The road hugs the sonorous trickle of River Lotru, where fishermen set up shop and three nuns do their weekly washing in the shade of a silver fir. Which is odd, for on the day I intend to become the 501st rider on Strava to reach its summit, there isn’t a single cloud to be seen. Its lofty altitude is also responsible for another nickname: Drumul Dintre Nori – The Road Between Clouds. The pass was built in the 1930s by King Carol II, earning it the name of Drumul Regelui – The King’s Road. Running between the towns of Sebeş in the north and Novaci in the south, the Transalpina Highway links the regions of Transylvania and Oltenia with a picturesque 135km road that winds through valleys, plateaus and forests to a height of 2,145m in the heart of the Parâng Mountains. While Strava can boast 79,000 attempts on the ascent of Mont Ventoux from Bedoin, it has recorded just 500 attempts on the north side of this secluded gem.
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Pro riders would fight to be first over its summit, each of its numerous switchbacks would be named after a former winner, and every year thousands of amateur riders would flock to test themselves on its slopes.Īs it is, the Transalpina is a mountain pass in Romania, and is therefore little known to the armies of col baggers and KOM braggers. Words: Felix Lowe Photography: Alex Duffillīelieve me, if the Transalpina was a climb in France you’d have heard of it.
Join us this time on a trip to the Carpathians, where Romania’s highest pass combines perfect hairpins and pristine tarmac with jaw-dropping views.
In a series put together with our friends at komoot, we're showcasing some of our favourite rides from the UK and around the world.
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