Mountain trails · Rarău–Giumalău Mountains
Out and back: you go up and down the same path; the time above is one way.
Daylight · Cabana Giumalău · today,
The times are for the starting point. Between ridges the light goes earlier than the clock says, so turn back a good hour before sunset.
Weather · Cabana Giumalău · today,
The forecast is for where you set off. Up on the ridge, count on a few degrees less and on wind you cannot see from below.
What the walking is like
A walk along the contour in front of the hut, 500 m parallel to the red dot towards Zugreni, then left up to the main ridge route. For the evening at the hut.
Mountain trail
Elevation profile
Cabana Giumalău sits at 1,600 m, has power from a generator and a wind turbine, but serves no meals: here you carry the food up yourself.
Giumalău stands at 1,857 m and is the highest peak around; from the top, on a clear day, you count six ranges: Rarău, the Obcini, Rodna, Călimani, Bistrița, Ceahlău. The subalpine meadow on the ridge is thick with blueberries in August.
Flora
Fauna
The species above are those documented in the area by the protected-area administration; what you see depends on season, hour and luck.
The time in the guide is one way; back on the same path, count about two thirds of it. The duration is the one in Suceava County's official guide (Salvamont); the kilometres and driving minutes to the trailhead are from Google Maps.
Sleep at the foot of the mountain
La Cuib is half an hour by car plus a walk uphill from the start of this trail: a fully equipped kitchen that is yours from first light, a place to dry boots, a garden for the evening. Three nights, the whole house, 1,797 lei.
We checked all of this in .
If you liked this one
We checked all of this in .
Once you're back down
The whole house is yours: wet boots by the door, packs in the hall, a late dinner. Parking in the yard and an early start, without waking anyone.
Via Transilvanica