- 23 March 2021
- Posted by: Team for Youth Association
- Category: Volunteering Stories
To have a nice weekend it is not necessary to leave Baia Mare for cities like Cluj Napoca, Brașov or Sibiu. If you like to explore nature around Baia Mare, Maramureș offers many nice options. That is why Marta, Savi and I decided to climb Plateau Igniș, a 1300 metre high mountain next to Baia Mare, on a nice Sunday in the end of February.
To have enough time to climb the mountain, we had to get up earlier and took the bus around 10 a.m. to leave the city. After a short bus ride we arrived at the start of our hiking trail. It was difficult to stay on our hiking trail in the beginning and the first part of the trail was very steep. Nevertheless we stayed motivated and reached a broader trail after two hours of climbing and hiking. We expected this path to lead us to Plateau Igniș, but after another hour of hiking we reached the final trail to climb the peak. This trail was steep again and in the second half covered by snow. After another hour of climbing we reached Plateau Igniș, exhausted but happy.
On the peak we enjoyed the amazing view and some delicious sandwiches, which Marta had prepared for us. Nevertheless we had to leave soon, because we were not prepared for the wind and cold temperature on the plateau.
On our way down we had to fight against the snow and the slippery trail, which caused some funny falls and Savi accidentally found the trail of a wolf. The rest of the way back to the bus station we enjoyed the easy trail and the afternoon sun. After a nice break for a Bounty in a small grocery in a village on our way, we finally arrived in Baia Mare at 6 p.m.
We enjoyed a very nice hike, good talks and a nice view on Plateau Igniș, but learned to prepare our clothing and the hiking route in a better way the next time.
The volunteer is hosted by Team for Youth Association in the (dis)Able2Act project , on a 6 months European Solidarity Corps project in Baia Mare. The content of this testimonial does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. The responsibility for the information and views expressed in the article rests entirely with the author.