Pietrosul Călimanilor, Călimani Mountains

1. Poiana Bradul Ciont (1.725 m) – Salvamont – Șaua Rățițiș (1.869) – Vârful și Cabana Meteo Rățițiș (2.021 m)

1.5 hours / 4 km / easy / unmarked, then red dot

We parked in Poiana Bradul Ciont, a place with a spring, suitable for camping. Here I read the explanatory panel with the map. We entered the Lake Iezer Natural Park. We look towards the peak in the foreground that we have to climb. We continue on the Trans Călimani road, on which we came. We pass by the Salvamont Refuge, which was closed. We gain altitude in wide serpentines. Marked paths branch off on both sides of the road. At some point, the red dot marking begins to accompany us. We reach the ridge, in Saua Rătițiș, from where we can see to the left the main objective of our route, Vârful Pietrosul Călimanilor but also Negoiu Românesc, Negoiu Unguresc and Vârful Rătiţiș. We leave the road on the left, to follow the marked path through the juniper, then through the alpine gap. In Vârful Rătițiş we enjoy the view once more and make a stop, talking with a meteorologist from the Meteo Hut Rătițiş, who gave us useful information.

2. Vârful și Cabana Meteo Rățițiș (2.021 m) – Șaua Nicovala (1.910 m)

30 minutes / 1.5 km / easy / red lane

We descend the path along a dense row of metal poles set up for orientation in foggy weather. We meet the road again for a short time, but continue on the marked path, which quickly leads us to the intersection in Șaua Nicovala, where a marked path leads to the right in Gura Haitii. On this sector of the road I saw the Via Maria Theresia marker, a route arranged by Tășuleasa Social, just like Via Transilvanica. The indicator in the saddle mentions that we still have 2 hours to reach Pietrosul Călimanilor Peak.

3. Șaua Nicovala (1.910 m) – Șaua Negoiu (1.705 m)

30 minutes / 2 km / easy / red stripe

In front of us rises Vârful Pietricel, which we will bypass. We keep the direction, still going down. We have to go through the juniper once more. We go out into the road, where we meet head-on a herd of sheep and goats. We follow the road for a bit until the marked path turns slightly to the left. We have the visual spectrum of Vârful Negoiu Românesc, a mountain ecologically mutilated by a former sulfur mine. Saua Negoiu is another crossroads, but mainly a stopping place with a good spring located 200 meters below, to the left of the path marked with a blue cross. We fill up with water, hydrate, rest because the challenge of the day is coming, the climb to Vârful Negoiu Unguresc. The indicator in the saddle still shows 1.5 hours to the maximum altitude that we are also aiming for.

4. Șaua Negoiu (1.705 m) – Vârful Negoiu Unguresc (2.081 m)

1 hour / 1.5 km / hard / red tape

We see other tourists climbing before us and we get an idea of ​​what awaits us. The path goes through the junipers so we benefit from the shade but also from light scratches from them. About halfway up the climb we enter an exposed area. The slope increases, we climb carefully on stone slabs. The effort will be fully rewarded in Vârful Negoiu Unguresc. At the top there is a metal cross on which a Romanian tricolor hangs. We look at the Negoiul Românesc as equals. In the distance, even the chain of the Făgăraș Mountains can be guessed, but we will do a complete horizon tour on Pietrosul Călimanilor Peak, which already seems closer, and it really is. A little after the summit, to the left of the ridge, in the shelter, I took the main meal break.

5. Negoiu Unguresc Peak (2,081 m) – Pietrosul Călimanilor Peak (2,100 m)

30 – 45 minutes / 2 km / medium / red band

The route between Vârful Negoiu Unguresc and Pietrosul Călimanilor is almost flat and can be walked freely, with the exception of the final climb to the peak itself, which is done on large blocks of granite and requires caution, without being dangerous. We reached Pietrosul Călimanilor Peak, at an altitude of 2,100 m, at the highest point of the Călimani Mountains. We will take a well-deserved break again.

The surprise offered by this peak is the 360 ​​panorama that opens up, which is one of the most comprehensive that I have encountered in Romania. From this point we identify with the help of the Peak Finder application almost all the mountainous massifs of the Romanian Carpathians, starting from the north clockwise: Rodnei Mountains with Pietrosul Rodnei, Obcinele Bucovinei, Rarău Giumalău Mountains, Bistriței Mountains, Ceahlău Mountains, Hășmaș Mountains, Nemira Mountains, Vrancei Mountains, Ciucaș Mountains, Neamțului Mountains, Bucegi Mountains with Omu Peak, Piatra Craiului Mountains, Iezer Păpușa Mountains, Făgăraș Mountains with Dara Peak, Moldoveanu Peak and Negoiu Peak, Buila Vânturarița Mountains, Cindrel Mountains, Șureanu Mountains, Parâng Mountains with Peleaga Peak, Piatra Seciului, Bihor Vlădeasa Mountains, Poiana Ruscă Mountains. In the close-up we mark the peaks of the Călimani Mountains: Negoiu Unguresc, Negoiu Românesc, Rățitiș, Călimanul Cerbului, Iezerul Călimanului. Dreamlike! In spite of a clear day, thanks to the humidity in the atmosphere, I guessed more peaks than I saw clearly. You can watch a complete skyline tour on the following link https://youtu.be/v2Dgs03w_0U?list=PLlH9tlgCODG8Bl-3vzuVTpUAIunWRLMmr.

6. Vârful Pietrosul Călimanilor (2.100 m) – retur Poiana Bradul Ciont (1.725 m)

4 – 5 hours / 9 – 10 km / hard / red lane, then blue lane

On the way back we will follow the same route until before Vârful Rățitiș. The descent from Negoiu Unguresc was at least as difficult as the ascent, but great care was needed to avoid falls in the sector of descent on the rock. I didn’t climb the Rătîtisș Peak and followed the alpine road before it, which goes along the curve, below the weather hut. We wanted to go down the unmarked shortcut to Lake Iezer, but we entered the juniper forest on a rather imaginary path. After messing around a bit with the map in hand, we decided to get back on the road and go down the first marked path. This is marked with blue tape and descends on a well-marked path even if it also partially crosses an area of ​​juniper. I could already see the car parked in the clearing. We arrived exhausted in Poiana Bradul Ciont.

7. Poiana Bradul Ciont (1.725 m) – Lacul Iezer (1.740 m) – Poiana Bradul Ciont (1.725 m)

15 minutes / 1 km / easy / blue cross

I crossed the clearing with benches, passed the spring and followed 0.5 km of an almost level road marked with a blue cross to Lake Iezer. Lake Iezer is a natural dam lake, next to which there is a spring and which can be surrounded by the path. The return to the clearing I did on the same route.