Route description Pitch 1 (50 m, 3) - We start above the big boulder which lies at the bottom of the wall. We start climbing upwards and slightly to the right. We climb towards a big chimney which we see from the bottom of the wall. The belay station is beneath it.
Pitch 2 (45 m, 5+) - Go to the right on the ledge and then up into the chimney. We arrive at the Football Field, a big grassy field. The belay station is at it's base.
Pitch 3 (65 m, 1+) - It traverses the Football Field, then goes to the left on a narrow grassy ledge. The belay station is at the end of the ledge. The pitch is about 65 meters, so the second person must simul-climb for a few meters.
Pitch 4 (40 m, 4) - We climb a a loose chimney, then a few loose grassy and rocky steps. The section is called The Ruins. On a little ledge we will find the belay station.
Pitch 5 (30 m, 5+) - We traverse to the right 8 meters on the grassy ledge, arriving at the base of Hidden Crack. Many climbers lost their way here. There is another crack, just above the belay station, where we can see pegs, but that is NOT the way. We climb diagonally to the right and exit into a big grassy ledge, named The Big Traverse.
Pitch 6 (10 m, 2): A short pitch on The Big Traverse, to the right leads us to the chimney from Lespezi, and to the base of the Dihedral on a big flat ledge. This short pitch can be easily linked with the previous one.
Pitch 7 (35 m, 6+): First pitch on the dihedral is vertical, having a tiny overhang after the first 5 meters, then it's vertical again. After 30 meters we have a small overhang, right after it we find the belay station. On this pitch there are only 5 pitons, all in a poor condition, grade 6+. Belay station on 4 pitons, not all very solid.
Pitch 8 (35 m, 6+): The second pitch of dihedral has an easy start, the na tiny overhang, continues as a dihedral, with few pitons, until we reach a big "pipe" with ring. From this point the dihedral continues to the left, BUT the route goes to the right, right under an arch, then a face with a thin crack until we reach the belay station. Belay station is very uncomfortable, on a face with no ledge for feet.
Pitch 9 (35 m, 7): Goes upwards on a thin crack, then to the left on a face with bolts until we enter a large chimney on the left. Beware, the chimney has some loose rocks (the rock is mainly loose sandstone) and grass and pitons are rare. Before belay station there is a small vertical chimney, having the piton on the left side. Belay station on a small pinnacle.
Pitch 10 (25 m, 6): From this point the route descends 2 meters (this section is called "J") and traverses the face after the pinnacle, under an arch. We continue to the right until we enter a small crack, then go upwards, then to the left on a plate detached (attention is needed here, the plate is not very stable). Then we go upwards to a piton with old rope. From here there are 2 variants which we can take to exit via Blue Crack (Cristea Variant). Either traversing to the left on a grassy crack with no protection (this pitch leads us to the belay station before Faţa Muştelor - The face with flies
You can read the entire Fisura Albastră varianta Cristea (Blue Crack Cristea variant) 6A route description here: http://www.roclimbs.ro/EnRuta.aspx?ID_Ruta=123
), or we can go upwards on cracks and make the traverse to Blue Crack (Cristea Variant) in the upper part, on an reddish arch, with bad pitons and loose rock.
Pitch 11 (45 m, 7-): Next pitch is called The face with flies. It start up with a vertical crack, until we reach the wires (climbers which made the first ascent climbed this pitch top roped, and tied together the pegs with a wire). From this point we traverse to to the right, then up, on a crack which leads to a vertical face, having 3 crack left oriented. In this place the pegs more are spaced (3-4 meters), mandatory grade 6+/7-. We will climb a chimney for 10-12 meters, and exit on a ledge, where we find the belay station.
Pitch 12 (25 m, 4+): Last pitch is easy, it traverses a ridge to the left, than a crack, a short chimney and we exit in White Valley Ridge.
Information source fralpinism - http://www.fralpinism.ro/?cat=142
Bucegi Turism Alpinism ed 2 - Emilian Cristea, 1964
Muntii Bucegi Drumetie Alpinism Schi - W Kargel, 2000
Titus Gonţea - http://titusgontea.blogspot.ro/2009/07/traseul-sarutul-pamantului.html
http://alpinet.org/main/articole/show_ro_t_scurta-istorie-a-catararii-pe-gheata-in-romania_id_89.html
http://www.carpati.org/forum/alpinism-7/premiera_de_iarna_diedrul_pupezei_1986-3551/1/
Marius Lungu - Ascensiunea de iarna a traseului Diedrul Pupezei, Muntele - Buletinul CAR, Anul I, serie noua, nr. 1/1990, pag. 9
alpinismexplorare.ro - http://www.alpinismexplorare.ro/content/peretele-vaii-albe-diedrul-pupezei-si-memorial-emilian-cristea-iunie-2007
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