La Om

La Om (Romanian Vârful La Om, also Piscul Baciului – “the shepherd's peak”) is the highest summit of the Piatra Craiului massif in the Southern Carpathians of Romania, at 2,238 m. It stands almost in the middle of the ridge, in the south of Brașov County, only 1.5 km from the Argeș County border, about 9 km south-west of the town of Zărnești and 32 km south-west of Brașov. Its prominence is 868 m, and the nearest higher mountain, Omu in the Bucegi, is 21.2 km away.

Piatra Craiului (“the King's Rock”, German Königstein) is unlike its neighbours. The Bucegi, Leaota, Făgăraș and Iezer-Păpușa are built mostly of crystalline rocks, whereas Piatra Craiului is a narrow, sharp and jagged “blade” of Jurassic limestone 24–26 km long and 6–8 km wide, running from south-west to north-east. Several peaks on the ridge exceed 2,000 m: Sbirii (2,220 m), Căldării Ocolite (2,202 m), Țimbalul Mare (2,177 m) and Ascuțit (2,150 m).

How to get there / trails

The main ridge trail, marked with a red dot, crosses the summit on its way from the Curmătura hut in the east of the massif to the village of Podu Dâmboviței in the south. A red stripe also leads from La Om via La Table to the Giuvala pass. According to Romanian Wikipedia, you can reach the summit from the Plaiul Foii hut via Zăplaz and the Grindu saddle, from the Curmătura hut via the Grindu refuge and the Grindu saddle, or by climbing to the ridge near Ascuțit or Turnu and then following the crest – about three hours. German Wikipedia considers the climb from the south-east past the Grindu refuge the easiest, while the north-western ascent from the Șpirla refuge is very steep and partly secured with steel cables.

The best-known section is the 9 km of ridge between Turnu peak and the Funduri saddle; Romanian Wikipedia calls it technical and difficult, suitable only for experienced hikers. The main base is the town of Zărnești (28 km from Brașov, by bus or train), from where an 11 km road leads to Plaiul Foii. From the east, routes start in the traditional villages of Măgura, Peștera, Ciocanu and Șirnea.

What you can see from the summit

La Om is a superb viewpoint: according to German Wikipedia, you can see the Făgăraș range to the west and the Bucegi to the south-east. From the village of Măgura below, according to English Wikipedia, both the Bucegi and the Piatra Craiului ridge itself are well seen.

Nature and history

The whole massif lies in Piatra Craiului National Park, about 148 km² in area. The first protected plot (4.4 km²) was declared a nature reserve as early as 1938, and in 2000 the area was enlarged. Thanks to the limestone the flora is very rich: the park has about 1,100 species of higher plants – a third of Romania's flora – including the endemic Piatra Craiului pink (Dianthus callizonus), edelweiss and great yellow gentian. Chamois, roe deer, wild boar, bear, lynx, wolf and fox live here. The best-known karst features are the Prăpăstiile Zărneștilor and Dâmbovicioara gorges and the Dâmbovicioara cave. The vertical walls, 400–650 m high, between Padina Lăncii and the Ivan valley owe their form to the horizontal bedding of the limestone.

The climate is harsh: the mean annual temperature is about 0 °C, down to −2 °C on the peaks; because the massif stands isolated, winds blow almost constantly, and annual precipitation is 1,000–1,200 mm, most of it in May and June.

Safety, season and rules

A ticket is required to visit the national park: 10 lei per person for seven days (for visitors over 14), available online, from machines in Zărnești and at Plaiul Foii, or by SMS. The park administration asks visitors to stay on marked trails, camp only at designated sites, light fires only in prepared fireplaces and use refuges only when necessary. The ridge is narrow and exposed in places: it is dangerous in rain, fog and thunderstorms, and in winter it is only for trained mountaineers with proper equipment.

To avoid attracting bears, the park advises not keeping food in your tent but hanging it from branches at least 2 m above the ground and away from the trunk, and watching for bear signs – overturned stones and logs or scattered anthills. Salvamont adds: walk in a group, talk, and do not hike in the dark. Rescue: national dispatch 0SALVAMONT – 0725 826 668 or 112. Visiting rules are on the website of Piatra Craiului National Park.

Photos: Akinne, CC BY-SA 4.0; Xulescu g, CC BY-SA 4.0; Xulescu g, CC BY-SA 4.0; Xulescu g, CC BY-SA 4.0; Mitrutpopoiu at Romanian Wikipedia, Public domain — Wikimedia Commons.