Pietrosul Rodnei
2,303 m
Romania
Also known as Pietros, Pietrosul, +2Also known as
Pietros · Pietrosul · Vârful Pietrosul Rodnei, Munții Rodnei · Пьетрос
- Elevation
- 2,303 m
- Prominence
- 1,569 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The classic and shortest route from the north: from Borșa up the Pietroasa valley and a long forest road to the Iezer weather station (1,785 m), past the glacial Lake Iezer and up steep zig-zags to the main ridge just below the summit. About 1,450–1,650 m of ascent and 4–6 hours up, waymarked with a blue stripe.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,623 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,303 m
- Time Up
- 6h 49m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 41m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start in the centre of Borșa, just past the recovery hospital, where a park information board marks the blue-stripe route. Cross the Vișeu, follow Strada Pietroasei past the last houses and the turn to the Pietroasa hermitage, then climb the long, winding forest road across the Piciorul Moșului spur (unmarked shortcuts cut some bends). The road passes the foot of the Zănoaga Mare cirque, about 7.5 km and 760 m above Borșa, and ends at the Iezer weather station (1,785 m), 2–2½ hours (up to 3½–4 hours in some reports) from town. Drink from the springs beside the road rather than the Pietroasa stream. The path passes between the station buildings, through a short belt of dwarf pine, to Lake Iezer (about 1,825 m) in its glacial cirque. Behind the lake a sustained zig-zag climb up the steep cirque wall leads to the ridge saddle below the summit, then 10–15 minutes on bouldery schist slabs to the top, which carries the derelict former automatic weather station (an emergency shelter at best). Allow 4–4½ hours from Borșa in summer, 5–6 hours with a heavy pack. Descend the same way (about 3–4 hours), or continue on the blue stripe south to Curmătura Pietrosului and over the Buhăescu peaks to Vârful Rebra and the main-ridge red stripe at Tarnița La Cruce (about 15 km in all). The cirque headwall above Lake Iezer is avalanche-prone and is considered impassable in winter; the unmarked winter route climbs from the weather station over Piatra Albă instead. The route crosses the Pietrosu Mare scientific reserve, where it is essential to stay on the path; bears and vipers live in the area.
Start
Borșa704 m
- The route starts in the centre of Borșa; regional buses run up the Vișeu valley (check current timetables).
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borșa → Pietrosul Rodnei | 10.9 | 1,623 | 23 | 6h 49m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Borșa704 m
Information board near the recovery hospital; blue stripe
- Waypoint: Schitul Borșa-Pietroasa978 m
Hermitage near the turn onto the forest road up Piciorul Moșului
- Waypoint: Stația Meteorologică Iezer1,782 m
End of the forest road; staffed weather station, not a hut
- Feature: Lacul Iezer1,822 m
- Summit: Pietrosul Rodnei2,303 m
Key Passages
- Long forest road over Piciorul Moșului
- Steep zig-zags up the cirque wall above Lake Iezer (avalanche-prone in winter)
- Bouldery final ridge to the summit
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of the Rodna Mountains and of Romania's Eastern Carpathians (2,303 m), rising almost 1,500 m above the town of Borșa in Maramureș. A long but direct waymarked hike climbs past a weather station and a glacial lake to a rocky top.
Pietrosul Rodnei stands at the north-western end of the Rodna Mountains, detached from the main ridge and overlooking the Vișeu valley and Borșa. Its northern side holds the most striking glacial landscape in the Eastern Carpathians: the cirques of Zănoaga Mare and Iezer, moraines, waterfalls and Lake Iezer, all within the Pietrosu Mare scientific reserve, part of Rodna Mountains National Park.
The normal route is a big single day from Borșa: a long forest road to the Iezer weather station, a short walk to the lake, then a steep climb up the cirque wall to the ridge and the summit, about 1,450 m of ascent in all. There are no staffed huts on the route; most people stay in Borșa, or camp. The summit is broad and bouldery, with the ruins of an automatic weather station.
In summer it is a demanding but non-technical hike. From late autumn to spring it is a different mountain: the Iezer cirque headwall is avalanche-prone and the marked route is considered impassable, leaving only an unmarked winter line for equipped mountaineers.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for an 8–10 hour day with about 1,450 m of ascent and descent is needed; the terrain is a forest road, then a steep, rocky mountain path. Start early from Borșa, carry enough water from the roadside springs, and avoid the ridge in thunderstorms. Some hikers split the trip with a night camping near the weather station or the lake area, where the park has had a refuge; check current camping rules with the park.
In winter and early spring (roughly November to May) there is major avalanche risk in the Iezer cirque. The marked route above the lake should not be used; experienced parties use the unmarked winter route from the weather station over Piatra Albă, with crampons, ice axe, avalanche equipment and good navigation. Brown bears are common in the Rodna Mountains; make noise in the forest and store food carefully if camping. Pay the small national park visitor fee before you go.
History
The Pietrosu Mare reserve on the mountain's northern slopes is one of Romania's older protected areas; 3,300 ha of it were declared a biosphere reserve in 1979. The wider Rodna Mountains National Park was declared by law in 2000. The former automatic weather station on the summit has been derelict for years; the staffed Iezer station below still operates.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; major avalanche risk; marked route above Lake Iezer impassable
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Spring snow and avalanche risk
- May
- Snow lingers in the cirques
- Jun
- Snowfields possible on the headwall early in the month
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season
- Sep
- Stable weather, fewer people
- Oct
- First snow possible; short days
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Rodna Mountains National Park visitor ticketRequired
Daily visitor fee under the park regulation (OM 307/2019), sold online from about EUR 1.65 per person per day; exemptions include park staff, gendarmerie and Salvamont.
easy2visit.com
- Fees
- National park visitor fee, from about EUR 1.65 per person per day
- Rules
- The route crosses the Pietrosu Mare scientific reserve: stay on the marked path
- Rodna Mountains National Park rules: no littering or collecting of plants or animals
- Getting There
Borșa (Maramureș)
Baia Mare (BAY), about 2½ hours by road; Cluj-Napoca (CLJ) about 4 hours
- The trail starts in the centre of Borșa; parking in town
- Borșa is the end of the road up the Vișeu valley from Sighetu Marmației and Vișeu de Sus; check regional bus timetables
Hazards
- Avalanche
- Weather
- Remoteness