Straja

Straja (Romanian Vârful Straja) is a 1,868 m summit in the Vâlcan Mountains in the western Southern Carpathians. According to Romanian Wikipedia, it stands in the eastern part of the range above the ski resort of the same name, while the highest Vâlcan summit is Oslea (1,946 m) at the far western end. Below Straja lies the Jiu Valley with its mining towns: Lupeni is about 7 km away as the crow flies, Vulcan about 8 km and the village of Jiu-Paroșeni about 6 km.

The peak rises almost 700 m above its surroundings in relative height and is easy to spot from the valley. The main ridge here probably coincides with the border between Hunedoara and Gorj counties, so the summit is attributed to both.

How to get there / routes

The easiest way to the top leads through Straja resort. According to English and Romanian Wikipedia, it lies at about 1,440 m and can be reached from the town of Lupeni by a paved mountain road (about 8 km) or by gondola. English Wikipedia notes that a chairlift was built to Straja Peak itself, opening new slopes; the longest, Straja Strand, is 3.8 km long. On the OSM map the top station «Telescaun Vf. Straja» is marked about 50 m from the summit.

OSM shows no waymarked hiking route over the summit itself, so if you walk up, use an up-to-date map and keep in mind that in summer the slopes are crossed by ski runs and resort service tracks. The sources give no lift timetable – check it locally.

What you see from the summit

The sources do not describe the panorama. By position, the summit should overlook the Jiu Valley with the towns of Lupeni and Vulcan, the Vâlcan ridge towards Oslea to the west, and the Retezat Mountains across the valley to the north. The Vulcan pass lies about 3.6 km from the summit.

Nature and history

Straja is a fairly recent resort, officially declared in 2002. Below the summit, at 1,485 m, stands the Heroes' Cross (Crucea Eroilor), an 18.6 m steel cross. According to Romanian Wikipedia, it commemorates the 800 Romanian soldiers who fell in the autumn of 1916 in the fighting in the Jiu Gorge during the First World War; it was consecrated on 30 October 1996 by the abbot of Lainici Monastery. A small hermitage was founded next to it in 1999, entered through a 57 m artificial tunnel lined with icons of the saints arranged by the church calendar. Since then a procession of the cross takes place there every Good Friday.

Safety, season and rules

According to English Wikipedia, the ski season usually runs from the first week of December to the last week of March. In winter do not walk up the pistes and do not leave the marked slopes – off-piste the snow hides the terrain and the weather on the open summit can turn quickly. In summer beware of thunderstorms: there is no shelter on the bare top. Salvamont advises not to hike alone, to tell someone your route and to carry a charged phone.

Bears are common throughout the Romanian Carpathians, including the Vâlcan. Stay on the marked paths, talk as you walk so that an animal hears you in advance, do not hike in the evening or at night and do not keep food in your tent. Sheepdogs near sheepfolds may rush at people – do not run, stop and shield yourself with your rucksack. In an emergency call the national dispatch 0SALVAMONT – 0725 826 668 or 112; advice on animal encounters is on the Salvamont România website.