Romania, Parang Mountains, Polatiste Key River and Valley, 1-day mountain route

Romania, Parang Mountains, Polatiste Gorge and Valley, 1-day mountain route

Intro:
Parang mountains are located in the Eastern Carpathians (or Romanian Carpathians), in the center-west part of Romania being part of Southern Romanian Carpathians. On a road map, they are located between the E79 european road (or DN66) and DN67C ("Transalpina" or "Way of The King"), Bumbesti-Jiu - Novaci and Petrosani - Obarsia Lotrului areas, at about 20km of Targu-Jiu and 2km of Petrosani.
The biggest peak from Parang Mountains is Parangu-Mare Peak (alt. 2519m); the main route is from North-West to the South-East part of these mountains, or from the Parangu Mic Peak (alt. 2074m) via Parangu-Mare Peak (alt. 2519m) to Urdele Pass (alt. 2228m) route; this track passes the highest peaks of Parang mountains, with beautiful views, glacial lakes, aso; it has a length of about 25km and it may be followed in about 10-12 hours, depending on various conditions.
However, I hope to describe that main route in a future article, as this time, an easy route was followed, as the idea was to find an 1-day mountain route.
So, practically, the route described next is located in the West part of Parang mountains and it never intersects with the main route described above.

Route map

About this 1-day track:
It starts on E79 european road (or DN66), at about 50km of Targu-Jiu and 7km of Petrosani, at the entry in Hunedoara County, at Polatiste and Jiu - not a chinese name - rivers intersection (alt. aprox 700m) and follows the Polatiste Gorge until the river origin; even if some maps does not present a marker on Polatiste Gorge, you will follow a forest road and find the yellow circle marker which will guide you via Polatiste Gorge to Polatistea Forestry chalet, where a route intersection appears and you'll have to turn right. Next, you'll still follow the yellow circle marker and easy climb to the Reci Chalet on a child of Polatiste river named Capriorul. The yellow circle marker disappears a little before you arrive to Reci Chalet. In this period, the markers are reviewed and repaired, so I had to guide on a red dot temporary marker and an "MTB" sign, even if the original marker should have been the same yellow circle. At the Reci Chalet is a nice view to the Reci Saddle located between the Reci Peak (alt. 1468m) and the Sapa Peak (alt. 1468m), where the Polatiste river has its origin; you will have to follow the temporary red dot mixed with yellow/red strings (or yellow circle if available) turning easy to the left and climbing via forest to the Reci Peak; on this climbing portion, you will see the Reci Heights and the Sapa Peak (alt. 1550m) on your right, as the forest rarefy; the track turns easy to the right to the Reci Heights, maintaining its altitude and passes a dense forest; at the exit of the forest, you will see the Reci Sheepfold in front of you and the Reci Peak after the sheepfold, while on the left you'll see the beautiful Sapa Peak; behind you, the entire beautiful Parang massif appears with heights over 2300m; you will have to pass the Reci Sheepfold (hope the dogs are not home), then climb to the Reci Peak where you'll turn right; from here, the Petriceaua Peak (alt. 1421m) may be seen; the track passes to the left of Petriceaua Peak, but you'll have to climb it to see the beautiful views around; next, you'll have to follow the yellow triangle marker, which I haven't found and arrive to Piatra Argelelor Sheepfold, hope again the dogs are not home and continue the track to "Pietrele Albe" heights (alt. aprox 1300m); from here, if you are lucky enough to find the yellow triangle marker, you will descend on Pietrele Albe Heights back to the Polatiste Mouth via forest.

Elevation Curve: From Polatiste Mouth to Polatistea Forestry Chalet there are about 6-7kms, you will climb easy from 700m to 1000m altitude (aprox 2-3 hours) on yellow circle marker; you continue to easy climb 4kms to Reci Chalet (alt. aprox 1200m) in about 1.5-2 hours on yellow circle marker; then a mixed easy-medium climbing of 2-2.5kms to the Reci Peak (alt. 1468m) - 1 hour (yellow circle or red dot temporary marker mixed with yellow/red strings), about 1km to Petriceaua Peak (alt. 1421m) on the same altitude level - 15mins, then you'll descend about 6-7kms back to Polatiste Mouth - 2-2.5 hours (on yellow triangle marker).

 Elevation Curve (Google Maps)

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The route follows the next objectives:
- Polatiste Key River and Valley;
- Polatistea Forestry Lodge;
- Reci Challet;
- Reci Sheepfold (water springs);
- Reci Peak (alt. 1468m - beautiful view of The Jiu Valley);
- Sapa Peak (alt. 1550m - if you want to climb to it via Reci Saddle)
- Petriceaua Peak (alt. 1421m);
- Piatra Argelelor Sheepfold and Piatra Argelelor Peak (alt. aprox 1350m);
- Pietrele Albe Heights (alt. aprox 1300m);

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Images from the track:

 Polatiste River Mouth

 Polatiste River Mouth

 Polatiste River

 Polatiste River

 Polatiste River

 Polatiste Gorge

  Polatiste Gorge

 Polatistea Forestry Lodge

 Small Waterfall on Polatiste River

 Polatiste Gorge

 Polatiste Valley

 View to Polatiste Origin and Reci Saddle from Reci Chalet

MTB temporary sign

 

Red/Yellow String Temporary Marker in a tree

 Sapa Peak (alt. 1550m)

WTF !?! ... seen in the dense forest before Reci Sheepfold

 Reci Sheepfold

 Parang massif from Reci Peak

 

Zoomed view from Reci Peak (1468m) to Parangu-Mare Peak (2519m)

View from Reci Peak to Petriceaua Peak (1421m)

 Closer view of Petriceaua Peak

 View from Petriceaua Peak to Sapa Peak (1550m) and further to Parangu-Mare (2519m)

View from Petriceaua Peak to Reci Peak (to the right)

Piatra Argelelelor Peak

 Temporary red dot marker
Way back to the start point

 Way back to the start point