CINDREL MOUNTAINS

Crossing the main ridges of the Cindrel Mountains, from East to West

Route Description:

Rasinari Village – Plaiului Peak (1196 m) – Tomnatec Peak (1386 m) – Poiana Oncesti / Oncesti Glade (1625 m) – Poiana Muncel / Muncel Glade (1660 m) – Saua Batrana / Old Saddle (1885 m) – Rozdesti Peak (1954 m) – Saua Sebanei / Serbanei Saddle (1870 m) – Niculesti Peak (2034 m) – Canaia Peak (2057 m) – Cindrel Peak (2244 m) – Frumoasa Peak (2168 m) – Serbota Peak (2008 m) – Oasa Mare (1731 m) – Oasa Cottage (1280 m).

Crossing the main route of the Cindrel Mountains crest is a tour to be followed during 3 days and it is needed for a very good physical condition… altitude differences are so big, everything taking place at a medium height of 1800 – 1900 m.

Route organization details

- Minimum number of participating is set to 2 persons and maximum number is set to 10 persons for a single guide, but if the number of participants is bigger, there can be appointed another guide.
- Best period for crest tour is set to May 15th – 1st November, but this depends by the climate.
- Depending by the number or participants, there will be chosen an adequate transportation.
- During the tour you will be guided by an authorized mountain guide (A.G.M.R.)
- The accommodation will be chosen by preferences: touristic cabins, alpine refugees or tents.
- Every participants must have proper equipment for specific mountain area

Day 1:
The tour will begin from Rasinari Village, which is situated on 12 km far from Sibiu, in the South-West part, at the mountain’s hem, on direction of Paltinis Resort, or rural space of Marginimea Sibiu. From this point we will go on foot, and we will walk to Fraga Heal Peak, measuring 1196 m altitude in Plaiului Peak After about 2 hours since he have left, we will reach at the Tomnatec Peak (1386 m altitude), we will see a forest canton where we’ll take a break – time for rest and listening first impressions. We will continue the tour through Poiana Lupilor until we reach to the Poiana Oncesti (1625m altitude). After 45 minutes far from that we reach at the Muncel Canton. From here we will head to Poiana Gaujoara and Paltinis Resort, our first accommodation.
Time of the tour: 4 to 5 hours
Route difficulty: medium
The accommodation will be made at the Pension Perla Paltinisului

Day 2:
8:00 a.m.: Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Tour begins from Pension Perla Paltinisului Pension, cross nearby lift of Oncesti Trail and then we follow the route to ascend in Poiana Gaujoara, to Batrana Peak (1911 m altitude). After approximately 2 hours we reach in Saua Batrana (1885 m altitude). Here we have a break. We can see sights of the Cindrel. We are now in the perimeter of Natural Park of Cindrel, situated in the South-West of the Sibiu territory, covering 9043 ha, the most spectacular landforms in the area of 2 massive rocky mountains Cindel and Lotru. We continue the crest route and we pass over Rozdesti Peak, we descend in Saua Serbaniei (1870 m altitude) from where we turn on a secondary route and after 45 minutes we reach to Canaia Refugee.

Day 3:
8:00 a.m.: Breakfast
9:00 a.m.: Tour begins from Canaia Refugee, following the route to Caldarea Iujbii. After that we will ascend to Saua Cindrel. From here we will head Wst and ascend to main route till Cindrel Peak (2244 m altitude) – tallest peak from Cindrel Mountain. Here we will take a break. During this break we can see the sights. We will continue the tour through Platoul Diavolului (The Devils Plateau). In the right side we have Iezerele Cindrelului Reserve, consisting in 2 lakes: Iezerul Mare and Iezerul Mic). After this we will head to Frumoasa Peak (2168 m altitude).
In the North-West of the Frumoasa Peak, we can see the ice cirque named Gropata. We will cross near a rocky ridge, until Serbota Peak (2008 m altitude). We will descend to Oasa Mare Peak (1731 m altitude). From here we will descend approximately 500m level difference to Cabana Oasa (Oasa Cottage) 1280 m altitude.
Time of the tour: 7 to 8 hours

Route difficulty: medium

In the park perimeter there were identified around 500 plants such as: algae, mushrooms, moss plant, lichens, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms.
Characteristic associations consist in: Vaccinio – Pinetum mugi, Vaccinium sp. Juniperum nanae, Rhododendron kotschyi, Saliceto silesacae-Alnetum viridis, Veratrum album, Cardueto personatae-Heracleum palmatum.
Alpine meadows are dominated by horns associations (Caricetum curvulae) and by mountain pais germander (Potentillo-ternatae-Festucetum sudeticae).
From wilderness point of view, the birds and the mammalians are most investigated. The most important mammalian species is knows as black goat (Rupicapra rupicapra) and plover (Eudromias morinellus), in the birds reign that are present here, ice relict situated at the edge of the area, or mountain Aquila (Aquila chrysaetos), mountain rooster (Tetrao urgollus), snow bird (Plectrophenax nivslis), a very rare bird for Romania’s bird population and also Eremophila alpestris bancalnica, it was found hatching fot the first time in Romania, on the Frumoasa Plateau.
In the floral area, we can name rare flowers such as: moss Aulacomnium turgidum, Caldonia spumosa, Pinus cembra, Aquilegia vulgarias, Trollius europaeus, Colchicum autumnale, Angelica archangelica, Laserpitium krapfii, Rhododendrum kotschyi, Gentiana kochiana, Sweria, Veronica bellidioides and V. baumgartenii, Campanula transsilvanica and C. cochlearifolia, Leondon croceus

Accommodation and dinner will be at Oasa Cottage. End of tour.

Day 4:
8:00 a.m: Breakfast
10:00 a.m.: Transfer to Sibiu, and if time permits we will visit cultural sites in Sibiu.

Rates of participation in the tour

350 Euro / 1 person

The price includes:

• Housing in cottages, in rooms for 2-4 places.
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner, sandwich.
• Dinner celebrating the completion of the tour in a Romanian restaurant
• Transport on the hole period of the route( Opel Vivaro or Wolksvagen Carravelle)
• Services of an accredited (by Romanian Mountain Guide Association – R.M.G.A) mountain guide.

The price does not include:

• Life or accident insurance.
• Ski equipment.

We exclude assuming any responsibility on loss, distruction of property, material damage or personal injury (including death), that may suffer the client, as a result of:
• His physical unprepeared,
• Forces of the nature,
• Drinking and drugs,
• Failures of the plant of the equipment used,
• Limited acces to medical service.

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