Tudor Șerban
Mountain guide
Leads the ridge days and the family walks. Qualified for technical terrain.
The Bucegi plateau, the Sphinx and Babele
BucegiMountain & HikingModerate7 hPhotographyFirst-timers
Duration7 h
GradeModerate
Good forMax 10Ages 12+
Distance11 km
Ascent420 m420 m descent
What the day is like
Cable car up, then a plateau walk at two thousand metres past the wind-carved rock formations.
The cable car does the hard work, and then you walk across a plateau at two thousand metres. It is the most accessible high-mountain day we run, and the one we suggest first if you want the altitude without the ascent.
The Sphinx and Babele
Wind-carved conglomerate, and the subject of a great deal of nonsense about ancient civilisations. They are geology, and they are still remarkable.
The catch
It is two thousand metres. The weather up there bears no relation to the weather in Brașov, and a warm layer is not optional.
The day, hour by hour
08:00Pickup in Brașov
An hour to Bușteni, at the foot of the cable car.
09:30Cable car up
A thousand metres of ascent in fifteen minutes. Included.
10:15Across the plateau
Open ground, big skies, and the first views down into the Prahova valley.
11:30Babele and the Sphinx
The rock formations, what actually made them, and why the alternative theories persist.
13:00Lunch at the chalet
Or your own, outside, if the wind allows.
15:00Cable car down
And the drive back.
17:00Back in Brașov
Around five.
What's included
We provide
- Group first-aid kit
- Trekking poles, if you want them — optional
You bring
- Boots with ankle support and a real sole
- Waterproof jacket and overtrousers
- A warm layer — fleece or light down
- Two litres of water
- Sun protection and a hat
Where you meet
Pickup from your Brașov accommodation at 08:00
Who takes you out
Guides are not booked individually — we assign whoever knows that ground and season best, and tell you who it is when we confirm.
Pick a date
Questions people ask
Is this suitable if I am not a hiker?
Largely yes. The walking is on gentle ground and the cable car removes the climb. You still need to be comfortable walking for four hours at altitude.
What if the cable car is closed?
It closes for high wind, and when it does we move you to another date or refund you. We check the forecast the evening before.
How cold does it get up there?
Assume ten degrees colder than Brașov, plus wind. People underestimate this constantly.