sign in sign up
<<
Home , Apuseni Mountains, Conop, Salina Turda

Responsible Travel in

HIKING IN THE HEART OF APUSENI MOUNTAINS

The price includes: What the price does not include: personal drinks and • local transportation by car including refreshments, insurance, souvenirs. transfer from and back to airport • 3 meals per day (starting with lunch on Note: first day and ending with breakfast on We are always receptive to our tourists’ demands and departure day). needs. Therefore, the itinerary described above can be • accommodation 6 nights in mountain adjusted accordingly in what regards the period, number cabin ranked with 3*** (daisies, according of days and the activities included. Please contact us for to Romanian legislation for rural tourism); more details. rooms have 2, 3, 4 beds with ensuite or shared bathrooms. More information Contact persons: about the mountain cabin in which Mihai (Mike) Olenici / GSM: +4 0740 062 862 you’ll stay can be found at: http://www. Paul Iacobas / GSM: +4 075 602 301 padis.ro/e_accomodation.html E: [email protected] • guidance and all expenses related with the Apuseni Experience Responsible Travel Programme guide – English speaking • costs related to trip preparation

Lacul Crasna ZALÃU E60 Poiana Halmãºd Florilor Bãlan ªinteu Crasna Furta Biharkeresztes Borº n Padis Plateau, the heart of Apuseni Nature Trip details: Valcãu de Jos O Românaºi Darvas Bãniºor Bar Park, hikers begin each day with a fresh approach Lugaºu Repede cãu Hilda ºu de Jos Agrij ri Aleºd Sîntandrei C Tileagd Sig Cizer Köröszegapáti Panticeu Oºorhei E60 Bucium Szeghalom Auºeu Start/end: Oradea or Cluj Napoca (there are Sãcãdat Aºtileu º to life, getting ready for a new challenge, while a

lm

A Sînmartin P. Igriþa Nojorid Bãile Topa de Criº Bãile 1 Mai Mãgeºti Iclod y Felix Copãcel Borod Zimbor campers proudly display their hammocks for what options to pick you up at Budapest or Timisoara Piatra Craiului Aºchileu Leº Osoiu Vadu Criºului Vultureni r Hidiºelu Vîrciorog 624 E671 de Sus Cuzãplac ªuncuiuº Ciucea airports too) Tãºad E81 promises to be another lazy day in the shade. At Vésztö a Cefa E79 P. Vîntului Bratca Almaºu P. Ungurului Bulz Poieni Okány Drãgeºti Tomnatic Fildu de Jos E576 g Vida P. Lesiana P. Moanei Cornel’s “terrace”, everybody greets each other with Trip length: 7 days/6 nights Zece Valea Lãzãreni Hotare Drãganului Criºu Repede Aghireºu Jucu n Ceica n Chinteni Lacul Sînpaul Vida Dobreºti Drãga Izvorul Runcuri Mic Iad Remeþi Criºului u u a familiar ‘Neata!’ (‘Mornin!’). La ‘belle vie’ of Padis, Activity level: moderate Mãdãraº Husasãu Someº de Tinca Motel Leºu Sîncraiu Sãcuieu E60 Apahida th th rd th opa H T Roºia Baciu Holod Pomezeu Lacul CLUJ-NAPOCA Availability for 2011: June, 19 – 25 , July, 3 – 9 Leºu that wonderful, natural pace of life, surrounds

Tulca Sîmbãta Cabana Vlãdeasa Tinca P. Meziad Lacul Cãpuºu Drãganu Cãlãþele th rd th th st th Sarkad Vlãdeasa Doboz Cociuba Mare 1836 Cabana Ardeleana and 17 – 23 , August, 7 – 13 and 21 – 27 , Meziad the foggy glades. We invite you to experience it Rãbãgani Remetea Mãrgãu Riºca Lacul Gilãu Ciumeghiu Cãpîlna Gilãu Meziad Lacul Floreºti Tarniþa Feleacu th th th th nd th Batãr Rãchiþele Stîna de Vale Butea Someºu Cald with us, from the greatness of Cetatile Ponorului September: 4 – 10 and 18 – 24 , October: 2 - 8 Urviº Ne Budureasa 1792 Aiton Olcea Criºu gru Beiuº Prislop Beliº Sãvãdisla Ciurila ªoimi E60 Lacul Fîntînele GYULA E81 P. Onceasa Casa Piatra Group size: min 2 - max 8 Altarului phenomena to the textured karst relief of d u Cal Valea Ierii Finiº Drãgãneºti Someº Mãguri- P. Cetatea Criº Rãdesei Rãcãtãu u P Tureni ietros Sudrigiu P. ªura Boghii Padiº Sesul Padis. Walk through the labyrinth of the Lost Price: 695 euros/person Lazuri Pietroasa Sat de vacanþã Boga Miºca de Beiuº 1 Poiana Horea Rece Rieni Galbe 5 u º º ti Petreºtii P. Focul Viu Bãtrîna e a Bãiºoara ar m r S na Glãvoi o Ia de Jos Chiºcãu 3 2 1579 S P. Cetãþile Iara Beyond hiking: easy , traditional way of life, Cheile Turzii World Plateau and explore the story of the water Ponorului Cheia P. Urºilor Groapa Chiºineu- Pleºul ªtei Ruginoasã P. Vîrtop Ch. Galbenei Muntele Elek Cîmpani P. Mãgura 4 P. Coiba 1112 C Criº Mare h Vîrtop Cacovei e ile Grãniceri Lunca R Sighiºtel u n Buru 1160 c Gîrda Ocoale Horea u lu mountain culture. i that creates it. Pair a bottle of ice-cold beer with a P. Fînaþe P. Scãriºoara Muntele Mare Nucet Sea Albac Cheile Pociovaliºtei 1826 c P. Poarta lui Ioanele Vaºcãu ã Casa Speo Arieºeni Scãriºoara º Arie Cãrand Cãrpinet Romanian sausage grilled on the campfire, along P. Liliecilor A rieºu Negru Bihor Gîrda de Sus Albac Criºu Mare ªicula 1849 ªimand Criºtioru de Jos with some baked potatoes, in the sound of a guitar Ineu P. Huda lui Paparã Vadu Moþilor Arieºu Mic Sãlciua Baia de Seleuº Vidra E671 Sebiº Arieº Mirãslãu Bîrsa Poiana played by one of the regular visitors of the area: the Sîntana Gãina Lupºa Avram Iancu Cîmpeni Aiudului 1486 Sohodol Poieniþa Ponor Pîncota 1437 Criºu Rîmeþ simple pleasures of life! Alb Pleºcuþa Roºia Montanã Cheile Rîmeþilor Vîrfurile Bulzeºtii de Sus AIUD º Chiºindia Almaº Hãlmagiu b Al Abr Bucium ªiria Gurahonþ ºu ud Mogoº Mure Cri Întregalde Galda E81 Sãlaºul de la Rãscruce

Teiuº Cricãu Vaþa de Jos Þebea Buceº ARAD Galda de Jos Vladimirescu E68 Mihalþ Ighiu Bucureºci P. Liliecilor Roºia Nouã Brad Pãuliº Zlatna Conop Bîrzava Am Criºcior p o Meteº i E79 Lipova Almaºu Mare Valea Frumoasã ALBA IULIA Hanul Cerbu Vãliºoara Petriº Bãiþa Geo Balºa Sãvîrºin agiu Bata E68 Vorþa Zam Seb

Maºloc eº Mada www.apuseniexperience.ro [email protected] Vinþu Mureº de Jos Lunca Certeju de Sus Birchiº Gurasada ªibot Oradea 410068 -Romania, 1 Decembrie Square 4-6, room 8 Tel./fax: +4 0259 472434 Geoagiu Bãi SEBEª E68 Geoagiu E81 Ohaba Lungã Dobra Apuseni Experience is a trademark of EcoTransilvania Ltd. Brãniºca Mureº Bara DEVA Bobîlna

Fãget E68 Simeria Orãºtie ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival and warm-up hall. The pothole is situated above the subterranean route of Cetatile Arrival at the airport. Group meets the guide and then will be Ponorului underground river, but the access is blocked by the ice. The transfered by car to Apuseni Mountains. Arrival at Cetatile Ponorului ice block is estimated to have about 30 000 m3 in volume, being the mountain cabin, check-in, rest and warm lunch. If time allows, we second largest in the country, after the one in Scarisoara Ice , also will start our first day in the mountains with a warm-up stroll to situated in Apuseni Nature Park. Caput Cave, for a first contact with karstic landscape. Return to the cabin. Rest and evening programme. Dinner and accommodation at We will now descend to Galbena Valley, which acts like a drainage the cabin. path for the majority of waters coming from Padis Karstic Plateau. Galbena karst spring resembles a lake of 7 m in diameter, situated at Day 2: Padis plain the base of a stone wall. Today we will take a day long (6-7 hours round tour) hike to the Padis Downstream, the water coming from the spring creates numerous karst plateau. On small waterfalls. On its way, the valley has formed narrow gorges our way we will pass though Glavoi (also known as La Grajduri) Glade throughout its length, with vertical walls and steep slopes and and the Balileasa Depression. with many waterfalls. The upstream sector is the most spectacular, Balileasa represents a long plain situated in the Western part of between Galbena Karst Spring and the confluence with Luncsoara Padis, non-forested and pierced by . The plain resembles a Valley, resulting in a narrow canyon with over 100 m vertical walls. valley with a wide floodplain, but without a water course flowing Caught in a narrow canyon, Galbena Valley creates grooves and through it. inaccessible swirl holes flowing down a 100 m dis-levelment on Glavoi (La Grajduri) is the main camping place in the Padis area, being approximately 700 m aerial distance. A cave entrance opens on the very close to the most important tourist attractions: Cetatile Ponorului valley where the water enters tumultuously. It’s the beginning of the (Ponor Fortresses), Focul Viu( Living Fire) , Piatra Galbenei. underground from Galbena Gorges, over 100 m long. On the other side, the tunnel ends in a beautiful 7 m high, fan-like waterfall Once arrived in Padis we will visit the Padis Visitor Centre of Apuseni which flows into a lake. An equipped tourist trail passes through Nature Park- a place where visitors will get information about Galbena Gorges, consisting of steel cables and support chains. and karst, flora and fauna of the area and the need for conservation of these natural features of the area. A self-guiding interpretive On our way back, we will return through the Flowers’ Glade.Located trail nearby the building, gives visitors the opportunity to discover on the slope which descends from below the Stone of Galbena to and better understand the karst formations in the area. The panels Galbena Valley, the Flowers’ Glade consists, in fact, of a group of displayed on the route will complete the information about the area. glades lying like isles on the beech sea. Fully deserving its name, Within the centre there is also a presentation room where multi- the Flowers’ Glade is Heaven on Earth in summer time: hundreds media projections or other presentations related to the Apuseni of many-coloured flowers decorate the sunny slopes delighting the Nature Park are be held. After enjoying our packed lunch, we will eye and the heart. The hay fields are very rich hereabouts and local return to Cetatile Ponorului cabin, on a different trail. people make hay twice a summer.

Day 3: Lost World Karst Plateau Day 6: Living Fire Ice Cave & The Barsa Pit On the first part of the day we will hike toLumea Pierduta (Lost World) Our first hiking tour today will be to Focul Viu (Living Fire) Ice Cave, karstic plateau (3-3,5 hours round trip).The plateau hides a huge Piatra Galbenei (Galbena Rock) panoramic viewpoint and Groapa de la underground network of active galleries, revealed at the surface by Barsa (The Barsa Pit), 6 hours round trip. vegetated sinkholes. Two of these are gateways to the underground The Focul Viu (Living Fire) Ice Cave cave contains the third largest through potholes with spectacular vertical walls, some of the most permanent underground fossil ice block in the country (all of them impressive of the Romanian karst patrimony. Here we will visit the situated in the Apuseni Nature Park), having a volume of approximately entrances in Avenul Negru (Black Pothole), Avenul Gemanata (Twinned 25.000 m3. It is a small cave, comprised of two halls, of which the first Pothole), Avenul Acoperit (Covered Pothole). is larger and shelters the ice block. Its ceiling is pierced by a large In the afternoon we will head on towards Poiana Ponor (Ponor Glade) window through which logs, leaves and snow from the outside fell on a 4 hours round trip.. On the way we will admire, from a height, into the cave in large quantities and accumulated in the center of the wonderful landscape (a polje) revealed by this glade and will visit the hall. Enough light penetrates through the window to reveal the Ponor karstic spring and the strainers. groups of ice stalagmites that formed on the opposite side of the Ponor Glade – a typical karst glade, is a closed depression surrounded cave entrance. Around noon, the sunlight enters directly through by partly afforested slopes. The glade, covered by tiny grass, climbs the ceiling window creating an amazing setting. the neighboring slopes to the adjacent catchments. The most Piatra Galbenei (Galbena Rock) is a rocky peak from where, on a clear remarkable feature of this glade is the way the waters are absorbed day, one can admire the southern part of Apuseni Mountains, including by the ground. The waters disappear in the waterbed through narrow their highest peak – Bihorul Peak (1848 m). holes, covered by sand called strainers. From here, we will return through Groapa de la Barsa (The Barsa Day 4: Cetatile Ponorului karst phenomena Pit). The trail will take us through an area that is renowned for This day is planned to be a relaxed one, and a lazy morning and a its wilderness in the Apuseni Mountains, with a wet climate which slow breakfast are just the perfect start for this. Today we will hike favoured the development of dense herbaceous vegetation resembling to Cetatile Ponorului (Ponorului Fortresses) karstic complex (4-4,5 hours a swamp. Nearby, the thick forest, the blueberry bushes, the blind round trip) valleys and the lack of sighting points transform the Barsa trail into Considered to be the most impressive karst phenomena in Eastern a true adventure. Europe this is worth to visit not just for the 3 gorgeous sinkholes There are a lot of extremely interesting karst phenomena, such as: and the surrounding wild forest but also because here is one of the a collapsed sink hole, now covered with grass, another one with a biodiversity hotspot of Apuseni Nature Park. natural bridge, Taul Negru (The Black Pond) – a lake with dark waters In the Southern part, the route climbs on the steep slope of a entrapped in a suspended and several caves. The largest of torrential valley towards 4 view points (two above Sinkhole III, and two them is Pestera Zapodie (Zapodie Cave system) including the Zapodie above Sinkhole II) which allows the contemplation of the impressive sector, which is very difficult and the Neagra sector which has a 4 karst system of the The Fortress of Ponor, from high above. km development and is also recommended only for experienced cavers. The two caves communicate through a siphon and thus the Day 5: Galbena Gorges Zapodie – Neagra cave system reaches a development of up to 12 km. This day is dedicated to the impressive Valea si Cheile Galbenei Another important cave is Ghetarul de la Barsa (Barsa Ice Cave). It has (Galbena Valley and Gorges), 8 hours round trip, moderate to difficult only a 3.010 m development and is part of the same underground hike. On our way to Galbena we will pass by the spectacular Avenul drainage system with the previous two, but a junction has not yet Bortig (Bortig Pothole) with its 35 m diameter entrance. At the basis been physically done. The entrance is accessible and has a block of of the vertical entrance (of -38 m deep), there is a large block of ice, its size varying throughout the year. permanent ice. The pothole has a total length of 150 m and a depth of 54 m obtained due to a short gallery which gives access to a large Day 7: Departure and farewell