The authors drove the Transfăgărășan several times: in March 2023 the pass was closed for the winter, in late June 2024 they crossed it in an Iveco truck weighing about 12.5 tonnes and 3.60 metres high, and in September 2026 in a four-tonne Weinberg motorhome. The road links Wallachia and Transylvania across the Făgăraș mountains, reaches an altitude of about 2,042 metres, and the high section between Piscu Negru and Bâlea Cascadă is closed in winter, potentially from 20 October. Bears are encountered along the route and are fed by visitors, creating a risk of conflict; parking at Bâlea Lake costs around 20 euros.
