Petzl RocTrip: These Romanians are crazy!

After four days of "rugose" climbing in Romania, it is time to take stock of the first stage of the 2014 Petzl RocTrip. The hundreds of climbers who met up with the Petzl caravan in Baile Herculane enjoyed an incredible mix of climbing, relaxing in the hot springs, and wild evening festivities. Here are the day-by-day highlights.

"There have been three main historical periods here in Baile Herculane," explains Andrei Simu, the talented climber from Timisoara.

"The first was when Roman legionnaires discovered the hot springs in the area; the second was the golden age of the spas during Empress Sissi's reign; and the third is the Petzl RocTrip in September 2014!"

Is our Romanian friend just slightly off his rocker?

Not as much as you might think. Even though the Cerna Valley in Southwestern Romania has a rich past, the Petzl RocTrip has already made its mark on the history of the area – and not just a symbolic one. Since the end of the 1990s, the legendary resort has hit hard times. The major spas built in Viennese style architecture stand alongside cement high-rises from the Soviet era and modern luxury hotels. With so many layers of history, Baile Herculane exudes the nostalgic charm of a rich and glorious past.

Wednesday, September 10, a mini Oktoberfest

After two thousand years of a spa-based economy, the town of Herculane may find its breath of fresh air through outdoor sports. In the heart of Cerna Park, mountain biking, whitewater sports, hiking, and climbing are growing in popularity. In a movie-like décor where the Petzl caravan takes center stage, the main city square is filled with the energetic lilt of folkloric dance groups performing. An artisan market displays honeys made from yellow acacia and beautiful handmade pottery. The festive crowds gather enthusiastically around the booths of this mini Oktoberfest. In a country where the typical meal consists of a copious assortment of sausages, the "Vegetarian Food" tent manned by Jérôme, the cook for the trip, appeals to both the hungry and the curious. After tasting French-style sugar crepes, all part singing glorious praise.

Thursday, September 11, "If Petzl's heading there, it must be worth it"

This first stage of the Petzl RocTrip proves to be an enlightening cultural experience. As the day comes to a close, over at the hot springs a group of quietly relaxing retirees suddenly witness droves of exhausted but smiling climbers disembark. Immersed in the turquoise steam, Mircea and his girlfriend, Elena, a Romanian couple from Transylvania, admit somewhat sheepishly that they had yet to venture south to visit their very own country even though they have practically circumnavigated the globe from one Trip to another. "It turns out that we know Spain much better than Romania. When we learned that the RocTrip planned to stop in Herculane, we said to ourselves that if Petzl's heading there, it must be worth it. We're here for several days, curious to discover this part of our wonderful country. Lesson learned!"

Friday, September 12, the women prove just how truly hard they climb

In a country where sport climbing has only recently developed, the locals are blown away by an athletic activity where women demonstrate skills on par with their male counterparts. They show their poise, rope gun, decipher the right sequence, and send several first free ascents…This is also an area where the diversity of an event like the Petzl RocTrip comes into play. The event contributes, in its own way, to turning conventional wisdom on its head. You should have seen the face of the guy, still working a route after two years of intense effort, when a woman from the other side of the planet sent his project in two tries. No one will ever be able to convince him again that women are the "weaker sex".

Saturday, September 13, 10:00, a quick trip back to eighties' style slab climbing

Even strong climbers sometimes tire of overhanging routes. A day spent climbing a radically different style is also a good way to develop other muscles, to dust off long-forgotten brain cells; in other words, a rest day. When Enzo Oddo heard about the hard slab climbs in an area referred to as "KM9", he grabbed a group of friends. The area, protected from the sun by a grove of tall beech trees, proves both spectacularly beautiful and covered in moss. The young Frenchman would have quickly lost hope if his older companions had not pulled out their scrub brushes and good humor. Four hours later, the small group of friends finished their "quick trip back to the 1980s" (as Gérôme Pouvreau put it) sending two 7c (5.12d) and two 8a (5.13b) routes, including an old project with tricky climbing where, according to Gérôme, the tiny holds required anal-retentively precise technique.

Saturday, September 13, 19:00, the guidebook is already obsolete!

With a glass of beer in hand, Andrei finishes "his" stage smiling from ear to ear. On a copy of his guidebook, he has checked off projects now sent and written comments on the ratings. "The bad news is that our guidebook came out only one week ago and is already obsolete. The good news is that I gathered more info in the last four days than I had in an entire year. The other good news is that will likely have our first 9a (5.14d) in Romania. After flashing the first part of Mrs. Baba, 8b (5.13c), Slovenian Klemen Becan confirms that "Black Cobra" is at least 9a (5.14d). So, will you be back soon?"

Sunday, September 14, noon, so when did you go to bed?

One of the Petzl RocTrip's trademarks putting on incredible evening festivities. Local groups, live concerts, film showings by Team Petzl members, and a spectacular sound system cap off each day of climbing. "Roctrippers know it, and expect such a crazy pace," says organizer Erwan Le Lann. "I do everything in my power to ensure that people get what they came for." On Saturday evening, an unbelievably powerful thunderstorm shakes the stage. The techno party led by DJ Lafouche appears to be compromised. Erwan turns towards the owner of a bar sheltered beneath the archways. In spite of the downpour, an impromptu mini rave-party gets moving in just a few minutes. The next day, the ghost of the empress intermixes with the sights and sounds still engrained and resonating in everyone's eyes and ears. Perhaps the bass speakers caused the Austrian royal family to turn in their grave. In any case, we're pretty sure that Sissi cracked a smile!

Monday, September 15, when Jupiter shows up without warning

Just because we spent a few days in Paris, does not mean that we deserve the sky's wrath. The weather reports on the television, radio, and Internet prove more than discouraging. All of Eastern Europe appears to be drowning in a very stormy low-pressure system. The rivers are flooding; fallen trees close down roads. The Danube is trying hard to tame its fast-flowing waters between Romania and Bulgaria, our next destination. We have no choice but to deal with current road conditions. We "lose" two hours taking a detour north. However, the saints appear to be with us. Although our trusty caravan lurches every which way, it arrives safely in Vratsa, Bulgaria, for our next adventure. Who said that climbers don't know how to swim?

View the photo gallery on Baile Herculane basecamp

Baile Herculane by the numbers:

• 320 climbers registered (approximately 500 overall in attendance)
• 4000 sarmale devoured during the Romanian dinner
• 1200 mm of rain on Monday, September 15
• 2500 liters of mineral water consumed
• 20,000 meters of overall climbing
• 5000 meters of onsights forecasted, 3000 meters actually onsighted
• 1 prefect and his sub-prefect
• 30 actors
• 200 dancers
• 1,500,000 musical notes played