Piatra Corbilor Circuit, Gilaului Mountains

Tarnița Dam DJ107D (500 m) - mountain rescue - landing stage beach III (520 m) - climbing branch (550 m) - Bârlogul Lupilor - Dobru - Strenț plateau (760 m) - Tunelul Dragostei - Piatra Corbilor branch (720 m) - Piatra Corbilor (700 m) - Piatra Corbilor branch (720 m) - Strenț peak (730 m) - Strenț - Strenț - medieval iron mines of Lucaci-Jilip (620 m) - Tarnița dam DJ107D (500 m)

Access

Piatra Corbilor Circuit starts/finishes at the free parking lot near the Tarnița dam (point 1 on the map), located downstream from the dam, on the DJ107P. From Cluj-Napoca it's 30 km and takes 45 minutes by car.

About hiking

Piatra Corbilor Circuit is a hiking trail in the Gilăului Mountains, a mountain group of the Apuseni Mountains in the Western Carpathians. Gila Mountains stretching to the Huedin Depression in the north, the Vlădeasa Mountains in the west, the Bătrâna Mountains in the south-west and the Iara-Hășdate Depression in the east. They consist of crystalline schist. The highest peak of the Gilăului Mountains is the Chicera Comării Peak, 1475 m above sea level.

Route map

(click on objectives for extended version)

Technical box

Difficulty: medium
Duration / distance: 3 hours with breaks / 4 km
Marking: yellow dot
Water sources: at the lifeguards
Minimum altitude: 500 meters above sea level at Tarnița Dam, point 2 on the map
Maximum altitude: 760 m, at Strenț Plateau, point 5 on the map
Level difference: +350 m / -350 m

Comments: well unmarked trail, with a superb viewpoint at Piatra Corbilor; accessible all year round, area frequented by bears

1. Tarnița Dam DJ107D (500 m) - lifeguard - landing stage beach III (520 m) - climbing branch (550 m)

30 minutes / 1.7 km / easy / yellow dot

As we leave the parking lot, we decide to walk first along the canopy Tarnița Dam to admire Lake Tarnițaupstream, and the Someșul Cald river, downstream, where we notice some beautiful bridges that we had driven over earlier. We read the route information posted at the left end of the dam and continue along the left bank of Lake Tarnița, past a barrier. We go along an unpaved car road which later turns into a forest road. We pass the Salvamont point and a little further on we take a few steps to go down to the landing stage at beach III. This stretch of road ends at a small viewpoint overlooking the lake, where there is a branch of 3 trails (point 4 on the map). We follow the yellow point, which will accompany us all the way.

Tarnița dam

Warm Someșul

Lake Tarnița

point Salvamont

port la lac

strange sign

here the climb begins

2. Climbing branch (550 m) - Bârlogul Lupilor - Dobru - Strenț plateau (760 m)

45 minutes / 0.7 km / medium / yellow dot

We carefully identify our route, which starts with a steep ascent, where there are support cables to help. We climb through the forest, the route is well marked, and we pass by Wolf's Den Rock, a prominent cliff that stands out to the right of the path, with a viewpoint overlooking Lake Tarnița, among the branches of the trees, and higher up, we pass right next to Avenul Dobru or Huda Tartars, a place marked with the yellow letters AD and with warning signs to prevent the risk of falling into the void. The climb eases down to Strenț Ridge, in Poiana Strenț, at the highest point of our circuit. Here we meet a wide unmarked path coming from the left. We take a rest stop after the rather demanding climb, next to several molehills. We are at point 5 on the map.

the ascent begins

we climb through the forest

Wolves' Den

Dobru avenue

we arrived on the set

3. Strenț Plateau (760 m) - Dragostei Tunnel - Piatra Corbilor branch (720 m) - Piatra Corbilor (700 m)

10 minutes / 0.4 km / easy / yellow dot

We change direction to the right and continue on the ridge, on the yellow dot. We cross Tunnel of LoveWe go through a natural tunnel between the trees and in 10 minutes we are at the well marked place with arrows, from where we have to descend for 2 minutes to the main objective of the hike, Piatra Corbilor.

Poiana Strenț

Strenț plateau

Tunnel of Love

the right direction

Piatra Corbilor

4. Piatra Corbilor (700 mdm)

Piatra Corbilor is also called Dan's Stone. It is a superb vantage point over Lake Tarnița, where the right bank of the lake looks like an island, although it is not.

Name Piatra Corbilor comes from the interwar period. A species of raven once lived in this area. More recently this place has also been known as Dan's Stone thanks to a photographer from Cluj who baptized it this way and promoted it on social media.

view from Piatra Corbilor

group on Piatra Corbilor

Strenț plateau

5. Piatra Corbilor (700 m) - Piatra Corbilor branch (720 m) - Strenț peak (730 m) - Strenț avenue - Lucaci's medieval iron mines (620 m) - Tarnița dam DJ107D (500 m)

45 minutes / 1.1 km / medium / yellow dot

We return to the summit point in a few minutes and take lunch break. We then continue right on the same yellow dot marker on Strenț ridge, over the Strenț summit. A demanding descent follows, passing Strenț avenue, also well signposted to be identified, but especially to avoid the danger of falling. Below the aven, we can visit Lucaci's medieval iron mines, if we have a flashlight and obviously on our own. Between the trees you can see the lake Someșul Cald. The last few meters of the descent are also the most challenging, several ropes and chains installed to make the last passage safe. The descent ends at the road, a few meters below the parking lot.

the branch off the Corbilor Stone

Lake Someșul Cald

Strenț peak

the descent begins!

Avenul Strenț

former iron mine

down

Conclusion

Piatra Corbilor Circuit is a pleasant route, generally easy, with a bit more effort on the first part of the ascent and the descent. Photographing Lake Tarnița from Piatra Corbilor is a must, it is the defining image of this route.

All the best!

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