In mid-June 2019, I spent six days with a Romanian mountain guide called Radu Hera. I thought he was excellent, so I’ve written this post about the experience.

I wanted to learn basic mountaineering skills and Radu agreed to teach me. Before the trip, I’d never worn crampons, held an ice axe or climbed outside. My experience amounted to several multiple-day treks and some indoor top-rope climbing. I’m sure Radu is also a great guide for people with more experience, but this review is written from the perspective of someone new to mountaineering.

We spent six days in the Bucegi mountains, often on unmarked trails, and he didn’t look at a map once. He could name most of the peaks just by looking at them. He would tell me where each valley lead to and what was on the other side of each ridge. He knew the rough condition of each route before we did it (eg: „let’s go to this place, I was there a week ago and the snow is in good condition” or „we shouldn’t go there, it will be dangerous in this weather”). Radu is also friends with some of the people who run the mountain huts.

In our six days together, I failed to ask a question that he couldn’t answer. His climbing experience stretches far beyond Romania to the Alps and the Andes, where he has made ascents of high altitude peaks that are rarely climbed.

I felt a little embarrassed about my lack of experience before the trip, but he made me feel at ease. Since my time in Romania, I have hired two other mountain guides and can still say that Radu was the best teacher. He has worked on mountain rescue teams and therefore prioritises teaching safe techniques. Importantly, he has a way of teaching that makes you feel encouraged rather than anxious.

I contacted several Romanian mountain guides before my trip and found Radu to cost half as much as the next most affordable guide. Furthermore, his fee included transport, technical equipment and national park taxes, which the other guides I had contacted asked me to pay extra for. He expected me to pay for my own food and accommodation when we stayed in mountain huts, but he did not ask me to pay for his. He even let me sleep for one night at his own house so that I wouldn’t have to spend money on another night in a mountain hut. He was very kind to me and his guiding services were incredibly good value for money.

I’m a stupid Brit, so can only speak English and yet I never struggled to understand him. His English is good.

He isn’t the most talkative person, but when he does talk he has very interesting things to say. He told me about Romania’s history and his experience of communism.

All in all, it was a brilliant 6 days that I look back on with very fond memories even a year later. I intend to return to Romania several times in the future, because the landscapes are stunning and the people are welcoming. It is the country that I always tell people they should visit if they like the outdoors.