A route entirely on asphalt that crosses Șaru Dornei commune from north to south, following the Neagra river almost to its springs. In the first part the landscape is typical of a depression, with a straight road and mountains watching from a distance. On this stretch you can relax and enjoy the scenery in all its beauty.
After about 5 kilometres, past the centre of Neagra Șarului, the depression narrows and Pietrosu and Călimanul Cerbului peaks start to show their full size ahead. We continue to Gura Haitii village. A true mountain village, it is the southernmost and somewhat most isolated point of the commune, surrounded on all sides by the Călimani Mountains.
Past Gura Haitii, the route continues on the old road of the sulphur mine. This stretch is entirely surrounded by dense fir and spruce forest, and it gets harder from here because of the continuous climb of about 12 kilometres.
The whole road, from the start of the route to the sulphur quarry, was built to give access to the mine. At the time, around 1965, this was an important development for the area. Another benefit of the mine was the jobs it created: most locals worked “in Călimani”. At its peak, about 8,000 people worked here. Those not from the area lived either in Neagra Șarului, where blocks of flats were built (you can still see them), or in the small town next to the mine. The work here was very hard, especially in winter, when temperatures were very low and the snow was very deep, and avalanches happened fairly often. Negoiu Românesc peak is the one that was mined in 20 terraces (steps), which can still be made out today.
Throughout the mining period (1969 to 1997) nobody paid attention to the pollution and the destruction of the ecosystem in these mountains. The consequences can still be seen today, most clearly in the Neagra river, which is entirely polluted. The spoil heaps and the buildings were part of a clean-up programme in which the heaps were covered with a layer of soil and the buildings demolished. The only one left, hidden among the fir trees, is Nicolae Ceaușescu’s guest villa.
Today this former mine remains a wound in the Călimani National Park, of which it is part. You can still smell the sulphur, but apart from that, the scenery along this route is unforgettable. Near the quarry you can see the “Dwarf mountain pine reserve with Pinus cembra” and the alpine rose, both protected plants.
- Difficulty: hard
- Maximum altitude: 1,558 m
- Length: 50.7 km
- Total ascent: 930 m
- Total descent: 936 m
