A few stats: about 31 km, about 820 m elevation gain, about 9 hours with breaks (from Garmin data). We took the Vatra Dornei stamp from Pensiunea Elenuca and the Poiana Negrii stamp from Casuta bunicilor.
We started the day early, and it began a bit strange, first we saw a bird trapped in a car (luckily the car was unlocked, so we were able to let it out), then we saw a deer next to a horse and some cows. Then one of the dogs from the place we’d stayed started to followed us, so we had to scare him off so he’d go back, which was sad, since we’d just played with the dogs the night before and that morning. But it’s best to make the dogs turn back rather than let them follow you, since they might get lost or attacked by other dogs.
The steep climb next to the ski slope in Vatra Dornei, actually wasn’t that bad. We took breaks, but it didn’t feel bad at all. After we reached the top of the hill, though, we were once again on a road, with cars passing from time to time. Luckily there’s also a forest section on this day, where you can take a break from the road and enjoy the nature fully.
We also met two new hikers, one from Cluj and one from Bistrita, I think they wanted to go as far as Bistrita. We got to talk with them during a rest while we both ate.
We camped at Pensiunea Lena, which was very nice and peaceful. It was funny that where we camped, the owner had white cows, and across the road, another owner had black cows. We also got breakfast the next day, and the jam was absolutely amazing, tasted like Christmas.