We’re getting older… or wiser. Or we’re starting to enjoy other things in life. Or better yet said, other experiences. Experiences that last longer, that we forget harder, that get stuck in our hearts and heads for months, that make us smile when we think about them. Experiences that, after they’re over, make us say: ‘It was perfect, we have to do it again!’.

Making plans for New Year’s Eve is always a tricky thing to do. Some plan it one year in advance, some just wait until the last moment and see what available option are still on. For maybe the last 10 years, we have been following the same pattern, which is going to a party, dancing and drinking all night long and most of the times, having a strong hangover the next day.

As we’re so in love with mountains and as we don’t get the chance to go hiking as much as we would like to, we decided to spend the New Year’s Eve and a few days before and after, UP there, in the Făgăraș Mountains, at the Suru Hut.

This place has a special meaning for us and each time we go there, even for one night, the experience is just right. We’ve been there when I was 7 months pregnant, we’ve been there with the baby for the last 2 years and now we planned to go there with a bunch of friends for the NYE.

Due to some small health issues, we only got to the Suru Hut on the 31st of December (the rest of the group having arrived, as planned, one day before). But we managed to get there and that’s the most important.

There are 3 options to get to the Suru Chalet. We’ve been on the 3 of them, so here’s a short preview:

• on the Moașa Valley – red circle path : The path starts from the Sebeșu de Sus village via the Moașa Waterfalls. You can go by car on the forest road until you get to the first river crossing, from where you can only go by foot on the marked path. It takes you about 2h30 – 3h00 to get to the Hut if you chose this path and it’s the most difficult one, as the hiking path is quite steep. Someone with a good physical condition can do it with little effort, but it’s not suitable for people who are not that active.
• on the Moașa Edge – red triangle : This path starts again from the Sebeșu de Sus village, just outside the village (at the barrier) and you don’t have to drive anymore on the forest road. This option is very good during winter time, when there’s a lot of snow. It’s also the longest option, taking you around 4 – 5 hours to get to the Hut. It’s an easy option, as the going up is quite relaxed, but it’s the longest in terms of distance, so prepare to walk a lot.
• on the Avrig Valley – blue triangle : This one starts from the Avrig town and you can go by car on the Avrig valley up to the Izvorul Foii water spring. The forest road is not the best though, but if you’re careful and a good driver, you can get to the Izvorul Foii without any problems. During winter time, if it snows a lot, the road closes. This is the shortest option for getting to the Hut, the trip lasting about 2h00 – 2h30. The only thing about it is that the first 40minutes -1h00 the path is very steep and the effort is quite big.

The Suru Chalet has been having new owners for the last two years and they managed to change the face of the hut completely. The hut went through some serious renovation and repair process and it has all the conditions needed to make your stay as comfortable as possible, considering that we are talking about a place in the mountains with no car access.

They have extended the hut and it now has 35 places to sleep, with a proper bathroom with toilets and showers and hot running water. With solar panels that give electricity and with a heating system that keeps the Hut warm all winter long (too warm, if you ask me).

The NYE was perfectly organized by the hosts of the Hut and they paid so much attention to every detail that we were all the time amazed and wondering how those things can happen up in the mountains (considering that you don’t get such a good service in most of the restaurants in Sibiu, for example). They even served caviar for the NYE dinner. Not to mention the rest of the meals, which made us droll every time.

And not to mention the outdoors that contributed even more to making us feel so happy and lucky to be there. We had a beautiful full moon one night, rising from behind the fir trees in the forest, we had clear skies and we had beautiful sunsets and sunrises. So many in just 3 days.

We went hiking towards the Făgăraș ridge, just to enjoy the sun and the snow together. During winter time it’s not really advisable to go too far up, we only had a 4 hours hike getting close to the ridge. Some were braver and more experienced and adventured up to the Suru peak. They sure did get an amazingly beautiful view.

Being up there we got the chance to see not only one fireworks show, but hundreds. With a clear sky, we had in front of our eyes Sibiu and all the towns and the villages around it, throwing fireworks in all directions. It’s something you don’t get to see every day, that’s for sure.

It was a mixture of so many things that contributed to having one of the most beautiful trips so far. With great friends, perfect accommodation and food, beautiful mountains and great weather, 2017 ended and 2018 began with so much good vibe, so much laughter and positive thoughts. It’s what you actually need, it’s experiences like this that keep you alive and give you the power and the motivation to do the rest.

Thank you Ioana and Bogdan! 🙂