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Măguri-Răcătău – Mount Smidele

Start: Măguri-Răcătău
Range: Bihor-Vlădeasa Mountains
Hiking routes of the Romanian Carpathians
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25.3 kmLength
1 002 mAscent
117 mDescent
1 643 mMax. altitude
720 mMin. altitude

Trail map

Route, springs and shelters: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · elevation: Copernicus DEM © DLR e.V., © Airbus DS · Data & licences

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About the trail

Route Măguri-Răcătău – Mount Smidele. Has yellow marking (regional route). Waymarking data: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL).

Marked regional tourist route. The marking is yellow, the sign is a vertical stripe on a white background. Length of the route — 25.3 km. Location: mountain range — Bihor and Vlădeasa, Romania.

At a glance

A one-day route of 25.3 km with 1,002 m of ascent from Măguri-Răcătău to Mount Smidele. Estimated walking time: about 8 h, not counting stops. Difficulty: hard. Waymarking: yellow.

How we estimate walking time

By Naismith's rule, used by mountain clubs and guidebooks: an average hiker walks 4 km an hour on the flat and needs one more hour for every 600 m of ascent. For this trail: 25.3 km ÷ 4 = 6.3 h + 1,002 m ÷ 600 = 1.7 h, about 8 h of walking in total.

  • Breaks, snacks and photos: add 20–30 %.
  • A heavy pack, children, snow, a wet path or windfall add more; a long steep descent also takes time, especially for the knees.
  • The height of the Carpathians (up to 2,655 m) hardly changes the pace — on the ridges wind, fog and weather slow you down.
  • Limits: up to 9 h is one day; 9–13 h is a very long day or two; over 13 h means several days with overnight stays.

Route stages

  1. 0–6 kmClimb of 300 m (up to 1,029 m)
  2. 6–13 kmGentle ups and downs at 1,020–1,190 m
  3. 13–15 kmClimb of 200 m (up to 1,386 m)
  4. 15–25 kmAlong the ridge at 1,380–1,640 m

Steepest kilometre: km 13–14, a climb of 150 m (≈15%).

Water and overnight stays

Springs near the trail: at km 3 and 9. There are no springs between km 9 and 25 — carry at least 3 l of water.

When to go

Best time: June to September. In winter only for experienced hikers with proper gear: avalanche danger is possible. About 7 km of the route runs above 1,500 m, where the weather changes quickly — check the forecast.

Getting there

Start: Măguri-Răcătău. This is a one-way route: the finish is 15 km from the start in a straight line, so plan your way back in advance.

Directions to the start in Google Maps

FAQ

How long does the route take?
Estimated walking time: about 8 h, not counting stops.
Is there water on the route?
Springs near the trail: at km 3 and 9. There are no springs between km 9 and 25 — carry at least 3 l of water.

Water and shelter on the route

  1. Spring below Dealu Negruțakm 3.4 from the start · Not verified · 894 m
  2. Spring (Măguri)km 8.7 from the start · Not verified · 1 079 m

All springs of the CarpathiansAll Carpathian huts

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Comments and trail condition

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Wildlife along the route

All
Heatherfruit nowIn season nowHeatherCalluna vulgarisA low evergreen shrub with lilac flowers that blooms at the end of summer. It grows on acidic poor soils.
Eurasian jayIn season nowEurasian jayGarrulus glandariusA colorful forest bird with a blue 'mirror' on its wing. Its creaky call is the first to warn the forest about a human.
Spotted nutcrackerIn season nowSpotted nutcrackerNucifraga caryocatactesA brown bird with white spots of the spruce forests that hides thousands of nuts and seeds of the cedar pine — and thus plants the forest.

Based on naturalists’ records nearby (GBIF, iNaturalist), matched by altitude, habitat and season. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Trails nearby

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Craft nearby

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