March through Calimani National Park

The trek starts in Deda, where you can easily get by night train from Budapest. Before the hike, it is necessary to keep in mind that it is not possible to replenish food supplies during the whole trek. The trek begins a short distance behind the town of Deda by slowly climbing the hills, after about 3 hours of climbing you get to a meadow where you can replenish the water and the herd is the first view of the surroundings. We continue to the big meadow, where it is necessary to go left, go around the big mountain hut and start gradually descending into the valley. Blueberries can be harvested in the whole field at the ideal time. At the bottom of the valley you can camp and get supplies of drinking water.

In the morning it is necessary to go to the left against the current of the water flow and gradually climb through the valley, the markings in this place are almost non-existent and therefore it is necessary to orientate oneself in the terrain according to the map. nothing is easier than getting lost here (I have a lot of experience with it, after half a day I returned to the place where I camped). The route begins first with a slow ascent in the valley, it is necessary to get to a large meadow on the other side of the valley, which needs to cross across to the other side. I recommend avoiding the mountain hut as there are quite aggressive dogs there, but you need to be careful about them during the whole trek, I recommend having a stick and a stone in your pocket at hand. After crossing the meadow, there is a steep climb to the ridge, which will reward you with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.

The trek goes all day along the ridge, so you can enjoy wonderful views of the surrounding countryside, which are a reward for the suffering during Day 2. There was only one spring during the whole day, so you need to replenish your water supply. During the trek it is possible to climb to the nearby peak of Varful Pietrosul (2100 m above sea level)

We start a 3–4 hour descent through the valley, to the village of Gura Haitii. During the whole descent, the marks come and disappear alternately, so that they more or less wade through the tall grass and pass through the places where the terrain is most suitable. At the bottom of the valley is a forest road, it descends and there is a chance to meet the first tourists here, because it leads to a very popular peak 12 Apostoli. From the village of Gura Haitii, the bus goes directly to the mountain town of Vatra Dornei, from where you can go further to the Rodna Mountains or move to the town of Cluj, which is the center of this region. Finally, I would like to add that I met only one tourist during the whole trek.

During the ascent from the town of Deda, from the very beginning of the journey, you walk over lightly marked and sometimes disappearing sidewalks, which is the first sign that you can relax from civilization here.

The first views from the ridge are breathtaking at the beginning and show the surrounding landscape, which is largely unchanged.

In the afternoon you go to Poľana, where it is necessary to walk close next to the mountain hut and follow the path that goes to the left, but at the mountain hut it is necessary to make sure that there is a gull and scare away dogs that are aggressive.

During the descent into the valley, there are a large number of blueberry bushes, and if one is lucky, one can eat well from them.

After you ascend from the valley, the landscape begins to open and you can enjoy the first views of the surroundings, the real peace begins. It is necessary to cross this field diagonally and I recommend avoiding the mountain hut.

After a day of suffering, you will also receive such a wonderful reward in the form of views of the surrounding nature, where no signs of civilization are visible.

View of the ridge as the biggest reward for the previous two days of the climb.

A morning look at the route that needs to be taken on the third day.

Although in a slight haze, but a well-deserved view of the surrounding countryside from the ridge of the Calimani Mountains

On the descent, one last look at Varful Pietrosul, from the saddle below which you descend to the village of Gura Haitii

Gradual descent is not physically demanding, as far as orientation is concerned, it can be taken as well as the whole transition.