12 Apostoli

12 Apostoli (Romanian Vârful 12 Apostoli, Doisprezece Apostoli – “the Twelve Apostles”) is a 1,771 m summit in the northern part of the Călimani Mountains, in Suceava County. It takes its name from a group of strange rocks that locals call “the Twelve Apostles”. They form a natural monument of the same name – an IUCN category III protected area of 200 ha on the land of Dorna Candrenilor commune.

According to Romanian Wikipedia, the rocks are volcanic agglomerates that wind, frost and thaw and run-off water have weathered into human- and animal-like figures. The nearest villages are Gura Haitii (about 5 km), Neagra Șarului (about 9 km) and Poiana Negrii (about 10 km); Vatra Dornei is about 28 km from Gura Haitii.

How to get there / routes

The shortest way is an 11 km themed trail from the village of Gura Haitii: it climbs through spruce forest and subalpine pastures to the rocks, with information boards about local flora and fauna along the way. A viewpoint with panels has been set up next to the rocks.

According to muntii-nostri.ro the blue dot from Dorna Candrenilor also passes the rocks: by tarmac to Poiana Negrii, by gravel road past a monastery to the Twelve Apostles skete (about 1,600 m, at the forest edge), then to the Apa Rece glade – a trail junction at the entrance to the national park with a rest area, a map board and a drinking-water spring a little lower. From there the path, together with the red dot, crosses the Lucaciu rocks to the Apostles, mostly through dwarf pine. The red dot is the circuit of the Călimani caldera (about 50 km, 3–4 days, little water); the blue dot is a long route to Călimanul Cerbului (about 36 km, 13–14 hours).

What you see from the summit

According to muntii-nostri.ro, from neighbouring Lucaciu you see the Rodna and Bârgău mountains, and from the rocks themselves the highest summit of the Călimani, Pietrosul Călimanilor (2,100 m), and to the north the Suhard chain with Oușorul (1,639 m).

Nature and history

Among the rocks people recognise a bearded old man to the north, an old man to the south, a bear with a bowed head and a woman resembling Nefertiti; the most mysterious is “Moșul” (the Old Man) with three human faces. Muntii-nostri.ro lists further names: the Martyr, the Marshal, Ramses, the Lizard. In a villager’s yard in Gura Haitii a “Museum of Megaliths” keeps three carved stones with undeciphered inscriptions found in 1987 on the way to the Apostles. On the feast of the Twelve Apostles, 29 June, people from the surrounding villages still climb here to celebrate “Moșii din Călimani”.

Safety, season and rules

The rocks lie in the Călimani National Park. Under its rules the fee is 10 lei for adults and 5 lei for pupils and students (at the visitor centre in Șaru Dornei or from rangers on the trail); walking only on marked paths, tents only in designated places, fires strictly forbidden, no litter (park rules). Salvamont advises checking the forecast for the next 24 hours, not going alone, telling family your route, carrying a map, compass, torch, enough water and a charged phone, and leaving the open ridge at once if a thunderstorm comes. In winter, says muntii-nostri.ro, the routes are passable only depending on the snow, which hides the waymarks on the open ridge.

Bears are common in these mountains. Stay on the marked paths, call out as you walk, do not hike in the evening or at night, do not keep food in your tent and store it away from your camp. Sheepdogs near sheepfolds may rush at hikers – do not run, stop and shield yourself with your rucksack. In an emergency call the national dispatch 0SALVAMONT – 0725 826 668 or 112; advice on animal encounters is on the Salvamont România website.