Tisita Gorges, Vrancea Mountains

1. Entrance to the Cheile Tișiței Reservation – Confluence of Tișița Mică and Tișița Mare

6 km / 2 hours / average

From Gura Tișiței, i.e. the place where the Tișiţa River flows into the Putna River, proceed carefully by car for another 1 kilometer to the entrance to the Cheile Tișiței Reserve. Here you can park for free and pay the park entrance fee, but we didn’t meet anyone to pay them.

From the beginning, the route enters the Tisita Gorge. On one side and the other of the course of the Tișita river, with clear water, rise rock walls, some high and steep. On the right we pass the rock called Altarul Tisiței. The route even has some kilometer markers. Once upon a time, a road and even a railway passed here. Wide bridges with stone parapets, partially destroyed by floods, are proof. From time to time the path descends steeply into the riverbed or rises higher due to road breaks caused by floods. Our route crosses a wooded, stony area, which must be walked carefully next to the cracks mentioned.

On the left side, in a clearing with tall plants, the Tisaru Forestry Canton (La Pândar) remains. The Tisita gorges become more and more spectacular the more smoothly we climb upstream. After less than 2 hours, we reach the confluence of Tișita Mare and Tișita Mică, the point from which the united courses of the rivers bear the name Tișita.

2. The Confluence of the Big Tisita (Mare) and the Little Tisita (Mică) – Arches – Great Tunnel (Tunelul Mare)

1 km / 0.5 hours / easy

From the confluence, the marking directs us to the right bank of Tisita Mică. The scenery of the quays is preserved. Studying the map, I saw that upstream of the confluence on Tișita Mare there is a waterfall, probably an obstacle that we thus avoid by crossing at the same time a spectacular sector of the road, overlooking the high and steep hills on the left bank, where they can be seen black goats.

Although we travel only 1 kilometer on Little Tișita, we pass through 2 stone arches and after a short time we arrive at the entrance to an amazing tunnel, where there is also a large and clear sign warning about the difficulty of continuing the route through the tunnel, but especially of the 5 water crossings and the steep climbs that will follow, of the wild area, the natural environment of bears, lynxes, wolves, the absence of a telephone signal and the distance from populated localities.

3. The Large Tunnel (Tunelul Mare) – Campsite on Tișita Aurie (Mare)

2 km / 1 hour / difficult

We enter the large tunnel that measures 300 meters long. This can be muddy or partially flooded, we found it in ideal condition to cross. In the tunnel we identified remains of railway sleepers, which once again certify the existence of old roads built here since the time of the Austrians.

On the other side of the tunnel we find Tișita Mare. The descent into the river bed is short but steep and requires attention, like all river crossings that await. It got dark, which makes our expedition even more adventurous. At some crossings we stepped from stone to stone, at others we built improvised crossing places, but we also opted for crossing barefoot through the water. The Great Tișița (Mare) Valley is now also called the Golden Tișiţa (Aurie) Valley. The gorges are getting wilder. After the fourth crossing of the Tisita Mare by water, a steep climb begins on the left bank, through the forest, on a slippery ground with pebbles, earth, tree roots and pine needles, by the light of the flashlight, making sounds or whistling not to meet the bear . It climbs up to a promontory on the left of the path, from where we descend steeply, but in a few serpentines in the bed of a stream, which we easily cross, to enter a flat meadow on the left bank of the Tisita Aurie. This climb and descent was again due to deviating our route to avoid another waterfall area.

It’s dark, the sky is starry, this will be our wilderness campsite. Here there are only the bears and us 3: Petra, Bogdan and me. Good night! Sweet dreams with bears!

4. Camping, breakfast at the hot stone and bath in the jacuzzi

The next morning we had big plans, but Bogdan, the tour organizer, had 2 surprises ahead of him.

At breakfast we will light a campfire, which must be well protected with stones from the river, and which we light with wood and dry fir needles. Into the hot embers I placed flat stones from the river on which I spread the steaks which immediately began to sizzle. I sprinkled them with chives picked from the meadow and picked and ate wild strawberries.

The second surprise happened 100 meters from the campsite downstream, where Tișita Mare formed several waterfalls, in small steps, on rocky ground, forming some shallow natural pools. I bathed in this natural jacuzzi! Show and treat!

5. Campsite on Tișița Aurie (Mare) – Exit Cheile Tișiţa Reservation

9 km / 4 hours / difficult

A little upstream from the campsite is the confluence with the Cristianu Mic stream, on which you can climb very steeply in Creasta Cristianului and in Saua Geamăna, on the same red triangle marking, then on the unmarked towards Vârful Coza and on the red band in Golul Coza for a 360 panorama. Time required 4 hours, difficult route with big difference in level. This was our original plan, which we changed on the spot by making a one-for-all, all-for-one decision.

In the afternoon we went towards the exit of the Cheile Tișiței Natural Park, on the same route we had come, but with natural light on the spectacular section of road traveled the day before by the light of flashlights. Hard climb, steep descent, 4 impromptu river crossings, the big tunnel, the arches, the confluence and the oh so beautiful Tisita Gorges. Because we had to advance slowly, with difficulty, the darkness caught us again towards the end of the trail. Thank you Bogdan for helping me discover this paradise!