Ski touring in the lesser-known Romanian Carpathians, guided by a local IVBV-certified guide!
Join us on a ski touring adventure in the Romanian Carpathians, offering maximum freedom, independence, and a connection to the winter wilderness. We present a ski touring trip through the snow-covered Rodna and Maramureș mountain ranges.
Our destination is the Maramureș National Park area, one of the snowiest regions in the Carpathians. We will spend six days in the mountains, staying in two different locations to enjoy diverse ski tours and long freeride descents from the surrounding peaks.
The plan includes six different ski touring excursions of moderate difficulty. This means participants should have some experience in ski touring and off-piste skiing. In other words, if you’re comfortable skiing down Kondratowa Kopa, Karb, or Kasprowy, you’ll manage just fine on this trip. If you’re curious to read more about the planned daily tours, check out the ITINERARY section.
We will be staying in traditional and comfortable guesthouses, in double rooms. Your safety and the quality of the mountain experience will be ensured by Nicu, our local IFMGA/IVBV-certified guide. Ready to go?
Local IVBV guide
Small group
Backcountry skiing
2 National Parks
Price Includes:
- 6 days of guided ski tours
- 7 nights accommodation in double rooms with breakfast
- Licensed Romanian mountain guide (IFMGA/IVBV)
- Supervision by a Polish team leader
- Standard travel insurance including medical expenses, accident coverage, and personal liability. Additional insurance covering off-piste skiing is required. Many of our clients already have year-round high-altitude policies. If you don’t have one, we can provide coverage for the trip at a cost of 230 PLN.
Price Does Not Include:
- Travel to Romania – self-organized (we can help with logistics)
- Meals, apart from breakfast
- Ski or snowboard equipment – you need to bring your own
- Avalanche safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) – available for rent, reservation required
- Extreme sports insurance, including off-piste skiing
- Anything not mentioned in the program
ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSPORTATION
- You’ll travel to the destination (near Borsa, Romania) independently. We can help coordinate travel and find carpool options, especially for solo travelers. We also have two spots available in the car with our team leader, who will be driving from Kraków.
- Winters in the area can be very snowy, so snow chains are essential.
- Roads are generally well-maintained, and most of the journey is on national roads and highways. Snow chains may be needed for the final stretch to the hotel.
- The first four nights will be spent in a mountain lodge near the Borsa resort, and the next three in a family-run guesthouse with a sauna in Maramureș National Park.
- For more information, check the TRIP PROGRAM tab
OFF PISTE – Terrain Details:
- We’ll be staying at an altitude of around 800 meters above sea level. Sometimes, we’ll drive a bit higher before starting our tours, while other times, we’ll head out straight from the hotel
- The highest peaks we’ll be touring reach around 2,100 meters above sea level
- Slopes range from 30-40 degrees in steepness
- We plan to do two or three ascents per day, with each climb covering about 400 meters of vertical gain
- We’ll be operating in the Maramureș and Rodna National Parks
- One day can also be spent freeriding using the gondola at the Borsa resort
- The terrain is varied and comparable to the Western Tatras in Poland
- Expect a mix of sparsely wooded forests and open alpine meadows with rocky outcrops
Difficulty Level: 6/10
- This trip is for skiers who are already comfortable skiing in deep snow and off-piste. The main challenges will be the ascents and descents, particularly in steeper forests. Reasonably good physical fitness is required, such as the ability to smoothly ascend Kondratowa Kopa or Kasprowy.
Trip Profile
- This is a ski touring trip, meaning most of the time will be spent in the backcountry.
- There is an option to use the lifts in Borsa to gain initial altitude more quickly 😉
- We can also do a day or a few hours of freeride skiing using the resort’s gondola.
SAFETY
- The lead guide for this trip is Nicu, a Romanian IVBV/IFMGA-certified guide
- We’ll provide a guide for every group of 6 participants
- Depending on the number of participants, we will try to divide into smaller groups to operate more efficiently in the field
- The trip will be overseen by a Polish team leader
- INSURANCE:
- The trip price includes basic travel insurance. Additional coverage for off-piste skiing is required. This can be purchased from us for 230 PLN per person. We do not include this in the base price as many of our clients have their own year-round high-altitude policies.
- There is also an option to purchase Trip Cancellation Insurance, which provides a refund in case you are unable to join us due to illness or other unforeseen events.
- Participants must have avalanche safety equipment and know how to use it
- We also recommend an avalanche backpack, which can be rented from us (reservation required)
VISA
- Not required.
HOW TO JOIN THE TRIP
- Fill out the reservation form
- We will contact you to sign the contract
- Pay a 30% deposit
- We’ll complete the group, handle the formalities, flights, details, etc.
- Pay the remaining amount 30 days before departure
CANCELLATION POLICY
- If you cancel up to 60 days before departure, you can transfer your deposit to any other trip – we will issue a voucher valid for 2 years.
- We recommend additional insurance in case of illness or an unforeseen event preventing you from traveling. You will then receive a full refund for the trip. Ask us about Trip Cancellation Insurance.
- We reserve the right to change the program due to circumstances beyond our control, such as insufficient participants, snow or weather conditions, or political situations. In case we need to cancel the trip (even for reasons beyond our control), we will promptly refund all payments made.
Day 1 (January 25)
We meet in the evening at the villa rented exclusively for us, located in Borsa.
Days 2 - 5
We have a total of six days for exploration. Our greatest advantage is having a local guide who knows the area like the back of their hand. The plan is simple: we’ll try to see and ski as much as possible, taking into account the snow conditions and weather.
For the first four days, we will operate in Rodna Mountains National Park. We will be staying near the Borsa ski resort, which is the perfect starting point for reaching Cearcănu Peak (1846m), Galați, Puzdra (2189m), and Gărgălău peaks.
We’ll have breakfast at a nearby restaurant.
Days 6 and 7
The next two days will be spent in the Maramureș National Park, where we plan to tackle Toroiaga Peak (1930m) and explore the western part of Rodna National Park (Bătrâna Peak, Rebra, and Buhăescu peaks at 2257m).
There are plenty of options, and our itinerary will be written as we go 🙂 Of course, we plan to visit local towns, bars, saunas, etc., in the evenings 🙂
Day 8
In the morning, after breakfast, we head home. Bye, bye Romania!
