Vârghișului Gorges and Tatar Cave, Perșani Mountains

1. Visitor center / exit Vârghișului Gorges (570 m) - branch Grota Tătarilor (630 m)

1.7 km / 30 minutes / easy / blue cross

This section of the route was also described in the previous article about Vârghișului Gorges. Follow the Vârghiș river valley upstream, passing through the Sub Piatră clearing, where there is a very hospitable mountain refuge. Cross bridge 1 and follow the valley. Before bridge 2 there is a ford through the water for those who want to try the cold sensations. Return to the right bank at a place called Pensinsula, where there are toilets. On the bank opposite the quay path are Szechenyi Rock, Csudalo Stone and Orbán Balázs Cave or Big Cave of Merești, which we will visit later and which can be seen very well and to which a new bridge has been built, a short cut. On our bank is Spelaeus Hotel Cave. 100 meters before Șura Cailor Cavewhich is in the path marked at the so-called pod 3, now actually the 4th thanks to the new bridge at the big cave, is the branch that many seek and only some find. The landmark is a steep trail that climbs to the left.

2. RTatar Grotto (630 m) - Csala's Tower (690 m) - Tatar Grotto (650 m) - branch-off Cave of the Tatars (630 m)

0.6 km / 50 minutes / hard / unmarked

This is the most fun, but also really challenging part of our route. It climbs steeply up a sometimes unclear trail. On this section you need mountain shoes with grippy soles. The trail is not only steep but also slippery with small pebbles. In places you have to use your hands, holding on to roots, branches or hugging tree trunks. You reach the ridge where Csala's Tower is a superb vantage point overlooking the Chielor, the Big Cave of Merești on the opposite bank. Caution for those with altitude sickness. A Szekler flag flies at the top. The descent is even riskier. In the area where the slope eases a little, but not all the way, you can hardly see a path to the left as you descend or to the right for those climbing up. This leads to Tatar Cave or Tatarlik. The Tartars' Grotto is positioned just above Șura Cailor Cave. This one is deoesbit spectacular because of its human head shape with two eyes and a nose. The cave has 2 wide, short and parallel galleries, which have to be crossed to reach the spectacular view described above. And from here is another beautiful view of the keys. We then descend steeply, back down into Key Pathto the marked route, to the branch from where we deviated.

3. Link Cave of the Tatars (630 m) - Șura Cailor Cave (640 m)

0.1 km / 10 minutes / easy / blue cross

Once back in Key Pathwe continue upstream and immediately reach the Șura Cailor Cave. It's also called cave no. 8 or Lőcsűr Cave. We climb a small ladder to enter the cave. We light the flashlights and enter the cave. It is a dry, horizontal cave into which we go about a hundred meters, maybe more. At one point it has a branch off to the right, in fact a sort of S that you can still walk on, be careful on the way back though to recognize the trail. I didn't notice any stalactite formations, but I did see some crystal-like insertions in the cave limestone. We are at point 9 on the map.

4. Șura Cailor Cave (640 m) - Orbán Balázs Cave (650 m)

0.2 km / 30 minutes / easy, medium (climb the staircase from the Big Cave) / blue cross and yellow stripe

We cross the so-called 3rd bridge, which has since become the 4th bridge, and return to the other bank a few hundred meters downstream. The yellow stripe marking also appears on this road. From the path you can see Csala's Towerunder the Cave of the Tatars and under it Șura Cailor Cave. We reach the bottom of the staircase that leads up to Cave Orbán Balázs. A sign on the path informs us about the bats that live in the cave. Orbán Balázs Cave is also called Big Cave of Merești or Cave 14.

Until the discovery of the Tausoare Cave in the Rodna Mountains was considered the longest cave in Eastern Carpathians, measuring about 1.4 km. We are somewhat in the central area of Vârghișului Gorges. Orban Balazs fishery is of great speleological importance. It consists of two main halls: Great Hall yes Fekete Istvan Hall. Fekete was the speleologist who, in 1835, mapped the cave in such detail that his maps are still valid and used today. The value of the cave is given by the discoveries made, namely fossils of prehistoric man and ursus spelaeus, but also by its population with numerous species of bats, somewhere at the entrance there is a warning in this regard, so a room is closed for this reason.

The cave is quite visited, even if it is not equipped (except for the metal stairs) and not electrified. You can go in quite easily, without too many obstacles, if you have good flashlights. The bumps of the cave are first of all very high. The cave is concreted, but does not show remarkable formations of stalactites, stalagmites and columns. It is dry. The walls contain fragments of gemstones. The cave has 5 entrances.

5. Orbán Balázs Cave (650 m) - further branch to Cheile Vârghișului (630 m) - big bridge - other bridges - confluence with Poiana Pietrii stream - entrance to Cheile Vârghișului / Canton Țiglărie (620 m)

2.3 km / 60 minutes / easy / blue cross

The marker to follow upstream, either on one bank of the river or the other, is a blue cross. For the first 300 meters to the branch up the ridge on the right, route described here, the yellow band accompanies us. After the branching follows the big bridge, suspended above the gorge, the only one not crossing the river. On both sides of the gorge there are many caves. On the right bank top spring yes the large ponor. The path crosses the Poiana Pietrii stream, possible water supply. In total there are 10 bridges if I am not mistaken. The bridges have some sway when crossing, so they are recommended to be crossed individually. At the entrance to the gorge (in the direction of the Vârghiș flow) there is a wide glade, generous for a rest in the green grass. The path leads to a forest road in the Tiles Canton.

6. Tiles Canton (620 m) - Tatar Chapel (750 m)

2.7 km / 60 minutes / easy / yellow lane, partly unmarked

The return was to go uphill. In doing so we followed the left flank of the gorge, on the yellow stripe marking, which at the beginning of the trail is clear. A cart track climbs slowly and pleasantly through flower-filled meadows. There are several branches off to the left. On one of these, even though it is unmarked, we have to leave the yellow lane if we want to pass through the point called Tatar Chapel. The Tatar Chapel is a ruin, with only part of the walls still standing. It is surrounded by horns and overgrown with vegetation. On the level line from here we have a view to the right towards Vârghișului Gorges. Somewhere, also on the right, there is a lookout point set on a rocky piedmont. from one of these you should also be able to see the refuge in the glen below where we climbed last time.

7. Tatar Chapel (750 m) - Șura de Piatră Path - Șura de Piatră Cave (600 m) - - Visitor center / exit Vârghișului Gorges (570 m)

2.6 km / 60 minutes / easy / red dot

Near Tatar Chapel we'll find signposts and a red dot trail. This follows Trail of the Wolves, continuing past a lookout point ahead on Path Șura de Piatră. The Poteca Lupilor, goes down the unmarked shortcut, but the trail is hardly visible and quite steep. We follow the Șura de Piatră path, which is very well marked. On the segment that starts to descend more and more there is another unmarked branch that reaches the Șura Cailor Cave, in a few minutes and rejoins the Wolf Trail. On the spur of the moment we find ourselves near bridge 1, where our loop route properly began. We continue through the glen to the parking lot, after which we also stop for an exchange of information at the lifeguard station.