Bucegi Natural Park, Romania, July 2nd–8th, 2017
We pack the last of our supplies and head towards the cable car. Taking the final ride up is part of the plan — a way to avoid the crowds and reach the plateau just as it begins to empty.
Fog and wind are waiting for us at the top.
For a brief moment, the clouds open up and I point out a patch of snow near the Coștila relay station to Marius.
That's where we'll be spending the next week.
We reach the cabin, unpack only what we need, grab a backpack and our shovels, and head straight out. We'd checked the terrain two days earlier, so we know exactly where we're going.
We mark out the area and start digging into the frozen snow.
About 30 minutes later, the first drops of rain begin to fall. We keep going for a while, until the weather finally convinces us that we've done enough for the day.
The next day, the mountain throws almost everything it has at us: rain, hail, fog, and strong winds.
We try shooting a few timelapses that don't work out, wait, take shelter, and try again. Towards evening, a two-hour weather window finally opens and we get back to work.
Then come two days without rain.
After almost 17 hours of work altogether, the build finally starts to look the way we'd imagined it.
Sergiu is ready and waiting. He sends the drone up and we shoot our first frames.
By the time we're done, the day is almost gone.
The following day gives us around two hours of snowboarding before the clouds, rain, fog, and wind return. Towards evening, the rain seems to stop, so we try to capture a few landscapes and the sunset.
The wind has other plans.
Fatigue is starting to set in. The hail from the night before has eaten away at the kicker, and we need to shape it all over again.
We put on some music and make ourselves a hot tea.
For a few minutes, there's nowhere we need to be.
We let the sheep pass, say hello to the shepherds — a few of them recognize me from the year before — then pick up the shovels again and start pulling snow back in from the edges.
Slowly, the kicker takes the shape we wanted again.
We take a break, gear up, and start jumping, carefully saving enough energy for the final hours.
The shadow begins to move across the snow.
It's almost 8 p.m.
This is the last day of snowboarding for the season.
I stop for a moment, look back at the kicker, and smile.
Clouds cover the sunset. Fog hangs towards the east. The wind keeps getting stronger.
We carefully pack our gear and start making our way back.
Down below, we crack open a beer. 🍻
