The first consistent snowfalls of this winter crowded the mountain resorts, but also brought a series of problems: power outages, broken gondolas, inaccessible roads, insufficient parking and chaos on the slopes.
Heavy snowfall in recent days has brought power outages in villages, snowy roads and numerous complaints about problems caused by the snow, but also thousands of tourists in mountain resorts. Many Romanians enjoyed the first “real snow” of this winter and headed to the ski slopes.
However, the resorts were not without problems. Power outages, ski equipment breakdowns, congestion on the slopes, hard-to-reach roads and insufficient parking places have sapped the charm of the mountain experience.
Straja, crowded at the end of the week
The Straja mountain resort was among the most crowded destinations for skiers in Romania. Located in the Vâlcan Mountains, at the foot of the Straja peak (1,868 meters), the most sought-after recreation area in the Jiului Valley was revived by the heavy snowfall.
The lodges and slopes were full, and the locals benefited from the return of tourists in large numbers. Over the weekend there were thousands of tourists at Straja, many of them saying they enjoyed the experience. Others, however, noted the less pleasant aspects of the resort.
Straja resort. Video: Complex Montana Straja Facebook
“True, it is very beautiful, but unfortunately in Straja it was built chaotically. The infrastructure is missing, we see an amalgam of villas on top of each other, each in a different style, far from what you should find in the mountains, with few exceptions.” remarked a tourist, on a Facebook page dedicated to the resort.
Other tourists complained that the parking spaces in Straja were insufficient, although in recent years the parking spaces in the resort and in the area of the gondola lift station have been expanded. The locals recommended them to park their cars in Lupeni, the municipality at the foot of the Straja resort.
“I saw sleds on the slopes. Recipe for disaster,” another tourist commented.
However, the mountain resort of Straja has remained an attractive place for tourists, and the investments of recent years have contributed to its development.
Pasul Vâlcan was left without a cable car
In the neighboring resort of Pasul Vâlcan, heavy snowfalls created unexpected problems. The recreation area, also located near Vârful Straja, above the town of Vulcan, was crowded at the weekend, and the mountain road turned into a ski and toboggan run. But the joy of the tourists was short-lived. The gondola that provides access to the resort broke down on Saturday.
“Unfortunately, there is a painfully true Romanian proverb: “Even oxen don’t pull the poor man”. After two full days, with almost 2,000 people enjoying the Vulcan Pass, the gondola lift failed again”, Cristian Merișanu, the mayor of the municipality of Vulcan, sent.
On Monday, he returned and stated that the fault is serious, and the installation will not be able to be used in the next period.
“Unfortunately, after the checks made by the specialists, we were informed that the installation will remain non-functional for an indefinite period, but for at least two weeks. Following some current fluctuations and shocks, an important motor failed, and the defect also led to the burning of the thyristors and related fuses. We are not talking about a problem arising from operation or the fault of the personnel servicing the installation, but about a serious technical failure, difficult to anticipate. The maintenance company informed us that the necessary parts are very expensive and, worse, they have long delivery times, as they are produced outside of Europe, with a waiting time of over 10 days”, stated the mayor Cristian Merișanu.
He also added that the gondola is used all year round, but exactly when it is most needed, such problems appear.
“This is the reality of a small community, which often has to fend for itself and look for solutions where others have immediate support“, the mayor also said.
Parâng resort, accessible only by chairlift in winter
Located above the towns of Petroșani and Petrila, to which it is connected by a 12-kilometer road, the resort of Parâng was, in the 20th century, one of the most popular recreational areas in Romania. In winter, the area of the slopes is accessible to tourists with two chairlifts: one old, from the early 70s, and one inaugurated in 2014.
Due to the steep slope, the risks caused by winter weather and the lack of parking spaces in the resort, the mountain road that climbs up to almost 1,700 meters is closed in winter.
A driver recently ventured down this road and ended up sliding his car down the slopes among skiers and sledders.
Some locals complain about the chaotic way in which the resort has expanded and the fact that it is losing tourists due to inaccessibility.
Video: Parâng Petroșani resort. Facebook
“The road that has been built for several years does not help much in winter, because it cannot be used. In addition, it also cuts the slopes, even if it is possible to ski over its two tunnels. People do not want to carry their luggage and skis with the chairlift, especially with the half-century old one, or to go up with them on foot, four or five kilometers on the road”says a lodger.
The resort of Raușor, affected by power cuts
Problems caused by the difficult roads to the resorts were also complained by tourists arriving in other leisure areas in Parâng and Șureanu.
In Retezat, the Râușor mountain resort was crowded, but the blizzard left it in the dark for one night.
On Saturday evening, the power line on the Raușorului valley was broken by a fallen tree due to the blizzard. In recent years, the power grid has been the resort’s weak point: it is five decades old and undersized, having been used in the past to power the workers’ colony, and now dozens of lodges and guesthouses.
