Bucura (Retezat)

Bucura (Romanian: Vârful Bucura, Hungarian: Bukura-csúcs) is a massive double summit on the northern main ridge of the Retezat Mountains in the Southern Carpathians, in Hunedoara County. According to Hungarian Wikipedia, citing the retyezat.ro tourist portal, the higher top, Bucura I, is 2,433 m and the lower, Bucura II, 2,378 m. The nearest settlement is the ski village of Râușor, about 6 km to the north-west.

How to get there / routes

The yellow stripe route from Lake Bucura to Retezat peak crosses the summit, and the main Retezat ridge route with the red stripe runs nearby (Hobița – Gorova saddle – Peleaga – Curmătura Bucurii – Retezat). Hungarian Wikipedia notes that the «normal» route to the summit is not difficult in favourable weather.

At the foot of Bucura the Retezat National Park administration offers loop route No. 10 around the lakes: from Gura Bucurii up the Bucura valley on the blue stripe together with the red cross, then on the red dot to Lake Lia, past lakes Ana, Viorica and Florica — the largest glacial complex in the park — to the highest lakes of the massif, Tăul Agățat and Tăul Porții below the Poarta Bucurii rocks guarding the Gemenele reserve. The return follows the yellow stripe to Lake Bucurel and the blue stripe to Lake Bucura and the Salvamont refuge. The loop takes about 8 hours with 800 m of height difference, medium difficulty. Route No. 3 from the Cârnic car park via Lake Pietrele to the Curmătura Bucurii saddle (8–9 hours) also gives views of the Bucura peaks and the lake itself.

What you can see from the summit

According to Hungarian Wikipedia, the main summit offers an all-round panorama in good weather: to the south the Slăveiu ridge and the Poarta Bucurii section with Judele peak, to the west the Gemenele reserve, to the north Retezat peak, and to the east the Bucura cirque and Peleaga with numerous glacial lakes.

Nature and history

The mountain was probably named after the cirque on its southern side and its largest lake, Bucura; the word itself is an old Romanian female name. On the map of the First Military Survey in the mid-18th century the mountain still bore another name, Seminile, and the present one probably took hold only in the second half of the 19th century. Several difficult climbing routes run on the steep rocky north face of Bucura II.

Safety, season and rules

The normal ascent of Bucura is not difficult in good weather, but the north face of Bucura II is climbing terrain for trained mountaineers. On the exposed ridge above the lakes it is dangerous in thunderstorms; start early. The summit lies in the Retezat National Park, Romania's first national park. Under the park administration's rules, visits are subject to a fee: a ticket costs 10 lei and is valid for 7 days (sold on bilete.retezat.ro, at the access points and at the Nucșoara visitor centre). Walking is allowed only on marked trails, tents only in designated places, open fires are banned (only a stove is allowed at campsites), dogs must be kept on a lead, and swimming in the lakes is prohibited. The Gura Apelor – Gura Bucurii forest road (about 20 km, a high-clearance vehicle is recommended) is open, weather permitting, roughly from mid-May to mid-November; in winter the routes from Gura Bucurii are inaccessible. In winter the high ridges carry a serious avalanche risk — follow the avalanche bulletin of Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) on meteoromania.ro.

Bears are common in the Romanian Carpathians. Salvamont rescuers advise not to hike alone, to talk loudly so that an animal hears you in advance, to keep your distance and never feed wildlife, and to store food in sealed containers away from your tent; if you meet a bear, do not run and back away slowly without turning your back.

Mountain rescue: Salvamont national dispatch 0SALVAMONT = 0725 826 668 and the emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• Lake Bucura below the summit is Romania's largest glacial lake.
• In the 18th century the mountain appeared on maps as Seminile.

Photos: Dezidor, CC BY 3.0; Hardsr, Public domain; Hardsr, Public domain; Hardsr, Public domain; Thalpha, CC BY 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.