Note: GPS route locations are marked in the description below. For the GPS map of the route, click here. For the GPS track of this trek, refer to my Track page.

Getting to the sheepfold, the blue cross marks go to the left, towards Dorna Cândrenilor, after the last wooden hut. A blue triangle mark option continues steeply up the Oușorul to its peak, with the option of going down on the other side - without marks for the way down however - and meeting the marks on the other side. Check out my Rodna - Suhard track in the tracks section of the website for this option.

Back to Oușorul Sheepfold, in the same place, our trail (hardly noticeable because of the grassy pasture, but recently marked, well, only until we get in the forest for that matter) continues to the right, lightly going up along the pasture. The point where the trail enters the forest is pretty obvious and afterwards the trail is clear, quite muddy if it rains. Some 20 minutes later it gets all worse, as they have started a major deforestation process and the once narrow trail has now turned into a wide, swampy tractor trail, with apocalyptic scenery to the left. Struggle and go on, for some 20-30 minutes later you will get out of the forest and on to bucolic scenery again. As soon as you get out, you will meet a spring (to the left of the trail, N47 23.985 E25 14.927). Not much later the trail goes down in Romega Saddle, which hosts a sheepfold (N47 24.712 E25 14.532) and, a bit upper towards Iacob Peak, Romega Hut; badly maintained, this one usually hosts nobody but shepherds, and better shelter is to be found at the nearby sheepfold should the need arise. Pay attention in the saddle, as there are no marks in this stretch; just stick to the trail following the ridge and going up. The trail goes up winding towards Iacob Peak (1322 m.a.s.l.), which it reaches after another wooden gate. There are next to no marks until the gate.

One then continues along the ridge, passing close to the forest line, and then, just after passing to the right of a rock formation on top of the pasture-covered ridge, the trail all of a sudden turns to the left (N47 25.292 E25 13.980), lightly goes down and then enters the forest, avoiding Tarnița Peak (1542 m.a.s.l.). It then continues for about 15 minutes through the forest before going out, passing by a small lake (more like a pool, sometimes dry if too hot a summer) and then, at N47 26.250 E25 13.808, one has the choice: either go up to Fărăoane Peak (1715 m.a.s.l., unmarked, hardly noticeable path, recommended only on good weather) and then down through the junipers back to the trail, or straight, lightly to the right, under the peak, then up to the left and along a wide trail, by a spring and on to Recele Saddle (N47 27.380 E25 12.802); down to the right there is a monastery (the ‘Sfânta Cruce’) built a few years ago.

After crossing the ridge, the trail goes up on the Western slope, passing by the ruin of a former automatic meteorological concrete hut. Then it continues steadily going up along the ridge, to the left and then to the right (N47 28.011 E25 11.811); it is important to always stick to the trail which is closer to the ridge, for marks are placed mostly on loose stones and those might turn temporary. At N47 28.260 E25 10.577 one goes back to the left with rare marks (there used to be a wooden arrow) and sticks to the trail lightly going up, following the ridge. Eventually one reaches Icoana Lake (N47 27.631 E25 09.326), a fine spot just before a sheepfold under Icoana Peak (1593 m.a.s.l.). Just next to the lake the trail turns all of a sudden to the right, entering the forest and starting going down. There is a spring to the right of the trail just after entering the forest (at N47 27.609 E25 09.265 go down to the right for 50 m., it is marked by a hardly noticeable “izvor” wooden arrow). After a tricky crossing in the forest (at N47 27.562 E25 08.815 turn to the right following the marks), the trail meets a “găvan” (a weak spring people have created a small dam around in order to have water collect) at N47 27.577 E25 07.863 and it goes farther down to Diecilor Saddle (1400 m.a.s.l.), where it eventually exits the forest. There are few marks in the saddle and the construction of a new dirt road messed things up even more. There is a spring to the left of the saddle (N47 27.684 E25 06.837).

Passing by the sheepfold (N47 27.829 E25 06.770) and a finely carved cross, one goes up towards Diecilor Peak (1631 m.a.s.l., N47 28.245 E25 06.824) where it is impossible not to spot the WW trenches, nowadays covered with blueberry bushes and junipers. After passing through a light forest (which again can turn muddy after or during rainfall), one goes out in a saddle under Pietrele Roșii Peak (1773 m.a.s.l., N47 28.902 E25 06.251) which is easily climbable and topped by a geophysical metallic pyramid. The “fun” (or hell) begins after the peak however, as the trail turns into a very meagre path that sneaks through or crawls under the dense juniper forest. If it is dry, you will only have to fight the junipers. It it is wet, you will be soaked. If the junipers are covered with snow, you will certainly have stories to tell. From under the last juniper covered peak, take the path to the left, as it is quicker and less painful, and eventually you will find a trail out of the junipers; more precisely: turn left at N47 29.369 E25 06.413, left again at N47 29.398 E25 06.390, then right at N47 29.449 E25 06.349. After getting out of the junipers, turn left at N47 29.549 E25 06.398. After following a dirt road for a short while, at N47 29.791 E25 06.113 one turns to the right and up along the ridge, as the route starts going up towards Omului Peak (1932 m.a.s.l., N47 30.342 E25 05.538, marked by a collapsed geodesic metal pyramid and by a pole with tourist signposts), which one reaches about 30 minutes after leaving the saddle. This is the highest point in Suhard Mountains. And trails split here: while the trail towards Rotunda Pass (about 2 hours away) continues along the ridge on a path that turns into a trail and dirt road afterwards, another - possibly more interesting option - turns to the SW, towards Suhard Saddle and Suhardul Mare Peak, and then towards Bârgău Mountains. Do not take the “traseu ușor” (En. “easy route”) for granted; the people that wrote that only went as far as Cucureasa Sheepfold is concerned and then went down to Șanț Village, while the orientation and dense, young fir forest issues afterwards are entirely your problem.

Disregarding of the option taken, one can go camping in my favourite spot (N47 30.358 E25 04.700, pictured here below), 15 minutes under Omului Peak towards the Rotunda (along the red stripes, as marks change on the top). Going down, after passing among junipers, you will notice a small lake to the left and a place protected from the wind; it is in the point where the trail meets a dirt road. There is a spring about 10 minutes walking up the dirt road (N47 30.094 E25 05.390, left as you meet it). The following day one can continue towards Rotunda Pass (N47 32.600 E25 00.441); there are no orientation problems on the way and the route follows a dirt road for most of the way, except for the fact that at a certain point (under Cociorbii Peak) a landslide will make you go up above it, to go down among a couple of sheepfolds and eventually enter the forest before arriving at Rotunda Hut. There are a few huts in this area, of which the Cojocaru (just before reaching the tree line) is the most reliable for staying overnight. Later on, right upon meeting the dirt road crossing Rotunda Pass there is a small hut to the left and the good looking, former Montana Hut to the right (where one can usually find a place to sleep, even though one should not rely on that 100%). From Rotunda Pass, one can continue towards the Ineu in Rodna Mountains, some of the finest mountains in N Romania.

Alternatively one can go from the camping place up along the dirt road, pass by the spring and continue towards Suhardul Mare peak...