Busteni 2012

Again in Romania.

Sorry to say but it really is the last place you want to visit. In some ways even worse then the trip we had to China a couple months ago.

But we're here.

The train ride was not as epic as last years' and we arrived safely in Busteni without having to share Dutch cheese with the conductor a criminal and a nazi and a walk over the rails to get into the Busteni train station.

This evening is the 'opening dinner' and ceremony (eat a lot of different types of meat in small slices, great if you're vegetarian. I'm sure they have vegetarian chicken, beef and pork. You know, chickens don't eat meat so they must be true vegetarians)

We're lucky being here. The French are on strike meaning most of the flights are canceled and next to that theres so much snow on the railway and the roads that even if you arrive to Romania it's still hard to get to Busteni.

And then once there we noticed hardly anything changed: tramp dogs, chaotic infrastructure, and in the mountain hut the organisation seemed totally waisted on some moonshine. Pavel (Russian, UIAA organisation and former expedition climber) trying his utmost to explain that there still loads to do... This midday we discussed the horrible isolation tent where we cooled down before our climb and sat for hours, hopefully that will be improved. Now I hope I can sleep tonight without getting nightmares of the belayers we had last year...

They say on the website you can follow it all live. Haven't figured yet if it's true. Here at least the website of the comp: iwcbusteni.ro

The program is a bit different then we're used to. Women climb the qualifiers and the semi's on the same day and the finals on the next day. You can find the whole program here.

Pictures:

In Romania they sell beer in 2L plastic bottles

The sign to announce the ICW

Secondhand Dutch clothes are being sold in Romania in shops like "First class European"

Caminul Alpin is where we stay, close to the Ghetto Hotel...