Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the car park at Bâlea Lac, by the lake at the top of the Transfăgărășan road, the path climbs east up a steep, rocky slope to Șaua Caprei, the saddle above the cirque, with the lake and the road's hairpins below. On the far side it drops a little to Capra Lake, a small glacial tarn in a rocky bowl under the main ridge of the Făgăraș mountains. Return the same way.
It is 2.7 km there and back with 304 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Hard: short, but steep and rocky, with loose stones on the climb to the saddle.
The high section of the Transfăgărășan is usually closed by snow from late October until late June, and it can close at short notice in bad weather. Snow can lie on the slope below the saddle into summer. The road was built between 1970 and 1974 as a military route across the mountains, and reaches 2,042 m.
Park at Bâlea Lac, at the top of the road.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Bâlea Lake lies in a glacial cirque at about 2,030 m beside the highest point of the Transfăgărășan road
- The path climbs a steep rocky slope to Șaua Caprei, the saddle above the lake, then drops to Capra Lake
- The Transfăgărășan was built between 1970 and 1974 as a military route across the Făgăraș mountains
- The Făgăraș ridge holds Romania's highest summits, Moldoveanu and Negoiu
Getting there
Start: Bâlea Lac, Transfăgărășan. 45.60485, 24.61686
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Bâlea Lac: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.