Trash the Dress Experience in Retezat Mountains – Romania

Maybe one of the best feelings you can get is the one just before starting out on a new journey… that particular hype that brings the most pleasant unease… the anxiety of discovering something NEW, regardless of what that actually is. Exactly the fact that the experiences are so personal and different for each person is what makes life so colorful. So come and check how our trash the dress in Retezat event went down.

Forests – for us

We saw each other in the city but we first met on a bicycle ride in the small forest next to Timisoara where we shared some dirt, smiles, warmth and emotions… plenty of emotions. The smell of fresh and dried up leaves, the low or loud sounds, the sun’s rays and shades, the heavy breathing and the sincere looks on our faces have dictated the rhythm of our hearths and have woven a thread in our history together.

Mountains – for us

Just the next day, after our stroll through the forest, I left for Tarcu mountains for a short hike and that very evening when I got back our souls melted together as it seems that mountains and forests tend to do that. Starting that day we decided to see everything in the world together and three years later we embarked on our life trip when we said “YES” before our hearts.

Time flies fast and recently we celebrated 1 year of marriage. Now we look back with joy at some heavy moments and we remember our hike through the Retezat National Park in the wedding dress. Where else could we have organized our Trash the Dress session if not one of our dearest places in Romania?

Let me tell you how it all want down…

We set out our plan and we convinced our wonderful photographers to follow us to the top of the mountains. We didn’t have nearly as much time as we would have liked so we left Timisoara during the afternoon and spent the first night at Poiana Pelegii at the footsteps of the mountains. We had a good laugh on behalf of Alex Vancu, our photographer, and his big fear of bears, that only intensified as the dark was setting in.

When we got there we were amazed to see an Ambulance and a convoy of about 15 people that were carrying a young woman on a stretcher down the mountain because she has been hit by lightning. We were speechless as you don’t really expect to find such thing when you are going to your trash the dress session.

The excessive heat we had this summer made the weather in Retezat to be even more unstable as usual and to intensify the probability of storms. With some luck we woke up the next day to a clear and blue sky and head towards Bucura lake to set our base camp and to start looking for perfect shots.

We passed by the Mountain ranger’s hut and decided that Peleaga peak is the right destination. I stored my dress in my backpack not to ruin it and started climbing. The weather? Was nice and our enthusiasm was getting bigger and bigger. You can realize we didn’t had a lot of speed going up with all the photo gear we had to carry but slowly, steadily and with some encouraging lies, “just around the corner” or “one more hop and we are there” we managed to get close to the top.

But just as we reached the mountain’s ridge we got stunned by the view… unfortunately it wasn’t anything good as the whole horizon was full of grey-black clouds that were making their way fast to the summit. If above us we had some white – fluffy clouds, in the distance the sky was dark and the wind started to blow it all in our direction. The pole indicating that you have reached Peleaga Peak started buzzing because of the electrical load in the atmosphere, something I have never heard before.

We decided to abandon the plan and to make our way down the mountain as fast as we could because it was just a matter of minutes before the storm would reach our location and believe me that I have never descended a mountain so fast. There were some moments when my heart stopped a bit and my mind was making grim calculations on our odds. As we were looking back to see if all of us were present we saw the peak being engulfed by clouds and thunder strikes made their appearance all around… we rushed harder but Bucura and the mountain ranger’s hut seemed farther and farther.

By the time the first raindrops started to catch us we saw the mountain hut and we somewhat calmed down. The rangers welcomed us in and we stayed there waiting for the worst to pass. After about two hours, just as suddenly as the storm formed it disappeared, making way to clear skies and the sunset. Who knows how the weather will look tomorrow so shouldn’t we start shooting?

The next day we called it quits on Peleaga Peak and decided to get dressed and make our way to three lovely lakes, Ana, Viorica, Florica and after to the small Tăul Agăţat right underneath Judele Peak.

Lunch break at a 3 Michelin star restaurant! 🙂

One after the other we are going further and further and further, getting closer to the next year… and the next… and the next… hoping to gather a lot of memories, to see as much of our world as possible and to enjoy life, nature and our love!

Happy anniversary to us!

Other great adventures

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