The Shadow of Dracula Castle - Kevin Novello
When it’s my turn to go, I click it into second gear and pin it, not wanting to do any pushing. Nearing the top, I take note of the Romanian guide waving his arms at me to slow down, as there is, unbeknownst to me, a hard-right turn as you crest the top that if missed, would mean an unplanned descent to the bottom.
We continue traversing narrow ridge line hills for several miles before the terrain transitions back to rolling meadows. Eventually we catch the learning-to-ride group as they have skipped this section all together. Relieved and elated to be done with the Dragon’s back, we all travel to the lunch spot together.
Jesus Statue
A short distance from Hotel Târnava is the famous “Jesus Statue” of Harghita. Standing close to 100 feet tall and constructed of steel, the statue overlooks the village we are staying in. What’s notable is the optional, steep climb of about 200 yards to reach the base of the statue. A few sweeping corners along the climb add some excitement, as do a few well-placed saplings. But overall, it’s manageable. Fortunately, Scott uprooted several of the more annoying saplings in his attempts to reach the top. The story goes that the saplings robbed him of his momentum each time he hit one, ruining every attempt to summit. He gave up after the last crash sent him into a briar bush, covering him in huckleberries that are now likely an invasive species growing in his neighborhood.
Day 3 Round Trip from Hotel Tarnov
My favorite day of tour! It’s a drizzly, foggy morning as we make our way through quaint Romanian villages en route to the mountain range we are to spend the better part of the day playing on. The first obstacle of the day is a root-laced hill of about 200 yards in length that makes for a nice warmup. All three groups converge here at the same time, so the hill climb theatrics and loop-outs make for some great spectating. Scott clears this hill with little effort while Ron (and many others) loops out in fine fashion. Once at the top, we disband into our respective groups and are treated to miles of scenic, rolling meadows, evergreen forests, and more quaint villages.
As if on cue, the drizzle changes to light rain and fog as we begin a technical ascent towards the ski lodge where we are to meet for lunch. The rain makes for some slick, mud-covered climbs, forcing the beginner group to take an alternate “easier” route. After several miles of slimy rocks and thin mountain soils, we begin series of steep, technical climbs that is used by downhill mountain bikers. I cringe just thinking about alteration in the terrain caused by our presence. Fortunately, the culture is more accepting of other trail users. A few of the individual ascents could be classified as Hard Enduro climbs but many were just wet, technical rock and root laced climbs. Ron redeemed himself here as he quick-timed to the top, leaving Scott and I behind, but not before falling on top of Scott in a visually uncomfortably tip over.
Day 4: Rest Day? No way!
Hardly a rest day! For an extra 100 euro, we were treated to an unplanned day of playing around in the hills by the hotel. The owner of Xpower, Thomas Fasching, led a group of us that wanted to go out and play around on some of the local hills. While long and steep, the hills were manageable - with a deep twist of the throttle. Some hills were up to a 1/2-mile-long with great traction and hero-dirt. We spent the day in “play mode“ railing hills, scrambling up boulder-laden stream beds and trying our hand at pivot turns along some of the steeper hills. All in all, it was a great day followed by a dinner a short walk from the hotel. Another thing worth mentioning is the food, we never had a bad meal. One caveat is that Romania is a difficult place to be a vegetarian. It’s possible, but not convenient.