Peretele Uriaș (the Big Wall) · Cheile Turzii (Turda Gorge) · Romania
A short modern sport line up the middle of Cheile Turzii's biggest wall, between the classic peg routes Jenci Bacsi and Ave Maria. Small holds and a slightly dusty face lead to a closely bolted 7a crack-and-face crux and a big undercling traverse under a roof. Four pitches, then abseil, or carry on up Bulinel to the top.
Climbing mode: Big type, screen kept awake, tick pitches as you go.
Highest point about 600 m above sea level (estimate: terrain height at the mapped point plus the height of the route).
Re-equipped in March 2026 and closely bolted on the crux, but little travelled (logged ascents 2019, 2020 and April 2026, none describing the new hardware), with dusty and flaky rock and two hanging belays.
7aVIII5.11d4 pitches · 119 mEasy to bail
Vaja con Dios is a four-pitch sport route on Peretele Uriaș, the tallest wall in Cheile Turzii, opened around 2000 to 2002 and dedicated to Cristi Sândean (a memorial plaque sits at the third belay). It climbs steadily harder pitch by pitch: a long, slightly dirty face of small holds, a fingery crack-and-smear finish, a closely bolted crux pitch graded UIAA 8 (about 7a), and a traverse along a generous undercling crack under a roof. The route ends at a grassy ledge shared with Bulinel, from where you abseil or continue to the plateau. It sees fewer ascents than the neighbouring peg classics, so expect some dust and flaky rock.
The atlas doesn't show topos: they are the work of the people who bolt and document these routes. See the topo in Munții Trascău - Ghidul Traseelor de Escaladă.
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a/6a+ | 39 m | A slightly dirty face on small holds, not hard but sustained for its whole length, going more or less straight up. The bolted belay is 5 to 6 m above the first belay of Jenci Bacsi. UIAA 6+; the blog estimates the pitch at about 50 m. |
| P2 | 6b+/6c | 29 m | Trends slightly right, crossing Jenci Bacsi near its second belay. Difficulty rises steadily on a dustier face; just below the belay a crack with holds needs smearing feet. A 2019 party reckoned the obligatory free climbing (with A0 elsewhere) is nearer UIAA 7+ on the first 7 to 8 m of this pitch. Hanging belay. UIAA 7+. |
| P3 | 7aVIII5.11d | 19 m | The crux: straight up a fine crack that flakes at the start, with bolts less than a metre apart, so it goes at A0. Hanging belay sheltered under an overhang, next to a memorial plaque. UIAA 8 (the blog says 8-). |
| P4 | 6b+/6c | 32 m | Traverse under the overhang on a generous undercling crack, which after about 10 m arches up into a flake with good but slightly friable holds. The hard move is leaving the traverse over a small smooth face; then easier crack climbing to an excellent belay on a grassy ledge shared with Bulinel. UIAA 7+. |
Drive to Turda (Cluj-Napoca, about 30 km to the north-west, has the nearest airport), then to the campsites at either end of the gorge: Petreștii de Jos at the west end or the Cheia/Mihai Viteazu side at the east end. Cars are left near the campsites and you walk in along the tourist path; a small entry fee is charged.
Walk the tourist path along the Hășdate to the foot of Peretele Uriaș and cross the river where the path is at water level. The route starts between Jenci Bacsi and Ave Maria: find the start of Jenci Bacsi and the bolt line is immediately to its right.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Coordinates · crag
Point from ClimbRomania GPS point 'Peretele Uriaș' (zone 737)
Contains the route point.
Points from published sources, not surveyed.
Coordinates: 46.56430, 23.67795 (crag)
Abseil the route from the bolted belays. ClimbRomania describes six short abseils that cannot be linked with a 60 m rope, the last station being at the foot of a small gully in the ivy. Continuing to the plateau via Bulinel adds four more pitches (2015 blog): widely spaced pegs on the second of them and sparse protection on the last, then the ridge to Crucea Sănduleștilor and a walk down.
Easy to bail
Abseiling the route is the normal descent, so you can retreat from any belay. Expect six short abseils from the bolted belays; with a single 60 m rope you cannot link them.
Romania
112Emergency: ambulance, fire, police
Emergency: ambulance, fire, police
Position of the crag
46.56430, 23.67795
Marks the crag, not the route: give route and pitch.
Say what happened, how many are hurt, and where you are. Checked October 2026 (sourceofficial sources).
15 quickdraws (ClimbRomania). Helmet. Nothing else is mentioned for the four pitches of Vaja con Dios; take extra gear only if you plan to continue up Bulinel.
South-facing, so it gets the sun; spring and autumn are best and summer can be very hot in the gorge. The 2015 party was caught by thunderstorms building in the afternoon, so watch the weather on unsettled days.
Forecast · next 7 days · 600 m
Loading the forecast.
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| High °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Low °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rain mm | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chance of rain % | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Strongest gusts km/h | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Model forecast for 600 m. It cannot tell you whether the rock is dry. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Time plan · 4 pitches
Working out sunrise and sunset.
An estimate. Queues and route finding cost time, and shaded walls go dark before sunset. Your device's time, flat horizon.
Sun on the wall · S-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
From the aspect alone; terrain is ignored. Your device's time, 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul | Aug | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 1 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Mean daily low °C | −6 | −5 | −2 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 0 | −4 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 496 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
No reports yet.
Around 7a · about 4 pitches
Croatia · Paklenica
A short, hard line high on the shady north face of Anića kuk: a steep 6a+, a 7a corner on razor-sharp small edges, a slightly overhanging 6c+ corner and a long finish up water runnels. The rock is sharp and superb from the first metre. Good as a half-day or combined with a neighbour.
7aVIII5.11d7aVIII5.11d4 pitches130 m
Switzerland · Bernese Oberland
Four pitches of steep, compact limestone opposite the Eiger: a stiff 6a+ warm-up, a short bouldery 7a crux on small edges, a 6b through little roofs on good holds, and a superb, sustained 7a wall of pockets to finish. Short enough to climb without a pack, and the 7a grades are reckoned friendly.
7aVIII5.11d7aVIII5.11d4 pitches120 m
Italy · Monte Procinto (Apuan Alps)
One of the hardest modern sport lines on the Procinto's east face: two 6c+ pitches of steep climbing on spaced holds, a bouldery 6b, an easy link and a superb sustained 7a pitch through an overhang into a crack.
7aVIII5.11d7aVIII5.11d5 pitches135 m
Read the cautions
France · Ariège Pyrenees
The hard classic of the Calamès pillars above Bédeilhac: technical slabs, a well-bolted roof and a sustained 6c wall, capped by a short 7a slab pitch after a walk across a garden. Compact rock and close bolts make it a good place to try harder grades on a multipitch. The middle pitch is vegetated.
7aVIII5.11d7aVIII5.11d5 pitches180 m
Researched and aggregated by AI from published sources, last compiled October 2026. It can be wrong, and bolts, anchors and access change: check a current guidebook and read the disclaimer.