Trasee turistice

The routes in Latoritei Mountains – Voineasa – Plaisor Mountain – Stevia Peak – Plaiul Poienii Cabin

The routes in Latoritei Mountains – Voineasa – Plaisor Mountain – Stevia Peak – Plaiul Poienii Cabin
Route: easy, accessible, difficult in winter
Guide mark: red cross, yellow tape
Duration: 3-3 ½ hours

Our target this time is the zoo pastoral cabin at Plaiul Poienii on a track that takes you through a varied landscape with such wonderful sights. We’ll start from Zan Hotel and go towards the west of the locality. On the bridge across Lotru we go down the small staircase and head south on the path by the water. Just across the last house we follow the path going westwards guided by the red cross marking. We slowly climb up to the top for about 5 minutes and then go to the south, through the forest. From now onwards we’ll climb up for about 30-40 minutes through the beech and pine forest until it ends. Then we exit a meadow on Plaisor Mountain, from where we can have a nice view over Voineasa resort.

As we advance the path waving up, we can admire to the north the series of tops belonging to Lotrului Mountains: Dobrunu, Cioca Dobrunului, Sterpul and others.

The guide mark appears rarely due to the fact that the trees it was applied on were cut, but following the path, you will soon reach a peak under the north side of Balturi Peak (1.142 m).

You will go over the peak situated between the origins of the Mosului Spring to the east and Caprelor Spring to the west, then you will enter the beech forest, heading west. After approximately 5 minutes you will exit to Stevia Peak, where you’ll meet the road which goes up from Macesului Valley (1087 m). In this point you can admire the Tarnovul Mare Peak and the deep cut of Latoritei Pier, Vanata Mountain and Rudareasa Valley to the springs, where Fratosteanu Mare Peak is visible (2053m).

We’ll continue our trip to the west, crossing under the high power line Ciunget-Vidra and, walking by at a slow pace, so that we are able to admire the southern sides of the peaks of Lotrului Mountains. After about a kilometer, we will see, on the right side of the road, a huge beech (Fagus sylvatica), with a diameter of approximately 1.5 m, declared protected tree. Following the path on which occasionally you will see the yellow tape, we will soon reach Gura Plaiului where the road enters the forest. A last look back to the west and you will be able to see the peak you came through as an opening of Rudareasa Valley   to Ciunget village. From here onwards we will follow the road through the forest for about two hours to Plaiul Poienii.

The more trained difficult-track-hikers, may follow from here onwards the limestone peak of Pietrele Albe on a narrow path extremely challenging their strength, but paying back their efforts with amazing landscapes. The road on the peak shall last more than an hour to Saddle Platinului where you meet the road and must be included in the general duration.

From this saddle onwards we will follow the road through the forest and after climbing it we will reach the nursery garden at Stevia where the forest cabin is. Afterwards, the road meets the bottom of a steep side to Rudareasa Valley and from a rocky cut-off we can admire the wild life of this valley as well as the walls of the Pietrele Albe walls, above which we came from. We will then enter together with the road the darkness of the woods which will accompany us for about an hour walk to Plaiul Poienii (1560m). After a rest we reach the zoo pastoral cabin and to the patches of limestone pavements from the path above the road or climb up to the sheepfold on the peak and admire the tops of the mountains around.

For those who do not want to take the same way back to Voineasa, they may come down to Manaileasa valley on the road or on the which takes them to Rudareasa Valley from where we get to Ciunget going upstream. From we get to Zan Hotel by means of motor vehicles.

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