Problems
How do you avoid brown bears?
How do you get to see them - safely?
Answer
Romania has more than half of Europe's brown bear population. Most of them are in Transylvania, which, as you might expect from the name, is a wooded area.
In June 2017 the British newspapers reported that the road to Dracula's castle had been closed because of sightings of bears.
Shortly afterwards I set off for Romania, landing on a Ryanair plane at Bucharest, picking up a Thrifty hire can and driving to Basov city, the Dracula castle area with many hill walks.
Gorgeous Gorge
Tuesday we walked up a pebbly path through a winding gorge with a stream running down the side. With no toilets of cafes at the start of lower level, I was bothered by the fact that animals could smell our sandwiches and crumbs in backpacks or bags, pockets and on fingers.
Without toilets, if we used woods as toilets, animals might also smell anything left on the ground or clothes or shoes or hands. I regretted not having brought wet wipes. You can use a small amount of your precious short supply of water to wash your hands.
In the USA and Canada on previous journeys and this time in Romania I read with interest the warnings about not leaving picnic food on the ground or in cars.
I was reading about the bears on a poster in the park when met a couple who asked if I had seen a bear? I replied, 'No, have you?" not expecting their reply:
"Yes. Yesterday."
"Here!"
"No."
"Where?"
"A guide took us on a bear hunting safari. The guides phone the government office in charge of wildlife. They know where the bears are. They told us where to expect bears so we headed that way. We had to wait an hour until the bear turned up. It was rather far away. But we got some pictures."
So far, so good. The government is keeping track. If you want to see a bear you can, in the safety of being with a guide. Presumably, if you don't want to see a bear it's highly unlikely.
Wrong.
The Seven Stairs
The next day I took the first part of the Seven Stairs walk on Wednesday, which leads to the seven stairs which are vertical or near vertical ladders, right at the end of the path at the highest point to the summit. My friends and family (in a big group of nearly 30) took this walk and the more experienced and intrepid walked scaled the stairs and brought back photos.
Meanwhile I slowly followed them along the first third of the mountain path, which again led up a mountain starting on tiring pebbly paths, alongside forest. This time with more grass on one side.
On the way up I met Joost, who was overtaking me. He said, "You can download an app to frighten off bears." He demonstrated it. We could hardly hear it above the noise of the stream.
I continued. I gave up following my group at a fork where the path got steeper.
I had walked all the way down to the car park when I met up with a Singaporean. We had so much to say that he persuaded me to accompany him back up again. having someone to talk to, and knowing where I was going and how far made it much easier than the first time.
He told me that he was staying in a youth hostel (which he found by searching on the internet for hostels worldwide. A new friend from the hostel told him, "I saw a bear on the path you are taking. I remember what I had been told. It's important not to take them by surprise because if they think you are creeping up on them they get freaked out. So you make a noise. Call out. Make yourself look big. You might throw a stone, not at them but near yourself."
The following day another member of our group had taken a picture of a bear paw on his hand phone.
If you go down to the woods, or rather up to the woods, as the song says, "You're sure of a big surprise." The teddy bears are after your picnic.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to my posts.
How do you avoid brown bears?
How do you get to see them - safely?
Answer
Romania has more than half of Europe's brown bear population. Most of them are in Transylvania, which, as you might expect from the name, is a wooded area.
In June 2017 the British newspapers reported that the road to Dracula's castle had been closed because of sightings of bears.
Shortly afterwards I set off for Romania, landing on a Ryanair plane at Bucharest, picking up a Thrifty hire can and driving to Basov city, the Dracula castle area with many hill walks.
Gorgeous Gorge
Tuesday we walked up a pebbly path through a winding gorge with a stream running down the side. With no toilets of cafes at the start of lower level, I was bothered by the fact that animals could smell our sandwiches and crumbs in backpacks or bags, pockets and on fingers.
Without toilets, if we used woods as toilets, animals might also smell anything left on the ground or clothes or shoes or hands. I regretted not having brought wet wipes. You can use a small amount of your precious short supply of water to wash your hands.
In the USA and Canada on previous journeys and this time in Romania I read with interest the warnings about not leaving picnic food on the ground or in cars.
I was reading about the bears on a poster in the park when met a couple who asked if I had seen a bear? I replied, 'No, have you?" not expecting their reply:
"Yes. Yesterday."
"Here!"
"No."
"Where?"
"A guide took us on a bear hunting safari. The guides phone the government office in charge of wildlife. They know where the bears are. They told us where to expect bears so we headed that way. We had to wait an hour until the bear turned up. It was rather far away. But we got some pictures."
So far, so good. The government is keeping track. If you want to see a bear you can, in the safety of being with a guide. Presumably, if you don't want to see a bear it's highly unlikely.
Wrong.
The Seven Stairs
The next day I took the first part of the Seven Stairs walk on Wednesday, which leads to the seven stairs which are vertical or near vertical ladders, right at the end of the path at the highest point to the summit. My friends and family (in a big group of nearly 30) took this walk and the more experienced and intrepid walked scaled the stairs and brought back photos.
Meanwhile I slowly followed them along the first third of the mountain path, which again led up a mountain starting on tiring pebbly paths, alongside forest. This time with more grass on one side.
On the way up I met Joost, who was overtaking me. He said, "You can download an app to frighten off bears." He demonstrated it. We could hardly hear it above the noise of the stream.
I continued. I gave up following my group at a fork where the path got steeper.
I had walked all the way down to the car park when I met up with a Singaporean. We had so much to say that he persuaded me to accompany him back up again. having someone to talk to, and knowing where I was going and how far made it much easier than the first time.
He told me that he was staying in a youth hostel (which he found by searching on the internet for hostels worldwide. A new friend from the hostel told him, "I saw a bear on the path you are taking. I remember what I had been told. It's important not to take them by surprise because if they think you are creeping up on them they get freaked out. So you make a noise. Call out. Make yourself look big. You might throw a stone, not at them but near yourself."
The following day another member of our group had taken a picture of a bear paw on his hand phone.
If you go down to the woods, or rather up to the woods, as the song says, "You're sure of a big surprise." The teddy bears are after your picnic.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to my posts.
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