Responsible Travel in Romania ALPINE TOURING SKI IN APUSENI MOUNTAINS The price includes: The price does not include: personal drinks and from PADIS KARSTIC PLATEAU to CASA DE PIATRA HAMLET • transportation by car to and from Garda refreshments, insurance, souvenirs, other personal de Sus village and transfer by horse-drawn costs. sleigh/car to Ghetar hamlet and from Casa de Piatra hamlet Note: • 3 meals per day (starting with lunch on We are always open to our customer’s demands and needs. arrival day and ending with breakfast on Therefore, the itinerary described above can be adjusted departure day) accordingly in what regards the period and the activities • accommodation 7 nights in 2 stars rated included. Please contact us for more details. mountain cabin and guesthouse • guidance and all expenses related with the Contact persons: guide Mihai (Mike) Olenici / Mobile: +4 0747 962 482 • costs related to trip preparation Paul Iacobas / Mobile: +4 0745 602 301 E: [email protected] Apuseni Experience Responsible Travel Programme Lacul Crasna ZALÃU E60 Poiana Halmãºd Florilor Bãlan ªinteu Crasna Furta Biharkeresztes Borº he sound of frozen snow under your skis and Trip details: Valcãu de Jos T Românaºi Darvas ORADEA Bãniºor Ineu B cãuar your harsh breath are the only things that take Lugaºu Repede Hilda ºu de Jos Agrij ri Aleºd Sîntandrei C Tileagd Sig Cizer Köröszegapáti Panticeu Oºorhei E60 Szeghalom Bucium Sãcãdat Aºtileu Auºeu your attention away from the glorious sunny Start/end: Oradea or Cluj-Napoca A almº Sînmartin P. Igriþa Nojorid Bãile Topa de Criº Bãile 1 Mai Mãgeºti Iclod Felix Copãcel Borod Zimbor day. You stop for a while and hold your breath, Trip length: 8 days/ 7 nights Piatra Craiului Aºchileu Leº Osoiu Vadu Criºului Vultureni Hidiºelu Vîrciorog 624 E671 de Sus Cuzãplac ªuncuiuº Ciucea E81 the scenery is stunning and silence seems to Tãºad P. Vîntului Activity level: moderate Vésztö Cefa E79 Bratca Almaºu P. Ungurului Bulz Poieni Okány Drãgeºti Tomnatic Fildu de Jos E576 Vida P. Lesiana Zece P. Moanei be the queen of the day. In early mornings, if Valea Group size: min. 2 – max. 10 Lãzãreni Hotare Drãganului Criºu Repede Aghireºu Jucu Ceica Chinteni Lacul Huedin Sînpaul Vida Dobreºti Drãgan Izvorul th th th Runcuri Criºului Iad Remeþi you’re lucky enough, you can hear a capercaille Availability 2018: January 13 ; 27 ; February 10 ; Mãdãraº Husasãu Someºu Mic de Tinca Motel Leºu Sîncraiu Sãcuieu E60 Apahida th rd H u n g a r y Salonta Topa Roºia Holod Lacul Baciu CLUJ-NAPOCA Pomezeu Leºu male calling for a female. Even in this frozen 24 ; March 3 . Tulca Sîmbãta Cabana Vlãdeasa P. Meziad Lacul Cãpuºu Tinca Drãganu Vlãdeasa Cãlãþele Sarkad Cociuba Mare Cabana Ardeleana Doboz Meziad 1836 landscape, life follows its natural way. Enjoy Price: from 1030 euros/person Rãbãgani Remetea Mãrgãu Riºca Lacul Gilãu Ciumeghiu Cãpîlna Gilãu Meziad Lacul Floreºti Tarniþa Feleacu Batãr Rãchiþele Stîna de Vale Butea Someºu Cald a holiday of alpine touring ski on the wide Urviº Beyond alpine touring ski: wild life tracking, Ne ugr Budureasa 1792 Aiton Olcea Criºu Beiuº Prislop Beliº Sãvãdisla Ciurila Avram Iancu ªoimi E60 Lacul Fîntînele GYULA E81 P. Onceasa Casa Piatra Altarului plateaus and deep forests of Apuseni Mountains, nature photography, mountain culture Valea Ierii Apateu Finiº Drãgãneºti So meº u C al d Mãguri- Zerind P. Cetatea Criº Rãdesei Rãcãtãu u t s ieP ro Tureni Sudrigiu P. ªura Boghii Padiº where animal tracks might be the only signs of Lazuri Pietroasa Sat de vacanþã Boga Miºca TURDA de Beiuº Rieni 2 Poiana Horea Salina Turda Petreºtii P. Focul Viu Bãtrîna Bãiºoara ar ºSti 3 rIaa naGalbe Glãvoi oSme u Receº de Jos Chiºcãu 1579 P. Cetãþile Iara Cermei Cheile Turzii movement and life. In the evenings, warm your Ponorului Cheia P. Urºilor Groapa 1 5 Chiºineu- Pleºul ªtei Ruginoasã 4 P. Vîrtop Ch. Galbenei Muntele Elek Cîmpani P. Mãgura P. Coiba Casa de Piatra 1112 Cheile Runcului Criº Vîrtop Mare Cacovei Grãniceri Sintea Mare Lunca Socodor Sighiºtel 4 Buru 1160 Gîrda Sea ã Ocoale Horea 6 hands above the fire and your soul over a glass P. Fînaþe Beliu Nucet P. Scãriºoara Muntele Mare Albac Cheile Pociovaliºtei P. Poarta luii Ioanele 1826 Vaºcãu c Runc Moneasa Arieºeni Casa Speo Scãriºoara rieAº 1 Cãrand Cãrpinet of ‘crampa’ (boiled plum brandy), along with P. Liliecilor r eºuAi Bihor Gîrda de Sus Albac Rimetea Criºu Negru Mare ªicula 1849 ªimand Criºtioru Ineu Bocsig de Jos a traditional meal, in the Apuseni Experience Vadu Moþilor P. Huda lui Paparã Dezna Ar e uMici º Sãlciua Baia de Seleuº Vidra E671 Sebiº Arieº Mirãslãu Bîrsa Poiana style. Sîntana Gãina Lupºa Avram Iancu Cîmpeni Aiudului 1486 Sohodol Curtici Poieniþa Ponor Pîncota Buteni 1437 Rîmeþ riºuAC lb Pleºcuþa Roºia Montanã Cheile Rîmeþilor Vîrfurile Bulzeºtii de Sus AIUD Chiºindia Almaº Hãlmagiu Abrud Zimandu Nou Abrud Bucium ªiria Gurahonþ Mogoº Mureº Criºu Alb Întregalde Galda E81 Sãlaºul de la Rãscruce Teiuº Cricãu Vaþa de Jos Þebea Buceº ARAD Galda de Jos Vladimirescu Ghioroc E68 Mihalþ Ighiu Bucureºci P. Liliecilor Roºia Nouã Brad Pãuliº Zlatna Conop Bîrzava Criºcior Meteº oAmpi E79 Lipova Almaºu Mare Valea Frumoasã ALBA IULIA Hanul Cerbu Vãliºoara Petriº Bãiþa Geoagiu Balºa Sãvîrºin Vinga Bata E68 Vorþa Zam Sebeº Maºloc www.apuseniexperience.ro [email protected] Mada Vinþu Mureº de Jos Lunca Certeju de Sus Birchiº Gurasada ªibot Oradea 410068 -Romania, 1 Decembrie Square 4-6, room 8 Tel./fax: +4 0359 410556 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 Day 4: Lost World Karstic Plateau Transfer to Padis area - arrival at Cetatile Ponorului Cabin and check- Breakfast at Cetatile Ponorului mountain cabin. in. A warm drink [and a warm meal] and a good rest will prepare us Then we will put on our skis and start skiing to Lumea Pierduta/Lost for our first ski tour in the area. World Karstic Plateau. Called by this name because of its past wilderness, the Lost World is If we will have enough time end energy, we will take a 3-4 hours a forested karst plateau, enclosed by two streams, the Bear and the (round trip) tour through Poiana Ponor/Ponor Glade to Izbucul Ponor/ Sec streams and the Gardisoara Peak. From the hydrological point Ponor Karstic Spring. of view, the two valleys that emerge here unite downstream and Ponor Glade – a typical karst glade is a closed depression surrounded delineate an isolated plateau. The Lost World plateau hides a huge by partly afforested slopes. The glade, covered by tiny grass, climbs underground network of active galleries, revealed at the surface by the neighboring slopes to the adjacent catchments. The most vegetated sinkholes. Two of these are gateways to the underground remarkable feature of this glade is the way the waters are absorbed through potholes with spectacular vertical walls, some of the most by the ground. The waters disappear in the waterbed through impressive of the Romanian karst patrimony. This hiking tour will narrow holes, covered by sand called strainers. take about 4-5 hours (round trip). Packed lunch on the way. Time: about 5-5 hours. If we are too tired and feel we had enough traveling for today, then we can just take a short walk around the cabin or simply have a good Day 5: Casa de Piatra hamlet rest and prepare for the next day. Today we will leave Padis area and head on towards Casa de Piatra hamlet. Day 2: Cetatile Ponorului karstic system Casa de Piatra hamlet is an isolated and picturesque settlement with Breakfast at Cetatile Ponorului mountain cabin, preparing the a romantic name given by the place – a large glade surrounded by equipment,your body and soul for the next trip: Cetatile Ponorului/ spectacular white stone walls. It is said that the whole settlement is Ponorului Fortresses karstic system. actually a stone house. It is a small mountain community of 16 families for whom Considered to be the most impressive karst phenomena in Eastern electricity became an everyday commodity only 5 years ago! Here Europe this is worth to visit not just for the 3 gorgeous sinkholes and you will discover an archaic architecture - most of the houses are the surrounding wild forest but also because now, in winter, when wooden made many decades ago, with high fir-tree roofs and raised everything is covered by snow, we will have the chance to see tracks in a traditional style. left by the wild animals living in the area: wolves, chamois, foxes, We will be hosted here at a local guesthouse owned by a family of martens. Motzi. Our time here will be a good opportunity to learn about Packed lunch on the way. the lifestyle these mountain people have, to hear their stories and The system is made up of three large stone circles, situated in a huge listen to their tales. 300 m deep forested depression while its upper diameter surpassing 1 km. The surrounding slopes that encircle the depression are cut Lunch, a warm drink and a good rest will prepare us for only in a single spot, by the Cetati valley canyon. The 150 m Western discovering the area on skis. And we will start with Coiba Mare and side stone wall of Sinkhole I is perforated by an over 70 m cave portal, Coiba Mica Caves (20’-30’ on skis from the guesthouse). in which Cetati valley flows. The giant portal suggests a gothic ogive that became a symbol for The impressive entrance of the cave is 74 m large and 47 m high.