🏔️Vârful Gârgalău in Winter – The Trail, the Gear and a Fairytale Sunset

🏂 Snow, Annoying Snowmobiles and a Fairytale Sunset

If you want a trail that's easy-going but still tests your willpower, Vârful Gârgalău (vârf = peak, in the Rodna Mountains) is exactly what you need. On 18 January 2025, together with 5 friends, I set off on a combination of snow, wind, an epic sunset and… snowmobile fumes.

🛏️ Where Did We Sleep Before the Hike?

Since we're not fans of waking up at 4 AM for long drives, we slept in Borșa, at Pensiunea Poiana (a guesthouse). Clean, warm, a good bed, a good price, parking spots – exactly what you need before a mountain hike. Recommended!

Early in the morning, we had our coffee (some of us more dead than alive) and by 8:57 AM we were already on the trail.

🎥 Video – It's Easier to Watch Than to Read

If you can't be bothered to read it all, here's the drone video – to see what the mountain looks like in winter without sinking up to your knees.

📍The Route – Stats and Moderate Suffering

📌 Date: 18 January 2025

📌 Start time: 8:57 AM

📌 Total distance: 18.73 km

📌 Actual walking time: 6 hours and 37 minutes

📌 Total time including breaks, filming and photos: 9 hours and 44 minutes

📌 Elevation gain: 1,199 m

📌 Calories burned: 4,129 kcal

📌 Steps taken: 31,1584

📌 Temperature at start: -6°C

If you want to see exactly where we struggled, have a look on Strava:

🚗 The Road to Prislop Pass – Empty Lifts and Lucky 4x4

We got in the car and drove to Prislop Pass, where the Prislop Monastery is too. Just like on other winter hikes, the ski slopes in Borșa were deserted, the chairlifts were running empty, as if carrying the spirits of lost skiers.

Luckily, we had a 4x4 belonging to a friend, so snow and ice were no problem.

❄️ The Trail – Beautiful, but Noisy

If the trail is easy in summer, in winter it's… a bit more fun, in the sense that every now and then you sink up to your knees. Microspikes were mandatory, but at least it wasn't the kind of trail where you crawl on all fours.

📌 The weather?

✅ Partly sunny, pleasant, but the wind tested our patience a bit.

✅ Nice views? YES!

✅ Snow? Just enough to make you regret not going to a cabin with mulled wine.

The only problem? Snowmobiles! Where did so many people with snowmobiles come from?? While we were enjoying the fresh air, two-stroke engine fumes and an infernal noise showed up. Why struggle on foot when you can pollute right up at 2,000 m?

🌄 The Sunset That Was Worth the Whole Hike

If until then we were slightly irritated by the snowmobiles and the wind, the sunset wiped out all our tiredness. The clouds created a diffuse layer of orange light, the sky turned into a scene torn from a fantasy movie, and all we could do was stare and wonder why we don't do this more often.

Conclusion: If you want to see one of the coolest sunsets in Romania, climb Gârgalău in winter!

🔦 The Descent – Headlamps Make the Difference

After the sunset, we had just one "small" detail left to deal with: the descent in the dark. Headlamps were lifesavers! If you don't have them, you rely on just the moon, instinct and luck. We preferred the safer option.

📌 Pro tip: Never set out on a winter trail without a headlamp.

🎒 The Gear – What We Carried

📦 In the backpack:

✅ Drone – to film the mountain, but also as an excuse for breaks.

✅ 1.5 L of water – a thermos would have been better, but weight is a factor.

✅ Fleece, headlamp, protein bars, first-aid kit – because you never know what might happen.

✅ Gaiters, microspikes, survival blanket, bear spray, taser – just in case.

✅ Ski goggles and sunglasses – because the snow glares enough to blind you.

👕 On me:

✅ Waterproof trousers, winter boots – to avoid turning into a snowman.

✅ Base layer, softshell, beanie, buff – layer upon layer, the perfect combination.

🌤️ The Weather – Lovely, but the Wind Ran Wild

📌 Temperature at start: -6°C

📌 On the trail: Partly sunny, quite pleasant

📌 Wind: Rather aggressive on the ridge, but in the sun it was perfect

The weather was deceptive. When the wind blew, you wondered why on earth you left home. When the sun came out, you felt like you could easily have a picnic on the snow. Without the wind, it would have been an almost perfect day.

🍽️ Where Did We Eat After the Hike?

Once we got back to the cars, all we needed was food. We stopped at Restaurant Viva, where we had Pizza Salami.

📌 The food? Good.

📌 The prices? Coming from Cluj, everything feels cheap.

📌 Worth coming back? If you're starving, any place is a feast. But yes, it's worth it.

After eating, we headed home, tired but happy that we'd done this awesome hike.

🏁 Conclusion – Worth It? Yes, Except for the Snowmobiles

If you ask me, Vârful Gârgalău in winter is a must-do. The trail is moderate, the views are incredible, and the sunset is something you have to see with your own eyes.

The only problem? Tourists on snowmobiles. But hey, nothing's perfect.

Would I go back? Definitely, but maybe on a day without engines on the mountain.

💡 Want to Climb Gârgalău in Winter Too? Quick Tips:

✅ Bring microspikes! The snow is deceptive.

✅ Be ready for wind. Even in good weather, it's strong.

✅ A headlamp is a must. Night on the mountain without a light is dangerous.

✅ Don't forget your camera. The sunset here is legendary.