Omu Peak
2,507 m
Romania
Also known as Ому, Omu, +3Also known as
Ому · Omu · mont Omu · ომუ · Vârful Omu, Munții Bucegi
- Elevation
- 2,507 m
- Prominence
- 1,348 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: Medium (because of the weather) (mountlift.com)
The easiest way up the highest point of the Bucegi: the cable car from Bușteni to Babele (about 2,200 m), then the yellow-band path north across the high plateau past the Sphinx to Cabana Omu on the summit (2,507 m). About 6.4 km and 400 m of ascent; 2–2½ hours up. Summer route only.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +376 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,507 m
- Time Up
- 2h 08m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 54m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Take the Bușteni–Babele cable car (or the one from Peștera) to its top station beside Cabana Babele (about 2,200 m); alternatively walk up from the road end at Cabana Piatra Arsă in 45 minutes to 1½ hours. From Babele the yellow-band trail heads north past the Babele rock pillars and the Sphinx (Sfinxul) and continues across the rolling plateau at 2,300–2,400 m, along the rim above the Prahova valley escarpment, with only gentle climbs. The last section rises to the summit dome, where Cabana Omu and the Omu weather station sit right on the top (2,507 m). The trail is well marked and easy to follow in good visibility; allow 2–2½ hours from Babele and 1¼–2 hours back. Bucura-Dumbravă (Ocolit, 2,503 m) is 10 minutes away. The plateau is completely exposed and the weather changes within an hour; in fog the wide, featureless ground is disorienting, and summer thunderstorms are dangerous. Check the last cable-car descent (17:00 in 2026) before setting out. In winter the summer path is not used: the winter variant climbs from Șaua Sugărilor along the Cerdacul ridge, and full winter mountaineering equipment and an avalanche check are needed.
Start
Telecabina Babele2,169 m
- Bușteni–Babele cable car; Peștera–Babele cable car
- Train to Bușteni on the Bucharest–Brașov line, then walk to the cable-car station; Bușteni–Babele cable car (first ascent 08:30, last ascent 16:00, last descent 17:00; Tuesdays from 10:30 in 2026).
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecabina Babele → Omu | 5.9 | 376 | 38 | 2h 08m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Telecabina Babele2,169 m
- Hut: Cabana Babele2,202 m
- Feature: Sfinxul2,213 m
- Hut: Cabana Omu2,502 m
not on route line
- Summit: Omu2,507 m
Key Passages
- Babele and the Sphinx rock formations
- Open plateau at 2,300–2,400 m (navigation in fog)
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest point of the Bucegi Mountains (2,507 m), a rocky knoll at the northern end of the high Bucegi plateau, topped by a weather station and the historic Cabana Omu. A cable car to Babele leaves an easy 2–2½ hour walk across the plateau; longer routes climb 1,700 m from Bușteni and Bran.
Omu (Vârful Omu) stands at the northern edge of the Bucegi plateau, where the range drops steeply to the Prahova valley on the east, the Bran corridor on the north-west and the deep glacial valleys of Mălăiești, Gaura and Ialomița. The summit is not a pointed peak but a small rocky top crowned by the Omu weather station and Cabana Omu, a stone-and-wood hut that has stood here in some form since 1888.
The plateau itself, at 2,200–2,400 m, is broad, grassy and gently rolling, with famous wind-eroded rock formations such as the Babele and the Sphinx near the Babele cable-car station. That makes the summit unusually accessible: in summer, crowds ride the cable car from Bușteni or Peștera and walk to the top across easy ground. The demanding routes are the long climbs from the valleys: Valea Cerbului from Bușteni (the shortest marked route from the town, about 6 hours), the exposed, chained Jepii Mici path, the Mălăiești valley from Gura Diham or Râșnov, and the routes up from Bran.
The Bucegi are part of Bucegi Natural Park. The weather is the main hazard: the plateau is fully exposed to wind, fog rolls in fast, summer thunderstorms are frequent, and in winter almost all routes are closed because of avalanche risk.
Climbing Notes
From Babele the summit needs only general hiking fitness: about 6.4 km and 400 m of ascent each way on a well-marked path. Start early to be back for the last cable-car descent, and watch for building storms. The valley routes from Bușteni (Valea Cerbului, Jepii Mari, Jepii Mici) involve 1,700 m of ascent and 6–8 hours up; Jepii Mici has chains and exposure and is crowded at weekends.
Cabana Omu (62 places, usually June–October) offers bunks and simple meals but has no water source, electricity only from a generator in the evening, and outside toilets; bring a sleeping bag and book by phone. Outside food may not be consumed inside. Camping on the summit is not allowed.
In winter, treat Omu as a mountaineering objective: most marked routes are closed for avalanche risk, and you need crampons, ice axe, avalanche equipment, the current nivo-meteorological bulletin and local advice from Salvamont.
History
The Siebenbürgischer Karpatenverein (SKV) built a stone hut on the summit, inaugurated on 2 September 1888. The Sinaia Carpathian Society added a wooden cabin in 1900, which burned down in October 1911. The present shelter was assembled by the Turing-Clubul României in 1925 and inaugurated on 7 August 1926 as Casa Omul 'Mihai Haret', with 30 places; it was attached to the summit rock in 1927 and extended in 1936–37, and has changed little since.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter mountaineering only; most routes closed for avalanche risk
- Feb
- Winter mountaineering only
- Mar
- Winter conditions; high avalanche risk
- Apr
- Deep spring snow on the plateau
- May
- Snowfields on the plateau; hut may open late in the month
- Jun
- Snow patches early; hut usually opens
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms; long cable-car queues at weekends
- Aug
- Main season
- Sep
- Settled weather, fewer people
- Oct
- First snow; hut closes during October
- Nov
- Early winter
- Dec
- Winter mountaineering only
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Cabana Omu has no website; book by phone (0732 655 365 or 0742 348 001 in 2026). Bring a sleeping bag.
- Fees
- Bușteni–Babele cable car: 105 RON up and 199 RON return for adults in 2026 (check current prices)
- Rules
- Bucegi Natural Park: camping is not allowed at Cabana Omu
- Most marked routes to Omu are closed in winter because of avalanche risk; check with Salvamont
- Getting There
Bușteni
Bucharest Henri Coandă (OTP); Brașov-Ghimbav (GHV)
- Train on the Bucharest–Brașov line to Bușteni, then walk to the Bușteni–Babele cable car
- Car: the road from Sinaia reaches Cabana Piatra Arsă (about 10 km from Omu); from Moroeni the road reaches Peștera and the Peștera–Babele cable car
- Gura Diham (for the Mălăiești and Bucșoiu routes) is about 5 km from Bușteni station; taxi or car
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche
- Exposure
Huts & Shelters
2- 2,200 m
Cabana BabeleHut
- 2,505 m
Cabana OmuHutStaffed
62 beds · Usually June to October; under new keepers since June 2024