Valea Prapastiilor

Distance: 12 miles
Ascent: 600m
Weather: pleasant morning, turning to rain at lunchtime, then thunder and lightning

 

From the village we walked along the lane and then turned off down a steep little path through beech woods to a track which headed around a sharp corner into a narrow, steep sided gorge. The gravel track climbed gently, with beautiful trees and overhanging cliffs on either side.  We saw a Ural Owl, a wren, and a cave where Nicole Kidman once had a snog (apparently - the film Cold Mountain was filmed here.)

 

Passing the end of Cat Gorge, the path became steeper and we zigzagged around into the gorge, climbing steadily. Lunch was had on some logs, just as the gathering mist began to turn into proper rain. The rain eased off for a while, as we walked through pine woods and out into a fine high meadow,  with fascinating fungi and signs of wild boars. Then the rain stopped being eased and we put our waterproofs back on and headed back along a grassy path back to the village. Four salamanders later, the thunder and lightning began, making the horses on the opposite valleyside panic, and the rain got really quite heavy.

 

It began to clear and blue sky beginning to show as we got back to the hotel, just in time for tea and cake.