Trekking through Ceahlău Massif

Ceahlău Massif 

After spending 4 months away from my beloved romanian mountains I am now prepared and able to go to on a much dreamed and needed mountain adventure with my family. 

The mountain we are about to explore is called Ceahlău. For me, this is my second hiking excursion in these mountains because last summer I was going in the same mountains with some of my closest friends. 

Where is Ceahlău situated? 

Ceahlău Massif is a part of Bistrița Mountains which are located in the Eastern Carpathiens division, more precisly in Neamț, a county of the Moldavia region. 

We leave by car from Prahova county, which is further south, in the area of Muntenia and arrive at Izvorul Muntelui in about 6 hours. Speaking of Izvorul Muntelui, it is important to know that there are two main access points into the mountain:

• in the south there is the village Izvorul Muntelui 

• in the north there is the resort Durău 

If you are coming from Bucharest the road until here can take more then 7 hours by car because due to the lack of highways in this part of Romania you can only drive on national and county roads. 

However, I think that an advantage in this situation is represented by the wonderful landscapes you can admire from the window car: on the left and on the right there are dozens of smaller or larger hills covered by mixed or coniferous forests. Also, the roads pass through many villages so that you can admire the various old, specific architecture of the houses, as well as the way people live, order and care for their orchards, gardens, yards and animals. 

The necessary mountain equipment

We arrive at Izvorul Muntelui at about 11 o'clock. We stop a little at the Izvorul Muntelui Chalet where we drink something cold to come back after the long road.

We return to the car to equip ourselves for the climb we are going to do. 

On a mountain, the right equipment can make the difference between a hiking done in the safest conditions, and another that can face you with various dangers. 

So my mountain equipment for two days of hiking with a sleeping night in the cabin contains the following:

• boots
• sportswear ( leggings, t-shirt, socks )
• hat
• trekking poles
• specialized mountain backpack with wide straps and many compartments in which I put the following:
• raincoat
• headlamp
• compass
• the charged phone
• a map of the mountains (in this case I use the mobile application Munții Noștri which help me to find information on the route or to locate me when I can not know where I am)
• water, coffee and food ( sandwiches, fruits, biscuits, chocolate )
• socks
• changing clothes
• jacket
• polar
• buffer
• magnesium pills plus vitamins
• patches for possible injuries
• survival sheet

An additional item, but very important for me is my camera. 

I recommend to all of those who want to go hiking the equipment listed above. Also, it is essential and beneficial for a beautiful and safe trip to be informed in advance about the mountains that you want to travel.

It is important to properly assess your level of physical and mental training so you would choose the routes according to it. Some trails leading to the mountain may be suitable for beginners, and on the other hand, others can be traveled only by those with more experience in this regard.

The weather must also be checked beforehand. If rain, wind or thunderstorms are announced, it is best for the hike to be rescheduled. The weather on the mountain is capricious and dangerous!

Trekking through Ceahlău National Park

Ceahlău Mount is now a protected area of both national and international interest. The park spreads over 7000 ha and is known for the beautiful landscapes with many rare or protected by law species of plants and animals.

The mountain also has a strictly protected areas, where people's access is prohibited. “Polița cu Crini” it is a protected natural area as well as the zone that includes Ocolașul Mare, which is an area of scientific research.

However, visitors can explore the mountain on 7 different hiking trails starting or finishing either from Izvorul Muntelui, Durău or Bicazul Ardelean.

At the two official park entrances (Durău and Izvorul Muntelui) there are tourist information centers where visitors receive information and guidance if they want to visit the park.

As for me and my family, we are starting the ascent from Izvorul Muntelui. But before we start we pay the park visiting fee which costs 6 lei for adults and 3 lei for children and students. 

We also receive a very helpful leaflet on which the map of the mountain trails of the Ceahlău National Park is represented and the rules for visiting the park are written. If you come here, please, take this paper with you, use the map, read and respect the rules of the park. 

The route we choose is marked with the blue strip and will pass through the following points of attraction: Curmătura Lutu Roșu, Piatra cu Apă, Detunatele, finally arriving at Dochia Cottage, where we planned to stay overnight.

Initially, the path goes smoothly through a very beautiful forest with various types of tall trees until it becomes steeper and narrower, climbing among the rocks specific to this mountain.

We pause when the fatigue demands it, but also when we meet a viewpoint from where we can admire the surroundings in the area.

The view allows us to see higher and higher as the depth of field widens below us. 

We do not find any source of water on this route, so I recommend you take water with you as we always do. The ascent is tiring, and the body needs water because of the high effort it puts in during the mountain climb.

After more than 4 hours of climbing, we arrive at Dochia Chalet. The view is more than wonderful, more than unique and magical. 

The Dochia Cabin 

Because we have a reservation at the Dochia Chalet, we take our backpacks to the room and then go out on the terrace of the cottage to enjoy the view. 

If you want to stay at this cabin, you must contact the property in advance to make your reservation. Especially during the weekend, there is the possibility that  the cabin is fully occupied.

Below the cottage there is also a camping area that can be used by those who prefer to sleep in the tent. The camping fee is payable at the two entry points in the park.

Dochia Chalet has electricity and running water. We can charge the batteries of the phones and cameras or use the bathrooms. 

We stay in one of the 19-bed rooms, but there are also double, triple, or four-person rooms. 

One night per person in a 19-bed room costs 40 lei.

The cabin offers cooked food and drinks. We drink some beers and eat soups, fries, fish and other meat. ( I eat only the vegetable soup and fries because I am vegan. ) The beer costs around 7 lei and the meals are between 10 to 25 lei.

The food is pretty tasty and cheap if you take in consideration the fact that you are eating at a high altitude the food that needs to be taken all the way up. 

The Ocolașul Peak 

After we rest, eat and recharge our batteries a little and because there is still light outside, we start on a small path that begins behind the cabin.

The path takes us through the “jnepeniș”, a shrub specific to this mountain, until a rock formation called the “Lacrimated Stone” and then to a crossroad where we stop to admire the peak of Ocolașul Mare.

Here, as I mentioned before, is an area of scientific research in which we are not allowed to enter. But we don't even have to enter to enjoy the natural beauty that this area offers. Everything is incredibly green and clean. It is not often in our lives that we can see and feel such untouched and extremely beautiful places.

“Ocolașul Mare” measures 1907 meters and is the highest peak of Ceahlău Massif, but the access on it is restricted in order to conserve the rich fauna and flora which is presented here.

As we walk back to the cabin we eat a lot of wild berries which are so delicious and healthy. 

The alpine sea

Another natural aspect for which Ceahlau is known is the formation of the phenomenon known as the alpine sea.

Every morning of every season a thick blanket of clouds rises above the Izvorul Muntelui lake and the valleys around it, creating a spectacular landscape that can be seen from the Dochia area or the Toaca peak.

I set my clock to wake me up to see this landscape at sunrise, but my phone goes out of battery at night and I wake up later. However, I am lucky, and the alpine sea is still present around the mountains.

The Toaca Peak

The next day we go to the Toaca peak, which is the second highest peak in Ceahlău. We walk again through the “jnepeniș” and soon we reach a metal ladder leading to the peak. There is no additional fee for using the big stair. 

We climb the stairs, pausing occasionally to catch our breath. At first, the steps seem quite intimidating being placed on a steep terrain, but easy, we get used to the altitude until we reach the top. 

Toaca Peak reaches an altitude of 1904 meters and is the main attraction of this mountain due to its accessibility. 

On Toaca peak there is also the weather station with the same name. 

We sit here and look around. We see layers over layers of blue and green mountains. Everywhere we look we see a mountain. Bicaz Accumulation Lake also dominates the landscape being by far the largest artificial lake arranged on the inland rivers in Romania.

Other mountains we see are Tarcău, Giurgeu, Bistrița, Călimani, Hășmaș and many more. 

The landscape is peaceful, magical and wordless. 

Mountain flowers grow on the rocks, among which the most popular is the edelweiss, a flower protected by law, its collection by people being totally forbidden. The only thing you can do to keep the edelweiss in your heart and mind is to admire it and photograph it. It's enough!

Going down the stairs requires more attention than climbing them. Small and safe steps are preferable. 

The staircase structure is provided with a double bar that you can support on to lower or climb more easily. For those who do not prefer the steps, on the left side there is an old path, but this route is quite steep and slippery. 

Clăile lui Miron and the legends of the mountain

We go down the stairs and follow the path that leads back to Dochia Chalet. Here we stop a little to hydrate and take our luggage from the room. Shortly afterwards, we start on the red strip route to return to  Izvorul Muntelui. 

The indicator near the cottage tells us that in 4 hours we will reach the destination. 

I say here as a parenthesis for those who want to do mountain hiking, about the fact that the markings must always be followed because the deviation from these can lead to the loss of the path and implicitly to wandering and endangering the life either by the possibility of meeting with the wild animals or by falling into the void and so on. 

As with the climb, this route offers several natural formations that we can admire.

“Haystacks of Miron” are two huge stones with strange shape that seem to rise from the ground.

Here we find a panel on which we can read the story behind these stones. Moreover, each important landmark of the natural park is accompanied by an explanatory panel that tells legends of that specific place.

Legend tells us that Miron was a shepherd from Bicazul Ardelean who liked to come in these places to feed his sheeps and look over the mountains.

He was sitting here and often he was playing the whistle. All the creatures of the forest listened to him as he sang from the whistle. The rocks were fond of him too, but one day the shepherd died squeezed of vigor near his rocks. His bones were not found, and many said they were received by rocks.

After his death, the whistle can still be heard when the wind blows with great power.

Mount Ceahlău is known for its legends, especially for the story of Baba Dochia, the woman with seven coats who turned into stone.

We have a small snack here as well as a break to look around like the Miron shepherd was watching a long time ago. The scenery is great, we see again how many mountains rise in the distance.

The descent is very steep in front of us, but we have the courage to start again on the path. 

We get to the base of the great rocks of Miron and we wonder again how incredible they can be. The path is becoming increasingly difficult to travel. We use trekking poles to safely descend and not slip on the small pebbles. 

The landscape is constantly changing in front of us and there is always something nice to look at either  left or right. Thus, we can move forward and forget about the pain that slowly begins to settle in our muscles and knees. 

After about 2 hours we arrive in Poiana Maicilor, but the rain starts so we can't stop here. We continue through the forest, but fortunately the rain stops. 

The road also begins to be smoother, and the mixed forest that we encounter tells us that we are approaching a lower altitude and implicitly Izvorul Muntelui. 

After almost 4 hours of walking we are down and happy at our car.

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