The "Via-Retezat" Mountain Tourism Association, together with the "Retezat Între Pământ și Cer" Association, under the aegis of the National Sports Tourism Championship: Ștafeta Munților (the Mountain Relay) & FRTS, invites you to take part in Trofeul "Via-Retezat" (the Via-Retezat Trophy), 6th edition, on 20–22 June 2025 in Munții Țarcu (the Țarcu Mountains).
The competition is the 2nd stage in the competition calendar of Ștafeta Munților & FRTS 2025. On this occasion we invite all mountain clubs, NGOs and mountain lovers in the country to join us, the organisers, in as large numbers as possible. This competition is aimed both at people affiliated to the Ștafeta and at those who are not affiliated but who wish to live this wonderful experience in an organised setting.
All participants in Trofeul Via-Retezat will have the chance to reach the wonderful alpine meadows, surrounded by the lofty ridges of the Retezat, Godeanu and Țarcu Mountains, on peaks of over 2000 m in altitude, which mirror the bright pink rhododendron bushes and the blue sky, breathing the clean air of this wonderful wild land with its fairy-tale landscapes.
Thus, this competition will take place in 7 categories: Family, Juniors, Women, Elite, Seniors, Veterans and Open, and each team will be made up of 3 members.
Competition events:
• Mountain raid - a mountain route of 8 hours' hiking time, starting from the Gura Apelor dam, the largest rockfill dam in our country, which collects the cold waters of 3 rivers and is surrounded by 3 mountains; it will then reach the ridges with alpine meadows at over 2000 m in altitude. Sports footwear with a special grippy sole for trekking is compulsory for this event.
IMPORTANT: the Family category will have a shorter route of 4 hours and will be able to reach a point with an alpine meadow, from where they will be able to admire the panorama of the ridges of the Retezat, Godeanu and Țarcu mountains. For this event, all participants will be transported by minibus from the camp area to the Gura Apelor Dam area in the Râul Mare valley, from where they will start the event.
Points awarded: 10,000 points. Penalties: 10 pts / 1 minute and 500 pts / 1 PFA
• Theoretical knowledge – 15 multiple-choice questions about the competition area, giving first aid in case of accidents, mountaineering, meteorology and the flora/fauna of Romania. All the questions are of easy difficulty and have ONLY ONE CORRECT ANSWER. You will find the questions on the website www.stafetamuntilor.ro.
IMPORTANT: the theoretical event will be held before the other events, in the camp, on the terrace of Pensiunea Dora. Each team member will answer 5 questions.
Points awarded: 1,500 points. Penalties: 20 points / 1 wrong answer
• Orienteering - a speed event on the map. The whole team will enter this event. The event will take place in the Râușor resort.
IMPORTANT: Keeping the maps when leaving the course and communicating with the teams entering the event later is forbidden!
Points awarded: 5,000 points. Penalties: 1 pt / 1 second
• Cultural Event, each club has 20 minutes to present a performance on a theme specific to mountain tourism: music, poetry, sketch/satire and humour, the club anthem. To obtain the maximum number of points you will also have to present a quatrain containing three compulsory words: Retezat, Țarcu, pădure (forest).
Points awarded: the average of the marks multiplied by 100. Penalties: depending on the marks received, in accordance with the SM rules.
Competition categories:
1. FAMILY – teams made up of at least one adult and, compulsorily, at least one child aged 13 or under;
2. JUNIORS – competitors aged between 14-20, regardless of sex;
3. ELITE – competitors regardless of age and sex;
4. OPEN – competitors regardless of age and sex. The times for this category are calculated as hiking times;
5. SENIORS – competitors aged over 35, regardless of sex.
6. VETERANS – competitors aged over 50, regardless of sex
7. WOMEN - teams of girls, regardless of age.
Compulsory equipment:
- Individual - hiking boots, whistle, rain clothing/cape, torch, fire source
- Per team - first aid kit in accordance with the rules, water bottle, compass, telephone with a camera or a photo camera.
The camp will be set up in the Râușor Resort. The resort is located at an altitude of 1250 m, on the northern slope of Munții Retezat, with easy access on an asphalt road that winds along the Râușor stream, below the famous Colț Fortress (Cetatea Colț). For those camping, there is a sanitary block (toilets and showers) in the building next to the fenced football pitch.
Those who want accommodation can call the guesthouses on the list in the invitation in advance, or can access the link with the guesthouses in the Râușor Resort area.
You can also choose where to eat. The Dora and Clif Alpin guesthouses offer breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Competition programme:
Friday, 20 June 2025:
• Welcoming the participants - at Pensiunea Dora in the Râușor Resort,
• Technical briefing (in the evening, after the arrival of the last club announced),
• 24:00 - lights out in the camp.
Saturday, 21 June 2025:
• 6:40 Collection of the competition numbers, on the terrace of Pensiunea Dora,
• Team photo,
• 7:00 Start of the competition events
• 21:30 - Lighting of the campfire and the Cultural Event, in the car park area of the Râușor Resort.
Sunday 22 June 2025:
• 10:00 - Prize-giving ceremony,
• 12:00 – Cleaning up the camp and departure of the participants for home.
Access to the Râușor Resort is possible from the following directions: the Hațeg Depression, Caransebeș and the Jiu Valley.
• The Hațeg Depression: can be reached from Simeria on DN 66: Simeria — Hațeg – Râu de Mori – Râușor Valley – Râușor Resort;
• Caransebeș: on DN 68, Caransebeș – Clopotiva - Râu de Mori - Râușor Valley – Râușor Resort;
• Petroșani: DN66, Sântămăria Orlea – Unciuc - Râu de Mori – Râușor Valley – Râușor Resort.
From Hațeg there are 3 access routes to Râu de Mori:
• Hațeg – Cârnești – Ostrov - Râu de Mori,
• Hațeg - 2 km before Sarmisegetusa, turn left towards Clopotiva - Brazi - Râu de Mori,
• Hațeg/ Petroșani - Sântămărie Orlea - Unciuc - Râu de Mori.
Distance: Hațeg – Râu de Mori – Râușor Resort: 30 km
GPS coordinates of the Râușor Resort: 45.41815N 22.84339E
Organisers' information
For more information about the competition, the organisation and access to the Râușor Resort area:
• Ina – 0726125776, (Via-Retezat) – organisation + access to the area;
• Carmen – 0744494026, (Victoria Brașov) – organisation + access to the area;
• Ghiță – 0726210641, (Via-Retezat) – organisation + access to the area;
• Călin – 0722566929 (Pensiunea Dora) – access to the area, accommodation and meals.
Mobile phone signal in the Râușor Resort area
• Telekom - signal throughout the resort;
• Vodafone/Orange - only in certain areas of the resort.
Contact details for guesthouses in the Râușor Resort:
• Pensiunea Clif Alpin - 0743 797 096, accommodation and meals, Bill – competition partner;
• Pensiunea Ancuța 0722 40 40 87
• Cabana Rustic - 0722 40 40 87
• Cabana Mihai – 0761 937 667
• Vila Artemis – 0723 159 041
• Vila Ioana - 0722 876 200
• Cabana de la Munte - 0724 320 347
• Roxmar – 0722 607 735
• Pensiunea Sarah – 0726 155 110
• Vila Sergiu - 0722 224 245
• Cabana Inabela - 0783 074 745
• Cabana Râușor - 0726 584 963
…plus many other chalets and guesthouses, which you can find by accessing the following links:
• https://retezat-rausor.ro
• https://www.turistinfo.ro/rausor/cazare-hoteluri-vile-pensiuni-rausor.html
• https://www.infopensiuni.ro/cazare-rausor ....
IMPORTANT: For accommodation – The guesthouses in the area usually rent out the whole guesthouse, but for the competition it will be possible to rent by the room. Specify that you are coming for "Trofeul Via-Retezat" and you can book accommodation by the room.
