The Most Iconic Road - Transfagarasan, Romania
The Carpathian mountains of Romania boast two of the worlds most iconic roads.
We spent the day blasting along its many turns as we fulfilled a dream of riding the Transfagarasan. Altitudes of up to 2,042 meters (6,699 ft) make this the second highest mountain pass in Romania. The Transfagarasan is indeed one of the most iconic roads in the world albeit the most mispronounced. We started our approach from Sibiu, headed east and turned right onto the 7C with much anticipation as whether it would like up to our expectations that the precious day on the Transalpina had set. After the obligatory selfie with the infamous road sign we started 71kms of countless sweeping turns, hairpins and chicanes which all feel like they where built with driving pleasure in mind.
SCENERY - 7/10
I often find myself concentrating on the road so much that I forget to look at the scenery around me, if you take some time to stop at the many vistas and view points you will be rewarded with an almost bird’s eye views of this epic road. Before you enter the dense forest section you really see how epic this road is and how each turn could be named like they do on the race tracks. We arrived at Lake Balea just before the dense fog stated to roll over the mountains, as we rode through this white haze and into the Capra tunnel we wondered what would await us on the other side. As you exit the tunnel you are met by a rugged desert of weathered rocks that could cascade down the mountain at any time. As you look to the horizon you get a clear view of how much longer the road winds on into this un forgiving landscape.
DURATION - 10/10
I hadn’t given much thought to the length of the passes that go through the Carpathian mountains, I sort of presumed as with most mountain pass roads in Europe that they would last an hour or so and I might even consider turning around and riding them again. On the contrary at the half way point I was wondering if we will make it to our hotel in time as we still had some ways to go. Plan about 3-4 hours for a none stop journey of the Transfagarasan and a whole day for the various stops. We had planned to be in Bucharest that night and from lake Balea still had some 240kms to go, it was going to be another late one.
ROAD CONDITIONS - 8/10
There are no unpaved areas of the Transfagarasan making it suitable for all vehicle types. The road surfaces are well worn yet predictable, as you would expect with a road surrounded by rocks one should keep an eye out for loose stones that have made their way onto the racing line -I mean public road!! Blind corners should be approached with caution as there are often sheep, cows, donkeys and bears on the road -yes that’s right BEARS ON THE ROAD!!! I had heard there was a chance of seeing a bear but I didn’t really think that we would encounter any, much to our surprise we saw 9 bears in a very short space of time. Ten minuets prior to seeing the first bear we had a warning alert message sent to our phones alerting us to increased bear activity, the alert also came with a distinct sound so much so that i thought that the sound was coming from the bike. In short don’t feed them, give them lots of room and be extra wary of the Mother bears with cubs, having said that when we went to pass them, a car that had been waiting decided to pull off and forced us a little bit too close for comfort!
AMENITIES - 6/10
Most if not all the restaurants are at Lake Balea so if you planned on getting something to eat on the Transfagarasan this is your best bet. There is also WC perched on the cliff edge as you exit the Capra tunnel -how much longer it will be there until the cliff crumbles I don’t know, but I for sure didn’t want to be the last person to use it! Keep in mind that there are no petrol stations along the route so fill up in Cârțișoara if you are approaching from the north or just past Curtea de Argeș if you decide to travel form the south.
EXHILERATION - 9/10
Named the best road in the world by Top gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson and who am I to disagree. Hundreds of corners snaking around the mountain. The initial hill climb from the north was unforgettable! Immediately after each corner you have no time to think about your line or lean angle as you are presented instantly with turn after turn until you reach the summit and let your heartbeat return to normal. And its by no means over form there, the long decent down into the valley down a cliff with a road draped over it. There’s many a corner without any protective barriers separating you from the safety of the tarmac from the precipice beyond the cliff edge -for sure this road is not for the faint hearted or inexperienced. One of the joys of riding a motorcycle is being out in the open, exposed to the elements and immersed in your surroundings. Never have I felt so out in the open than coming coming face to face with a bear, sometimes you see them in advance and you can prepare or wait for them to cross, other times you tip toe around a blind tight corners to be greeted by a 6ft bear standing upright almost towering over us. The Transfagarasan truly was exhilarating in every way and has become one of our most memorable rides.
overall - 8/10
What’s all this hype with the Transfagarasan? Well it turns out a lot and justifiably so! It’s been on my to ride list for many years now and I arrived with a lot of expectation and hopes that it would be everything I wanted it to be -it didn’t disappoint. It’s raw, rugged and exciting and makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere the exact recipe you need to be on an adventure. No matter if you are on a motorcycle, car or bicycle this road is everything you hoped for. We went off season and were fortunate to have the place to ourselves which made riding in the cold and sometimes wet totally justifiable. Seeing bears made the day even more memorable and after we left the last stages of the Transfagarasan with the sun going down a calm silence fell upon us and we felt honored to have had such an incredible day, its the moments like this you never forget.