Ponorului Fortresses, Apuseni Mountains

1. Glăvoi Mountain Rescue (1.090 mdm) - Poiana Ponor - Izbucul Ponor (1.100 mdm)

distance 1.7 km / duration 30-45 minutes / easy / unmarked, blue dot

Just in front of the Salvamont Glăvoi point, a wide path runs through the meadow, like a wide corridor of the surrounding forest. After 15 minutes we arrive in Poiana Ponor, where we meet the trails marked yellow and blue dot. We follow them to the left, upstream along the Ponor Valley to the Izbucul Ponor, a place where the water of the stream emerges with great flow from under the cliff after traveling an underground path. Fascinating. A place to admire and photograph.

2. Izbucul Ponor (1.100 m) - Poiana Ponor - Ponoare (1.070 m)

distance 0,8 km / duration 15-30 minutes / easy / blue dot

We return to Poiana Ponor on the same road admiring the stream until it disappears again! Yes, it simply disappears in the so-called "ponoare", which are nothing more than a couple of sorbages located at the opposite end of the meadow, at the edge of the forest. Stop and photos.

3. Ponoare (1.070 mdm) - Fortress Valley „La Băncuțe” - Dolina 1 (1.010 mdm)

distance 1,2 km / duration 30-60 minutes / hard / blue dot

We enter the forest. We climb a little and then descend a little. In 20 minutes we're in the Valley of the Citadel, at the point called „La Băncuțe”. There's no stream running on the surface, but that's what it's called. After a short stop we continue on the blue point marker, which soon leaves the yellow point to the left, which leads into the Cheile Galbenei. We descend steeper and steeper. We enter the Dolina 1 of the Ponor Fortress. The huge portal of the cave of the Ponorului Fortresses appears in our field of vision, which we will have to approach. The last part of the descent is steep and slippery. It's hard to say whether it's better to use the safety chains next to the cliff or to descend on all fours on the main path. We stop at the main cave entrance and enjoy the vastness and realize how small we sound.

4. Dolina 1 (1.010 mdm) - Ponorului Fortress Cave - Dolina 3 (1.070 mdm)

distance 0,5 km / duration 30-60 minutes / hard / blue dot

Seems strange. Half a kilometer in an hour! It'd be a shame not to make the most of this section of trail. First you stand mute in front of the limestone portal of the main entrance to the Cave of the Ponorului Fortresses. You can walk down the path to the actual entrance through the large 70-meter high portal. The main gallery of the cave measures 2 km in length and is active and very spectacular, with a strong river flowing through it, with a few small jumps. Doline 1 is 300 meters deep and 1 km in diameter.

We follow the marked path, which avoids the cave, climbs some metal stairs, and enters Dolina 3, then crosses a stable gully and reaches the secondary entrance to the Cave of the Ponorului Fortresses. Right next to it this time. Here we read that crossing the cave is forbidden to tourists.

To get out of Dolina 3, especially since the rain has started, we have to climb up a steep and slippery rocky passage, where we can help ourselves with safety chains. The climb ends at the ridge where we meet the yellow point marker again. Break.

5. Dolina 3 (1.070 mdm) - lookout points - Citadel Valley - Glăvoi Mountain Rescue (1.090 mdm)

distance 2,5 km / duration 45-60 minutes / easy / blue dot

The path now winds through the forest on the edge above the cliff, through the forest. If earlier we were at the bottom of the cliff, now we are on the lip. We pass 4 lookout points, from where we admire the huge karst phenomenon of the Ponor Fortresses from above. The viewpoints used to have wooden balconies, today they are a memory. This segment is worth several breaks to photograph the beautiful scenery.

The trail then heads up into the Valley of the Fortress, and the last 700 meters of the trail are along the paved carriage road in the Valley of the Fortress. We end the superb walk and exploration at the Glăvoi Mountain Rescue Point, next to the ingenious library in Poiana Glăvoi.