Retezat Hikes – Peleaga Peak

Let’s go on a hike to the impressive Peleaga Peak, towering at 2509 meters in the center of the Retezat National Park, the oldest park in Romania and definitely one of the wildest. Retezat National Park is remote, with no roads that pass through it, and isolated with no permanent human settlements. As such it has remained untouched by “civilization”.  In our guide, hike to Peleaga Peak, we will cover the best access road to the park, where you should sleep, what water sources you have available, facts about the hike and other useful information you should be aware of.

Distance

11 Km

Total Time

9h 00 min

Active Time

6 h 42 min

Vertical Relief

+880 / -880 m

Min/Max Altitude

1590 – 2509 m

Average Speed

2.4 km/h

Hike to Peleaga Peak

The hike starts at Poiana Pelegii where you arrive by crossing the river next to the parking place of your car. Depending on what your plan is you can either camp in Poiana Pelegii, do the hike to Peleaga Peak and return here or you can camp up at Bucura Lake and do the hike from there. I recommend the second option if you plan to stay in the park for a few days and do more hikes. From Bucura you can do many one day trips on the surrounding mountain tops.

Follow the marking of the track passing close to the Mountain Ranger’s hut (you can find a freshwater spring here) until you reach Bucura Lake. This section is about 3 kilometers long and has an altitude gain of 300 meters (it should take about 1.5 – 2 hours if you carry a heavy backpack).

From here you need to follow the path on the right bank of the lake passing by the Bucura Mountain Ranger’s hut (you can find a freshwater spring near the hut). After about 30 minutes walking time you will enter a vast glacial valley and you will see Peleaga peak – 2509 meters – right in front of you. Approach the climb on the right side of the peak as you are looking at it, and follow the trail until the top. This section should take you 2-3 hours and you will gain 500 meters in altitude.

From the mountain top, you will follow the markings and start the descent back to Bucura Lake. You could also go down the same way you came up, it is up to you. The trail will take you on the other side of the mountain and you should keep going until you reach Curmătura Bucurei.

From here you go south and towards Bucura Lake on the . Continue on the same route as you come after reaching Bucura Lake until you get to Poiana Pelegii.

GPS track to Peleaga Peak

How to get to Peleaga Peak?

There are multiple access roads to the Retezat National Park but I will present the one I consider the best if you are coming from the west part of Romania (mainly from Timişoara). The road is great until you reach Clopotiva Village, where you will switch and drive on an industrial, but paved, road that ends up at Gura Apelor Dam. From this point, you enter the park’s unpaved road that requires a car with a decent ground clearance. While an off-road vehicle is ideal for this road you will manage, most of the times, just fine with a high ground clearance vehicle. You can park the car at the end of the road close to Poiana Pelegii.

Where to sleep?

For this particular hike, you can camp at one of the two recommended camping spots, Bucura Lake or Poiana Pelegii. Both places are free of charge and you can pick your place wherever you feel like it. Do note that there are no showers or toilets available. In case of any emergency or if you need help you can ask the park ranges for assistance as they have a hut at each of the above locations.

Good to know

Hope you found the information helpful and accurate, but remember, if you have any questions drop them in a comment below!

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