Route description:
Medium-difficulty course - Mountain experience required
Cut-off time 5 hours and 30 minutes. Runners who reach the finish after this time will be listed in the results as DNF (did not finish).
The race starts at the stage in the Otăsău valley, at the upper end of Bărbătești village. After about 2.5 km of forest road, where the first water point of the course is located, the climb begins on the hiking trail marked with a red cross up to Pătrunsa Monastery, a checkpoint and aid station (food and water). By this point we have covered about 5 km and 500 m of elevation gain.
The course then follows the yellow dot trail to Poiana Bulzului (about km 6, orientation point), after which a 2 km climb with 550 m of elevation gain begins on the hiking trail marked with a blue cross up to Curmătura Builei (km 8, 1100 m of elevation gain), the next checkpoint and aid station (water and food).
From there the course follows the red stripe along the western ridge of the massif (a section that, towards its end, includes a technical descent - take care), passing over the Piatra and Cacova peaks, up to the Cacova sheepfold (km 10.5), a checkpoint and water point.
From here the course follows the red triangle trail along a 1.5 km section of forest road, then a hiking path to the junction with the yellow dot trail. The yellow dot trail is followed, alternating between forest roads and paths, to the finish, passing through the last checkpoint and aid station (food and water) in Poiana Scărișoara, at km 13 of the course.
