Mountain hiking gear: what you need, what you don't

§The five things you don't leave without

1. Footwear with a good sole. On the easy trails (Moara Dracului Gorge, the Slătioara old forest, Măgura) trail shoes are fine. On the Pietrele Doamnei, Giumalău or any trail marked “moderate”: boots above the ankle. Wet limestone is soap.
2. Water: 1.5–2 litres per person. Up top, springs are rare (we list them on every trail). In summer, on the ridge, you drink more than you think.
3. A warm layer and a rain layer, even in July. At 1,600 m it's 8–10 degrees colder than in town, and the clouds come over Giumalău in 20 minutes.
4. An offline map. Signal is patchy. Download the area in Google Maps or a trail app beforehand; the waymarks are good, but the forest has no signpost at every bend.
5. A power bank and a small first-aid kit: plasters, an elastic bandage, an antihistamine, something sweet. And the Salvamont number: 0SALVAMONT (0725 826 668).

§Good to have

• Bețe de trekking, on the long descents (Zugreni, Slătioara): your knees will thank you. How to choose them, what they cost and which brands are worth it, in a separate guide.
• A cap and sunscreen: there's no shade on the subalpine meadows.
• Salty snacks and a piece of fruit; the “big” lunch is down at Baciului.
• A small rubbish bag. What goes up comes down.

§What you don't need

Ropes, a helmet or crampons on the marked summer trails. A pack bigger than 20–25 l for a day. Brand-new unworn boots: you break them in on Măgura, not on Giumalău.

§Winter is another conversation

From December to April the ridge trails (Giumalău, Pietrele Doamnei, Obcina Mestecăniș) call for experience and gear: winter boots, gaiters, light crampons on the Pietrele Doamnei, snowshoes or touring skis on the ridges, and on Giumalău avalanche kit (transceiver, probe, shovel) and at least two people. If you don't have all that, the valley trails remain in winter: the old forest, the gorge, the forest roads. They're superb under snow.

§La Cuib

You have somewhere to dry boots and clothes, a washing machine, a fully equipped kitchen that is yours from first light, and a cold spring 600 m away where you fill your bottles as you leave.