The descent into Bran

After a coffee and a pack of biscuits for brekkie over which we chopped our map in two for Will and Simon who had lost theirs (lucky we were traveling in opposite directions) we set of for Bran.
The sign at Omu said the walk should take 41/2 to 5 hours and our guidebook said 6 so planning on about 61/2 we figured we should be OK but knackered when we arrived in Bran.
The walk was amazing as we descended from the tundra through alpine pine thickets to pine forests, then to logging roads into the town.
This however was no easy descent. It was a 1700 metre drop over 15 km. Most of the drop occurred in the first 8 km though. At times we thought we should have brought along some rock climbing gear as we slid down loose gravel, sheer slopes and amazing dropoffs. With the occasional landslide blocking our path as well.
Crazily enough we actually passed some people coming the other way. No joke, they were insane. The sign in Bran puts the uphill climb to eight hours and we'd add a bit on to that. Mad.
So, the path eventually leveled off and we worked out we had been walking for seven hours pretty much straight, thank goodness for good backpacks!
Coming into Bran was somewhat of an anticlimax however, this was definitely a case of the journey being worth more than the destination! We came around a corner all of a sudden to see busloads of tourists swarming around the tacky, Dracula themed markets at the foot of Bran castle.
We were sooo knackered by this stage we found a place to stay, grabbed some food (squeezed in time for some washing-grrr) and crashed!
Photos: Our first Autumn colour, Another stunning view, Adam observing the view