would like to do some trail running here, in the forests, and get some Cluj mud on my shoes for a change. So a plan evolved, a night run on Wednesday in Hoia, and a dawn run on Thursday in Faget.

Hoia Night Run, Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Six gathered in the cool dark outside the muzeul satului (Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania), near the Hoia Forest trails, at 7PM, adjusting clothing, headtorches, and shoelaces before we set off as a group into the trees.

Dani (fast), Luci, Adi, Cristian, Cristina

Dani, Luci, Adi, Lyndon (plod), Cristi

I am delighted that Cristina joins us here tonight, we have not run together before. I know Luci and Adi enjoy running trails, but I believe both are first-time night-time trail runners. Watch out you guys, this stuff can be addictive! I can remember when Dani and I last ran together, a year and a few days ago, the memorable night of the fireworks and drenching pool, his first-time night-time trail running experience, I reckon he was hooked right there and then. Cristi leads the group tonight, he lives very close, these are his woods, he wastes no time from the get-go, so its a huff, and a puff for the old plodder. We have about an hour free for our run, Cristi knows these trails, he can improv route to fit the time, we are in good hands. Dani takes the camera from me and (whoosh) speeds ahead to photograph the oncoming headtorches. The result looks a bit like something from "Close Encounters".

The camera can see only the lights of the oncoming headtorches ...

... like something out of "Close Encounters"

The mud and puddles along these trails are a complete delight. I am definitely getting some "Cluj mud" on my shoes tonight. The mud is dark and wet, its gorgeous ... others in the group are amused at my "straight through the middle" approach. The Hoia Baciu forests have something of a reputation for the paranormal and UFO sightings. I make a short movie. There is something oncoming, I am afraid. You can hear my heavy breathing ...

Well, alright, what really happened here ... as we reached a decent descent, I picked up speed ahead in an attempt to make a short movie of the oncoming headtorches. I am afraid the effort was not so succesful, and alas I dazzled a couple of friends with my super-bright headtorch (should have turned the stupid thing off), but we think the amateurish production is hilarious, a little bit "Blair Witch", perhaps appropriate for this "haunted" forest.

Just a short one tonight, 6km dead, total ascent/descent 162m, came in a bit under the hour at 52:46, good clean fun (except for my shoes, socks and feet). Dinner time now.

Faget Dawn Run, Thursday, November 13, 2014

Three gathered above Faleacu, near the Faget Forest trails, at 7AM, it was still dark, and cold, eleven hours after the finish last night. Same as the start twelve hours ago, adjusting clothing, headtorches, and shoelaces before we set off as a group along the trails. The moon is clear and high in the black-blue sky. The lights of Cluj-Napoca are 300m below our feet (two very poor night photographs, alas).

The moon above our heads, clear and high against the black-blue sky ...

... the street lights of Cluj below our feet.

Dani leads the group tonight, he lives very close, these are his woods. We have maybe a couple of hours available for our run. Cristi and Dani start off along the dark trail while I fiddle about with my camera. and the sky grows lighter as we approach the dark forest. We are over-dressed, a pause to adjust layers and a couple of photographs, we are a happy bunch this morning.

Dani and Cristi running along the dark trails ... 

... the sky grows lighter as we approach the forest ...

... autumn leaves carpet the trails through the dark forest.

The light improves, and we are hot, time to pack headtorches and adjust clothing ...

... and a couple of happy-face photos.

We are following way-marked trails here and are amused by the trail marker which appears to be a white frog. We had a few sights and some fun along the trail. We paused to read an information board about the "Faceul Eggs". These are growing stones, although we only see a few simple-shaped round examples. Further along we pause at a spring to drink the water and fill our bottles. Then there was the mud, the soil here when dry has a sandy texture, when wet it becomes clay. I have been caught in the clay once already, it was awful, the clay clung to my shoes, the leaves clung to the clay. While Cristi picks his way around a large patch, Dani looks back smiling, wondering if I will fall for the clay again ... I wisely followed Cristi this time (I preferred the mud at Hoia twelve hours ago).

Following the froggy trail ...

... passing the Feleac Eggs ...

... and drinking delicious cold water from the spring ...

Eek! More clay! Better avoid the mud here.

The trails twists and turns to a short, sharp and slippery climb. The reward is a lovely run along a ridge and then through the pine trees, a left and we are at the summit, 827m above sea-level. This is the highest point around Cluj-Napoca (I think). We've earned a short pause, a chance to admire the scenery from the top, the mountains in the distance, and a couple more photographs. The post-dawn rose colours are glowing low in the cloudy sky already.

Short sharp climb ...

... onto narrow trails along the ridge ...

... and through a delightful avenue of pine trees ...

... the summit at 827m above sea-level.

Dani

Cristi

Time to descend back toward the cars now. Through the trees back on the carpet of leaves we return to the track where we started in the dark almost two hours ago. The city below is bathed in mist, as we approach the observatory we are just about done.

Descending on the carpet of leaves ...

... back to the track so dark this morning, the city below is bathed in mist ...

... approach the observatory tower, just a couple of hundred meters to go now.

Bit of a longer one this morning, 12km dead, total ascent/descent 301m, came in a bit under the two hours at 1:55:06, good clean fun (except for my shoes, socks and feet, again). Breakfast time now.

Dani, Cristi, Luci, Cristina, Adi ... each of you colleagues or ex-colleagues, friends, thank you for running with me these days, for your generous patience and kindness, for showing me your beautiful forest trails. You're the best, and I am a very lucky man.

Enjoy!

Bell's and Black

The season has changed here, very noticeable that it is becoming wetter, colder, and the nights are drawing in. Since the clocks went back, always dark before I've even finished a day of work, boo! On a more positive note, the weather forecast for daylight hours is good this weekend, maybe a bit windy at times, but plenty of sunshine, and a lack of rain. Feels like an age since I've been out in the nearby Pentland Hills, and I've got two or three hours free mid-afternoon today, yay! Sunset today, 16:32 ... mid-afternoon start so probable still on the go and enjoying a beautiful sunset somewhere, but where? (Maybe take a head-torch just in case today.) I haven't been over Black Hill, standing above the reservoirs of Harlaw and Threipmuir, since ... oh, can't even remember when ... so here's the idea ... park at Harlaw, up to the top of Maiden's Cleugh, plod up Bell's Hill, down into Den's Cleugh, slog up Black Hill, down into Green Cleugh, and then a gentle flat run around the reservoirs in the last light of day; possible extension over Hare Hill and along Red Road, depending on timing and condition of terrain.

Worn: Cold weather running shirt, baggy shorts, leggings, socks, full studs (walsh), gloves, garmin.
Carried: Camera, phone, some cash and plastic, whistle, foil blanket, head torch (alpkit gamma), water, beanie, buff, wind-proof jacket.

So the start, standing before the gate, looking along the path which winds up to the pass between Harbour Hill to the left and Bell's Hill to the right, the top of the Maiden's Cleugh. Not steep, but always ascending, little excuse for walking. The skies are mostly blue, there is a little cloud to add interest, and quite a bit of wind - blowing in the exact direction which will become headwind for the ascents and over the tops this afternoon. There are plenty of walkers about on this path in either direction, and a mountain biker is coming up behind me at a very impressive speed. I reach the top of the saddle, and contemplate the small path snaking up the side of Bell's Hill. I'll be along there soon, first I pass through a gate by the stylish old stone stile.

The start, at Harlaw, the track heading up to the Maiden's Cleugh

Fine skyscape on the ascent

At the top of the cleugh, approaching the gates and stiles ...

... contemplating the narrow path snaking up Bell's Hill

I use the gate, but I love the styling old stone stile.

So, as I open the gate and the mountain biker approaches, and being a polite kind of bloke (I hope!) wait and hold open, but the very fit young lady biker wants to stop and adorn pads - a good idea because the fast descent toward Glencorse is rough and rocky, a spill there could be at least painful - we exchange a few friendly words, I remark on the speed of her ascent, she seeks a PB for her route. Now I'm on one of my favourite kinds of path, narrow and ascending, soft, often very soft. Loving the views down Maiden's Cleugh and soon the flat top leads to the small summit cairn. Ahead the bulk of Black Hill, the next climb before me today, and tough, but more of that later. It was surprisingly hard work hauling my carcass up this little hill, but there are rewards ... the views from the top, and of course the descent. This one is steep, a real quad-trasher, but mercifully brief, leading into the wet of Den's Cleugh ... time to get the feet a bath now.

My kind of path, narrow and soft ..

... often very soft indeed!

Loving the views down to Maiden's Cleugh. 

The summit cairn and the bulk of Black Hill, next climb today ...

.. first a fast steep descent ...

... to a foot-bath in sodden Den's Cleugh.

So now I must start the climb up Black Hill. Its not like this is a massive hill, but in my experience, however you approach, its a punishing climb. The route from here starts with steep, very steep, not at all runnable unless you happen to be super-human. The views down Den's Cleugh are great, but the steep up to the grouse butts feels relentless. Not being hill fit at the moment, I have to make a brief stop, and admire Bell's Hill behind me, and a little bit enjoy the "just been there a few minutes ago" feeling. Now the ascent is more gentle, but always ascent, and relentless. This hill is cruel, it offers false promise after false promise. On the horizon, after two or three false promises, a cairn comes into view, is this the top? Sorry, not so, there is a stone cairn at the summit, but this is not the cairn you are looking for. The wind blowing in my face is a bit fierce, movement is difficult, meaningful running is impossible. Oh well, just a couple more false promises to go over some very wet terrain, and there we are, the small stone cairn at the summit.

Ascent of Black Hill starts, the rough steep ...

... lovely views into Den's Cleugh, but ... 

... more steep

Great view to Bell's Hill at the end of the steep ...

... and now seems like endless ascent and false promises.

The true summit is before me at last, just some wet ground to squelch through ...

... and here we are, just a small stone cairn.

Looking into the distance at East Cairn Hill there is bad weather, heavy rain, and given the wind direction that weather is heading toward me. Already the wind carries some drops of rain. I am without water-proof, fooled by the forecast. I must descend somewhat, on small tracks, and then decide the plan for the rest of today. The rain comes on, heavy. Short stop to put on hat, buff and wind-proof jacket - I know I will be soaked through and the wind will chill my wet body, but every little helps a little. Now shivering a bit, easy decision, no extension, turn my back to the wind, and head to the car at Harlaw.

The only path, a narrow path. to descend from here

Now the rain comes at me, time to head back to base,

The track here around the base of Black Hill is famously muddy, and then before me a bird on the path, which flutters into the heather and pauses for a photo-op, yet its colours blends so well into the backdrop. The path continues to be soft underfoot, as I descend to pass the old stone pump-house at the Black Springs.

The track around Black Hill, always muddy, always a bit of fun.

Bird blending into burnt heather. 

More mud ...

... approaching the black springs, nearly done.

Just a short climb now away from the Black Springs though the trees, and then down through a few gates, looking back to the bulk of Black Hill. Then I am at the stone stile and back onto the easy trails around Harlaw reservoir. Had a bit of an incident with an over-zealous grayhoud which forced a short walk, and a pause to open a gate for a horse rider. Slight dissapointment, at the beginning I read signs of food service at the visitor centre today, hot soup, cake etc. Some hot soup would have been good, I was chilled to the core, alas visitor centre was closed, no soup.

Short climb through trees from Black Springs ...

... 'savouring' view back over Black Hill ...

... and over the old stone stile toward the end

Oh well, never mind, just a couple minutes jog back to the car, and home for garlic-fried-chicken with potato wedges and wilted spinach - yum! Sleep well tonight, family bike ride tomorrow, life is good, lucky me.

So today, conditions underfoot, very often soggy to say the least. Weather mostly good except for wind, and unexpected heavy rain. Distance short, just 10.7km, ascent/descent about 440m, time 1:47:57. Slow, but under the circumstances, happy to to have done that run.

Enjoy!