After launching his successful initial offensives at Petrozsény (Petroșani) and Nagyszeben (Sibiu/Hermannstadt), the commander of the Romanian 1st Army – General Ioan Culcer – placed a company of infantry in the wild and mountainous area which separates the Olt and Jiu Valleys.

Normally, keeping surveillance over such a large area with only one company of soldiers would be impossible, but the Romanians also disposed of border guards and customs officials scattered throughout the mountains, and most of these posts had telephones for reporting activity.

It was followed by Colonel Franz Ritter von Epp's Bavarian Guard Regiment, with support troops and pack animals at the rear.

Popovici not only ignored Culcer's orders to shorten his overextended lines and form a reserve, but outright went against them by launching an attack on 22 September.

Just before arriving at the overnight bivouac, the Jäger brigade (General Ludwig Ritter von Tutschek) drove off some Romanian guards in a sharp fight.

[1]: 104–107 [2] These prisoners had revealed to Culcer on 24 September that two regiments from a German division located near Nagyszeben (Sibiu/Hermannstadt) had entered the mountains "in order to attack in the Lotru and Sadu valleys".

[1]: 104–107 [2] German General Erich von Falkenhayn interpreted the shifting of these two battalions as a last-minute attempt by Popovici to withdraw, and in consequence ordered his subordinate to attack late on 25 September.