North of the Jiu Valley, the land rises steeply into the Șureanu and Parâng mountains, a wild region of high ridges, deep valleys, spruce forests and alpine meadows. Crac-Găuri lies up in this high country, linked by name to the old routes that crossed the mountains in Roman times, when Dacia was a province and soldiers watched the passes between the Transylvanian basin and the south. Little is visible today, and the remoteness is half the attraction: this is mountain land, where shepherds bring their flocks to high pastures in summer and the forest stretches for miles.
The Jiu Valley below is coal country. Petroșani, Petrila and the surrounding towns grew around the mines, and in the communist period the miners were a powerful force, famously descending on Bucharest in the early 1990s in violent episodes that shaped the country's post-revolution politics. Most of the mines have closed, and the towns have struggled, but there are efforts to develop tourism, especially winter sports in the mountains around Straja and Parâng.
The Transalpina road passes nearby, climbing over the Parâng mountains from the Lotru valley towards Novaci, at over two thousand metres the highest road in Romania. The junction at Obârșia Lotrului, a crossroads in the middle of the mountains, is a meeting point for riders, with roads heading north, south and east. The high section is closed in winter, usually from late autumn until early summer, and even in summer fog, rain and cold can arrive quickly. Vidra lake, along the Lotru valley, is a large reservoir surrounded by forest.
The riding here is among the best in Romania, with long climbs, hairpins and huge views, but surfaces can be variable, with gravel, potholes and occasional landslides. Traffic is light on weekdays but heavy on summer weekends. Watch for sheep, cattle and dogs on the road, and for drivers stopping suddenly to take photos. Bears are common in these mountains.
Fuel is not available in the high mountains. The nearest towns are Petrila, about seventeen kilometres away, and Petroșani, so fill up before climbing. Mountain huts and stalls along the Transalpina sell grilled sausages, cheese and polenta, and a hot bowl of soup at a cabana is welcome on a cold day.