Round-shaped ridges, endless pastures and extensive fir tree forests, as well as an impossible to ignore remoteness, these are the basic terms that define the Suhard. Few people venture there, and most of them go with their sheep and horse-pulled carts. The others keep on losing the way, confused of the blue stripes that disappear at certain times, of those seemingly aggressive sheepfold dogs, or of that eternal fog. For hikers with good physical condition, the whole ridge from Vatra Dornei to Rotunda Pass can be done in one long day (starting at 6 or 7 AM in Vatra Dornei and ending at 8 or 9 PM in Rotunda), but I would recommend having a tent and sleeping somewhere in Omului Peak area. Otherwise, a longer (but at least just as interesting) option would be to also do a stretch of Bârgău Mountains ridge from Omului Peak to Grădinița Railway Station, but that definitely requires a tent and also good orientation skills for the final part, as marks are old and the trail is not always obvious. And yet another option goes on from Rotunda Pass along the Rodna...

Fall 2013 edit: the blue stripe marks between Vatra Dornei and Omului Peak have been entirely redone. However certain areas have no marks (e.g. Romega Saddle) or have rare marks, while in other parts they have been painted on loose stones, which might make them temporary.

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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.

When I went to these mountains for the first time, the only people I met up there were the shepherds and a group of soldiers serving at a nearby base. I returned a few times afterwards, finding more of their trails, learning more about the vegetation there, and tasting more of the smoked cheese shepherds were keen on offering the stranger. Then I felt I need pay back having discovered the Suhard; so I decided to describe the main ridge trek here. Maybe some other people will see that cloudy sky make room for the sun after a few days’ steady rain. Or maybe they will just go for the cheese and the scenery.

So, my preferred starting point is Vatra Dornei, a spa located in Bukovina, Northern Romania. I usually get there at around 7 AM after a night train ride from Bucharest (I get off at Vatra Dornei Băi Station, not the main station of the town: N47 20.780 E25 21.417). So I head from the railway station to the Bristena (approx. N47 20.843 E25 21.196), an absolute must before the trek, for they have great chocolate cakes, a good coffee (currently Illy, it used to be Lavazza) and they are nevertheless open at that hour. Then I take the main road to the West, passing by the nowadays abandoned synagogue and then I turn right up the hill, towards the bungalows and camping site on Runcu Hill; there are some stairs leading there or one can follow the winding paved street. Once one gets close to the forest, there appear the first marks: blue stripes bordered by white. One can go either around the houses, to the North, or among them, as there is a trail. Then it is up the hill until one finds a wooden gate: this is the beginning of the trek, as I like to call it (N47 21.364 E25 20.652).

Then it is up the trail that follows, along a round, partly forested, partly deforested, partly pasture-covered ridge. The main point is not to leave the ridge, even though the scenery is interesting, with wooden summer huts local people use when they mow the hay. In summer one has pleasant encounters with horses and cattle, as a friend used to say: “without being holy in Romania, these are some of the happiest beings”. Holy or not, one goes on and, after crossing a few clearings and wooden areas, there is a section where a strong storm a few years ago basically razed off the forest. To make it complete, humans cut off fir trees a bit farther on. Going down and up (be sure not to leave the ridge, as there are some trails that split from ours to the right and to the left), one reaches a wooden top of a hill where a secondary marked trails joins ours, coming from the right: blue crosses coming from Iacobeni Village. Not much later, after following the trail where the blue stripes are joined by the blue crosses, one reaches a clearing which gets bigger and bigger: this is Oușorul Sheepfold, also known as Șesul Muntelui Sheepfold (N47 23.045 E25 16.301). There are several wooden cottages, as well as two main buildings used by shepherds. In summer time (i.e. between early June and mid September) the sheep are up and shepherds have strong dogs to protect themselves from bears, respectively lead the sheep. So having some trekking sticks one points (without shouting or starting the dogs) at dogs while stopping or walking at a slow pace is useful.

After passing among the huts there, one turns to the right, but not before clicking here....