Roamaniac

06/02/2024

Are you considering joining my Yoga & Hiking Retreat? Here are some testimonials from participants in my previous retreat! Read more here: https://roamaniac.com/retreat-romania/

05/02/2024

Recovering from a rather splendid and intense weekend in the Retezatul Mic, where I followed a winter course with Oco Bike&Hike. Hiking in winter comes with risks and requires a specific skill set. We learned a lot about avalanche risks, route planning, navigation, weather, gear (and how to use it properly) and so much more - and put it into practice immediately on two amazing hikes. Looking forward to exploring new, white horizons safely and with more confidence!

30/01/2024

On this website you can see all the live webcams in skiing areas plus, after you've clicked on one, the snow level, avalanche risk and in some cases pricing of ski passes. ⛷️ Spoiler: it's not the snowiest of winters so far! ❄️

Imagini live Statiuni, Camere Web Partii Schi, Imagini in direct de pe partiile de schi din Romania...

29/01/2024

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity." - John Muir

From 10 - 16 June I am organizing a Yoga & Hiking Retreat in the foothills of the Apuseni Mountains - and you are invited! I very much want to share how much Romania's wilderness can nourish both body & soul.

We will receive a warm welcome from Luc & Andreea at Dolina Village, where we'll be staying in traditional houses and traditionally furnished glamping tents, and eat local food.

We'll do yoga every day, guided by Amsterdam-based yoga therapist Andrea Noghiu. The basis is hatha yoga; the focus is selfcare. I'll guide you on four beautiful day hikes in the Padurea Craiului region. Both yoga and hiking are beginner-friendly, as long as you're willing to put the work in!

You can find more info about the retreat and signing up here: https://roamaniac.com/retreat-romania/

✨ Do drop me a line if you have any questions!
✨ Please share this post with anyone who might be interested.
✨ Link to the facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/857082972827043/

27/01/2024

'God forbid that grass grows on your doorstep' - Alin Useriu's mother

'The Via Transilvanica is a social chain - probably the biggest ever made in Romania' - Alin Useriu

The Via Transilvanica is Romania's first long-distance trail. It traverses 1400 km, 400 communities and seven historical regions. Every kilometre is marked with a milestone carved out of andesite weighing 250 kg. It is sustained by hundreds of volunteers and thousands of locals are waiting to welcome you. The route is a true work of art on which you will meet yourself, the country and its inhabitants face to face. This first episode with Alex Dima about the Via Transilvanica will probably make you fall in love with it, like I did. I'm a proud adoptive parent of the section of the VT that runs in front of our door in Romosel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uavBql3sjiA

Via Transilvanica rămâne cel mai frumos dar primit de către țara noastră. E ambasadorul perfect pentru o Românie așa cm ne dorim noi: vie, autentică, naturală.

Mini-seria realizată de Alex Dima alături de partenerul nostru strategic Banca Transilvania vă va convinge să luați la pas această cărare minunată!

Link în primul comentariu cu Episodul 1. Vizionare plăcută!

EN

Via Transilvanica remains the most beautiful gift received by our country. It is the perfect ambassador for a Romania as we want it to be: alive, authentic, natural.

Alex Dima's mini-series with our strategic partner Banca Transilvania will convince you to walk this wonderful path!

Link in the first comment with Episode 1. Enjoy!

25/01/2024

Hello everyone! 🫶 I noticed a lot of new people started following me over the past few days, so I decided it’s time to introduce myself properly to followers old and new! So who’s the Roamaniac?

My name is Janneke (or Ioana, for Romanians) and I am a 37-year-old Dutch girl who fell in love with Romania at first sight back in 2005. The mountains, the space, the people, the culture… I embraced it all, and it embraced me back. Here, I feel happier and healthier than anywhere else.

After visiting almost every summer, I decided that holidays weren’t enough, and I started looking for work in Romania. I didn’t know what exactly, but I’d fallen in love with nature and the mountains, so it had to be something outdoorsy. And then one day I found a brilliant opportunity, and I started writing a mountain guidebook about Romania for Cicerone Press! I roamed large swathes of the Carpathians from 2016 to 2018, and in Feb 2020, ‘The Mountains of Romania’ finally got published! You can find it here: https://cicerone.co.uk/948

After that, Covid hit, and I worked in Belgium for a few years, meanwhile concocting plans to return to Romania and start living there. Fast forward to 2024 and me and my husband Wilbert are living in a beautiful house in the countryside at the foot of the Sureanu Mountains! There’s still a lot of work to do on the house and actually buying the house is a procedure that requires a lot of patience, but we’ll get there. Încet încet, as the Romanians say.

So what do I do now?
✨ I develop yoga & hiking retreats
✨ I design self-guided hiking tours
✨ I develop hiking & permaculture weekends
✨ I work with clients who want me to design a tailor-made trip for their group
✨ I write blog posts about hiking and living in Romania
✨ And perhaps needless to say I do a lot of hiking! Last year I did 1000+ km with an altitude gain of 40.000+ m.

See my website for more information: https://roamaniac.com/

In short, I always like to describe my work and my life as simply ‘loving Romania’! If you have any questions about hiking in Romania, do reach out through my contact form, but please bear in mind that I get a lot of requests so it may take me some time to get back to you: https://roamaniac.com/contact/

📷 Me in Fundatura Ponorului, Parcul Natural Gradistea Muncelului-Cioclovina, 07.10.2023

22/01/2024

Super happy to be back in Romosel after six weeks in Belgium! I'm also feeling super tired and overwhelmed, so I'm going to give myself some space to settle in. In fact, I'm going to give myself a lot of space - being here is all about creating the space I crave. Finding a balance between outward (communicating & respecting others) and inward (resting & respecting myself) is quite the challenge!
📸 Photos taken on a walk around Romosel yesterday, credit goes to Wilbert.

15/01/2024

Some of my favourite moments from the winter of 2023. Can't wait for more winter fun - travelling back to Romania this week! Do you have any Romania/hiking plans this year? Where would you like to go?

10/01/2024

I think I'm going to need all of 2024 to process all of 2023. 2023 was the year in which we moved to Romania - or semigrated, more like - and what a ride it's been! In this blog post I tell you how we found the house and what's been happening since! Plot spoiler: the post is mostly about 2022, I need to write another one about 2023. 🥹 But if you're curious about where we live most of the year and how things are going, do read this post!
https://roamaniac.com/2024/01/09/moving-to-romania/

14/12/2023

Dear me. I knew this was going to be intense, but not *this* intense. I'm talking about the past two weekends, the first of which I spent in Amsterdam, the second in Brussels. Both at Romanian events! In Amsterdam I joined the ROMPRO fair and shared my knowledge about the Romanian mountains during a workshop; in Brussels I was a guest at the Diplomatic Bazar. I'm honestly still recovering from so much interaction - and a cold I contracted. But I managed to spread my hopefully contagious love for Romania and its mountains a little further, so that's kind of worth it!

01/12/2023

Happy National Day Romania! May you prosper and flourish. I'll do my best to make you do so. It's been an amazing and adventurous year - looking forward to the next! Here are some pictures of my home mountains, the Șureanu.

PS On my way to Amsterdam to celebrate Ziua Națională a României - meet me there tomorrow between 12:00 and 17:00 if you can! Details here:

https://facebook.com/events/s/sarbatorim-impreuna-ziua-natio/2099576893723586/

27/11/2023

Are you thinking about Christmas already? Well I'm not but hey, it's almost December and it's time to start thinking about gifts! I'm personally not really into giving people stuff, but I love gifting people experiences. I like to think that my guidebook, 'The Mountains of Romania' (Cicerone Press 2020), opens the door to a lot of amazing adventures! 📘 Does that sound like the perfect gift for someone you love (this may be yourself)? I'm in Belgium & The Netherlands in December and can send you a copy! Costs: €24,50 plus shipping. And yes perhaps you can find a cheaper offer on Amazon or a bookstore, but only 5% of copies sold there goes to me. If you buy one directly from me, I get 50%. 😊 Drop me a line if you want one - I have a (very) limited number of copies available!

26/11/2023

Last week I caught the first snow of the season in the Cernei-Mehedinti Mountains. I was there to make the most of the autumn colours and I did - but on the last day me and my friend Mirela slowly walked from autumn into winter. Unwittingly. I'd seen the snow the day before but it looked like just a sprinkling. But it wasn't.

After admiring the amazing Vanturatoarea waterfall, we soon encounter the first snow. It combines beautifully with the autumn leaves. The layer steadily grows as we ascend - into a 40 cm thick carpet. I soon realize I've underestimated this hike. The 1100 m climb is incredibly steep and going down in the snow doesn't seem like a good option. So we push on - and are rewarded with amazing views on top, and biting cold.

We have a quick lunch break but the dogs start shivering pitifully and so do we. About the dogs: the big one is Mirela's, but the small one - which I've dubbed Panda - followed us from a house where we parked the car. It won't give up - despite its modest size.

It's a good thing that we move on quickly, because we have a lot of distance ahead of us. And, as it turns out, the ridge walk isn't as easy as I'd anticipated: although it's fairly level, finding the waymarks initially isn't easy. On top of that, we soon find ourselves on a rocky ridge that involves quite some clambering. And the sun is steadily setting...

At 16:45, we're still on the ridge. Somehow, we make it down to a large meadow - Poiana Larga - soon after. Getting down before dark was never going to happen - but three hours in the dark wasn't the goal, either. It doesn't help that my phone refuses to charge (snow got into the usb port) and my headlight doesn't work either. Good thing I have a spare light. I'm pretty happy to have a friend and two canine friends with me!

Still, I hugely enjoy the last few hours in the dark. As we descend, there's less snow, the paths are easy and there are a couple of houses. A bright moon and tons of stars appear overhead; the silhouette of the mountains on both sides of the Cerna Valley crisply outlined.

At 20:15, we're finally back on the asphalt road. I carry the little dog for the last km back to the car - she's deserved it, plus I don't want her to get hit by a car. I feel a little foolish and embarrassed about not planning this hike better, but I'm glad I got to experience every step of this hike. No regrets, but lessons learned!

We hop in the car, but we're not done yet. First, we fill our bellies at a restaurant in Baile Herculane - and then we head to the hot spring next to Hotel Roman. We're stiff from the hike but the 43-degree water soon washes that away. I even spot a falling star. What a day, what a night.

📍 Podul Vanturatorii - Cascadă Vânturatoarea - Poiana Cioclivete - Poiana Larga - Dobraia - Podul lui Stan ↔️ 20 km ↕️ 1350 m

23/11/2023

If you're on my Yoga & Hiking Retreat mailing list, you just received exciting news in your inbox! 💌 Not on the list yet, but curious? Send me a message with your email address and I'll forward it to you!

15/11/2023

On 2 December I'll be sharing my love for & knowledge about the mountains of Romania in Amsterdam! 🤩 Join me for a workshop about hiking in Romania - whether you're a beginner or experienced hiker, I promise you'll get inspired! 🇳🇱💘🇷🇴

The facebook event & registration form are here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2099576893723586

👉 Saturday 2 December 2023, starting at 15.30
📍 St. Nicolaaslyceum Amsterdam, Beethovenplein 2, 1077 WM

28/10/2023

Glorious autumn hike from Vadu Crișului to Șuncuiuș. Will you join me on a Yoga & Hiking retreat here next year?! Let me know if you're interested and I'll add you tomy mailing list!

27/10/2023

Earlier this week I cycled back and forth between my village and the next one a couple of times, to take Diva 🐱 to the vet. The weather was fabulous so I made the most of it with my camera. 📷 Have a look around my everyday surroundings!

26/10/2023

Quick shoutout: does anyone want to do a Via Ferrata with me from Suncuius on Sunday? Message me! Details here:

The route can be covered by people with a minimum age of 16 years, a minimum height of 1.50 meters and good physical condition. It is recommended to travel the route in small groups of 5-6 people, accompanied by authorized guides.

20/10/2023

Have a lovely weekend everyone! Will post more Via Transilvanica pics and stories soon! Here's me chilling out in Poiana Omului, where the Dacians fought their last battle against the Romans and where King Decebal allegedly took his own life rather than surrender to the oppresors who were after the Dacian gold.

14/10/2023

I spent the morning in bed (tough week, rough start) and felt the need to hit the trail more than ever. I didn't set off until 3pm though. 🤭 I can afford this because I live right on the Via Transilvanica, Romania's 1400km-long version of the camino. It took me just two hours to get to this beautiful spot, and another hour to get to my 🏕️ spot. I feel like a queen. (And I'd never want to be a queen - queens probably don't get to do cool stuff like this.) Ane now I'm going to fall asleep to the sound of cowbells. Sweet dreams everyone!

12/10/2023

Fundatura Ponorului, Part Two.
Fundatura Ponorului is a karstic depression (a uvula, to be precise) traversed by a stream, which we found ourselves crossing several times - mostly to the utter delight of Dave, who took bath after bath. And then the ascent begins, because we have to get out of here again. It's nothing very terrible, but we have to conquer a steep hill covered in birch and browned ferns. At the top, we get treated to amazing views of the valley.

After some more ascending, we meet a woman who lets us traverse her farmstead so that we don't have to walk around it. I wonder what happens after she and her husband dies. Fundatura Ponorului enjoys some popularity, but I'm not sure anyone would want to take over the harsh life of the local inhabitants. An abandoned and collapsed house a bit further up goes some way to confirming that suspicion. But at present it's all just perfect. This is what harmony between humankind and nature can look like.

Now on the plateau, we open fence after fence. Sometimes we're greeted by dogs on the other side - they especially don't take to Dave (who is a sizeable shepherd - a cross between a German shepherd and a Russian laika). Finally, we get to descend again. After an impressive beech forest, the plains open up: allegedly, this is where King Decebal ended his own life rather than surrender to the Romans who were about to end his kingdom.

The sun sets and reveals not only astounding skies, but also the most amazing haystacks I've ever seen in my life: propped up on living trees, that protect them against both hungry wildlife and water that streams downhill. We end up hiking in the dark, under the stars - and have to do one more uphill push. It's not intentional but it's beautiful and also slightly funny and exhilarating. Nevertheless, I'm happy and relieved when we finally get back to the car at 9pm, after one more final dog in the hamlet of Cioclovina.

09/10/2023

Recovering from another exciting weekend. Often my weeks and weekends are reversed: I need the week, or at least the Monday and Tuesday, to recover from the weekend... 🙈 Fortunately, I can do just that. Or at least, I'm trying to. So much in the garden needs harvesting and processing but I'm just too tired to do it.

So on Saturday I went hiking in Fundatura Ponorului, the heartland of the Dacians. I didn't go it alone - I had the great company of Laura and Maria and their dog Dave. I connected with Laura through facebook - after I sprained my ankle I asked around for physiotherapists in several facebook groups. Laura responded and noticed I lived nearby (like probably less than 10 km between us as the crow flies) and that I am into hiking! So we joined forces and had an amazing, albeit very long day (↔️ 27.5 km ↕️ 1080 m). We started late (10am) and ended up hiking under the stars. 😊🌠 Which was lovely but also unintentional. And then I couldn't find my headlight - thought I'd forgotten it, but back home I found it alright. Always get out your headlight *before* it gets dark! 😅 There were also some scary dogs to navigate - especially since we had a dog with us ourselves, but Dave is extremely well behaved and we got back to the car in one piece - at 9pm. ☺️

This was one of the most beautiful hikes I ever did. Apart from astounding scenery, to know that you're pretty literally treading in the footsteps of the Dacians (and perhaps Romans) is so awesome. And all this on my doorstep - we really did win the jackpot with this house. I was pretty happy with its strategic position between the Retezat and Trascau Mountains, but the Sureanu Mountains are proving to be a veritable treasure trove. Treasures that are only gradually being revealed - because it's the kind of place where you need to spend a lot of time. It's slow, it's old, it's secretive.

Here are just *some* pictures - I have tons but again I'm too tired. So I'm going to bed. Also it's chilly today - put the stove on for the first time! Another good reason to go to bed early! 😊

05/10/2023

Our wood got delivered today! Turns out the stash in front of our gate was our neighbours', who needed more space. 😄 Fortunately we have a big empty courtyard! 🪵🪵🪵 6m³ of oak (stejar) and beech (fag). Now it 'just' needs to be sawed, chopped and dried!

28/09/2023

Ceaun time! 🥘 We harvested our first pumpkin and Wilbert turned it into a fabulous curry over the fire. 🔥 Diva loves it when we sit by the fireside. But was really scared of the pumpkin. 😸 Which weighed almost 3 kg - the snallest one! 🎃

26/09/2023

It's International Carpathian Mountains Day! These mountains have given me life and light in so many ways. Here's some peeks of the Iezer-Papusa Mountains, which I explored a couple of weeks ago. More later!

25/09/2023

A few weeks ago I had a special visitor: Gabriela from Moldova who is walking the entire Via Transilvanica (1400 km). 🎒🥾🏕️ She camped in our garden, and Diva kept her company at night! 😺

23/09/2023

Garden's not dead yet! 🏵️🦋🐝

22/09/2023

Serenity.