Valea Cerbului, Bușteni

Valea Cerbului (the Stag Valley) lies in the north-west of the town of Bușteni, Prahova County, on the Prahova side of the Bucegi Mountains. An asphalt road from Bușteni runs through the lower part of the valley, while further up the valley climbs below the Coștila escarpment and Muntele Morarul to its last glacial cirque, from where the marked path climbs to Cabana Omu. From May until late autumn the meadows in the lower valley are used for camping with tents and caravans, which is why the place is also nicknamed „Orașul pe roți” (the town on wheels). Trail 10, marked with a yellow stripe, starts from Bușteni railway station or from Căminul Alpin and follows almost the whole of Valea Cerbului: it climbs along „Plaiul Fânului” (also called „Drumul Tunului”) past Vârful Gâlma Mare (1,419 m), crosses the meadows of Poiana Coștilei, Poiana Văii Cerbului, Poiana Urzicii and Poiana Priponului, then goes through the narrow canyon „La numărătoarea oilor”, with a view of Muntele Colții Obârșiei (2,480 m), and zigzags up the southern slope of Muntele Morarul to Cabana Omu. The trail is 11.9 km long with 1,947 m of ascent, takes 5.5-7 hours and is closed in winter. For a short walk, trail 6, marked with a yellow dot, links the Bușteni cable car station with Valea Cerbului over Culmea Paltinului and the Kalinderu ski run: it is 4 km long, takes about an hour and a quarter, is easy and open all year. Access is on foot along the marked trails, or by the asphalt road in the lower valley.