Călimani Mountains

The Călimani (or Căliman) Mountains are situated in the Eastern Carpathians and cover an area of about 2000 sq km, stretching east-west for about fifty kilometers. For most of the second Millennium A.D. the range was part of a broad, mountainous borderland between the Hungarian Kingdom/Principality of Transylvania (an ethnically mixed country) and the predominantly Romanian and Ukrainian-speaking lands of Bucovina and the principality of Moldavia. It is no wonder that among the peaks of the Căliman/Kelemen one can find both Negoiul Unguresc/Magyar Negoj and Negoiul Românesc/Román Negoj (the italicized words translate as Hungarian and Romanian, respectively). On the south the Călimani Mountains are bounded by the Mureş/Maros River, which separates them from the Gurghiu Mountains; and on the southeast by the Sec and Topliţa creeks, beyond which the Giurgeu Mountains lie. The northern limits are drawn by the valley of the Transylvanian Bistriţa, which sets the massif apart from the Bârgau Mountains, and the Dorna valley, which divides it from the Suhard Mountains. Towards the west the Călimani Mountains slope gently into the Transylvanian Basin, while their eastern limits make a transition towards the Bistriţei Mountains, which sit beyond the pass of Păltiniş and the basin of Bilbor. The name of the range was first recorded (in Latin) as early as 1228 as Alpes Clementis and may refer to the fact that the mountains - compared to the nearby Rodnei range rising on the northern horizon - have gentler slopes and a milder climate.

The heart of the former volcano

The Călimani is the youngest mountain range in Romania and the highest range in the Carpathians made of volcanic rocks. Its eastern part is dominated by the largest inactive crater in all of Europe, over ten kilometers in diameter. The mountains came into being as a stratovolcano or a 'composite volcano', which means that they formed as a result of successive eruptions during an extended period of time, through alternating layers of solidified lava and volcanic ash. Volcanic activity began 7 Ma (7 million years ago) and reached its climax around 5 Ma. This first phase of an active volcano was followed by a period of volcanic standstill, increased erosion and deposition. The second phase occurred over 2 Ma. The inactive volcano with its partially emptied magma chamber was no longer able to hold the weight of the entire cone. Great tension caused by differences in pressure and weight created ring fractures. The third phase took place in the Pleistocene (Ice Age), when a large part of the volcanic cone collapsed following the ring of fractures. The result was a caldera. Rains, rivers, wind and temperature variations have modified the landscape ever since. Inside the Călimani caldera rise a few secondary cones, such as Pietricelul, Haitei and the most shapely Negoiul Românesc at 1889 m, whose bowels contained a unique phenomenon that can hardly be seen elsewhere in Europe - volcanic caves. Unfortunately, the mountain along with its cave system was devastated by an open-cast sulphur mine opened in the 1970s.

Pietrosul at 2103 m seen from the north - photo by Tomek Lodowy

The most interesting part of the Călimani Mountains, adorned with the highest summits, is the rim of the huge caldera, today looking like a horseshoe with an open north end. This is the only spot within the Carpathian volcanic belt which bears traces of glaciation. The highest peak called Pietrosul (Pietrosu)/Pietrosz (Nagy-Köves), reaching an elevation of 2103 m, and the second highest summit, Negoiul Unguresc at 2081 m, form a massive crest, which stands out from the background of forest (Călimani woodland is dominated by spruce, over half of which is old-growth) and higher up bushes of dwarf pine and juniper, featuring an alpine zone with short grasses and dwarf shrubs such as Rhododendron kotschyi. Ten kilometers west of Pietrosul, near the center of the main ridge, sits the second highest group of peaks dominated by Bistricioru/Kis-Beszterce csúcs with around 390 m of prominence, falling just ten meters short of the 2000 m mark. The western part of the range is much lower and less popular with hikers and holidaymakers except a couple of places, such as Colibița Dam in the northwest and the God's Seat ('Scaunul Domnului' in Romanian, 'Istenszéke' in Hungarian) at 1381 m in the southwest chunk of the mountains. The latter, sitting several kilometers away from the main ridge, is shaped like a table mountain whose cliffs tower over the Mureş Valley. The summit offers a fine panorama of the main ridge in good weather.

Summit	Elevation in Meters	Photo	A few words about
Pietrosul	2103		The highest summit in the Călimani Mountains, in their eastern part, on the southwestern rim of the Călimani caldera's rim. Red stripes from the Transcăliman road.
Negoiul Unguresc	2081		Less than one kilometer southeast of Pietrosul. Distinct alpine tundra zone and bold relief - in contrast with the rest of the area. A red stripe trail.
Iezerul Călimanului	2031		On the eastern rim of the caldera, about three kilometers south of the summit of Călimanu Cerbului. Red dots from the village of Neagra Sarului.
Răţitiş	2021		The southernmost summit on the rim of the caldera, with a weather station on its top. Its north face shelters a natural wood comprised of spruce and Arolla pine (Pinus cembra), while the gently inclined south face presents diverse scenery of blockfields and dwarf conifers with Iezer Lake. Transcăliman road (Via Maria Theresia - see Red Tape & Camping). Red stripes/dots.
Călimanu Cerbului	2013		In the eastern part of the caldera, three kilometers north of Iezerul Călimanului. A blue dot trail from Gura Haitii village.
Pietricel	1993		Inside the caldera, one and a half kilometers west of Răţitiş, covered with dwarf mountain pine. A red stripe/dot traverse.
Bistricioru	1990		The highpoint of the Bistricioru Group, in the central part of the Călimani, around ten kilometers west of Pietrosul. Red stripes from Dornişoara.