Journey between heaven and earth

ATTENTION! Since the cross country mtb competition Journey between Heaven and Earth takes place
and through tunnels with poor lighting, it is mandatory to install a powerful flashlight with white light in front
and one with red light in the back!

Welcome to the 4th edition of the MTB XC race from Targu Ocna, Journey between Heaven and Earth. We are happy to announce the organization of the 4th edition of the cross country cycling race with departure and arrival in Targu Ocna, the race that offers a unique route in the world. Are we exaggerating if we say so? From our research, it turns out that we are the only ones organizing such a cross country cycling competition, with a route that goes underground, goes through a salt mine and then comes back to the surface.

Journey Between Heaven and Earth 2016 is a cross country (XC) race taking place in Targu Ocna in Bacau County. In Targu Ocna we have the Trotus salt mine, but also many picturesque hills around. It is the fourth edition in the series of mtb competitions held in the Salrom salt mines in Romania. But because we don't want to repeat ourselves too often, we thought we would diversify the idea, just a little.

Thus, you cyclist, you will no longer forge only on the corridors of the Tg. Ocna Salt Mine, but we will bring you to the surface completely this time, and not just once but several times in the allotted time of 120 minutes! The start will now be in the Targu Ocna City Hall Square from where you will leave at the "maximum" speed on the streets of the city so that in just a few kilometers you will already reach the Mine gate. But we won't let you go down yet, first we'll show you the salt deposits that we invite you to cycle through on your bike, also at full speed. Thus, after you've walked through the storage halls, you come out into the light again, but immediately enter the darkness. It's time to light your flashlight and descend 3.1 km on the access spiral into the salt mine. For 3.1 km and 240 m difference in level, you'll descend into the depths of the Earth on a well-lit road. If you participated in the Slanic edition, you'll remember that the access tunnel was well-lit. In Targu Ocna, the tunnel wasn't lit, but the contest hosts took advantage of the contest and said it was time to light up a little. So, for the contest, the tunnel will be completely lit. Isn't that an adventure?! The access tunnel is perfectly grippy, the running surface is concrete, both literally and figuratively ;)

Once you get down to the Trotus Mine you will be very pleasantly surprised to see how clean it is. The corridors are perfectly swept and lit, the constant temperature of 12 degrees and the humidity of 50% will refresh you a little because you have to take it up the hill now. You will travel around 600 m where the running surface is quite slippery. Being so clean the terrain is less grippy. So be careful with the turns although a little "salt on the wound" doesn't hurt ;)

You climbed back the 3.1 km and 240 vertical meters and came out into the sun to almost immediately enter the forest and the forest grown on the hills above Salina. After the forest road ends, you will continue on a grassy road that climbs the ridge of the hills to reach the end at the highest point of the route, at 533 m altitude.

A few more kilometers, downhill now on some very hard paths, and you will hit asphalt that you will continue on until you get back to the city and the Town Hall Square where, yes, you guessed it, you start over. For 120 minutes, you will be able to demonstrate how many times you can do this tour with a total length of approximately 15 km, half of which is above ground, half underground.

The biggest surprise was when, in previous editions, the Mayor gave us permission to cycle including through the City Hall. Yes, you read that right, and this year we will repeat the feat! At the end of the loop, you will walk through the corridors inside the City Hall building to go outside and continue the route.

Here is a brief overview of the route from the Journey between Heaven and Earth 2015 from Targu Ocna. We think it is an excellent combination of a variety of environments and riding surfaces, each with its own particularities and challenges. Because the areas you will cover in the 15 km / lap are so different, each participant will be at an advantage or disadvantage in certain sections. So we are more than curious and eager to see you at work!

The competition is organized by the National Salt Society - SALROM with the support of the Targu Ocna City Hall and the Transalpin Bike Association.