Mircii

Mircii (Romanian Vârful Mircii) is a 2,470 m summit in the central part of the Făgăraș Mountains, in Argeș County. It stands right on the main ridge, which here also carries the E8 European long-distance path, between the Vârtopului saddle to the west and the Podragu saddle to the east. At its very foot, to the south-east, lies the glacial Lake Podu Giurgiului, which Munții Noștri also calls Lake Mircii, and a long spur, Piciorul Mircii, runs south from the summit and frames the Podu Giurgiului cirque.

According to Romanian Wikipedia, Mircii is climbed either from the neighbouring Arpașul Mare, which stands very close by, or from the Podragu side, from Lake Podu Giurgiului. Together with Podragu and Arpașul Mare it forms a trio of almost equally high summits, clearly seen from the Podu Giurgiului cirque.

How to get there / routes

The red-stripe ridge path crosses the summit. From the east it is reached from the Podragu saddle, where paths arrive from the Podragu hut, from the town of Victoria and from the Buda valley. From the saddle the path runs along the southern slope of Podragu to Lake Podu Giurgiului (2,270 m); according to Munții Noștri it is a good camping spot, and west of the lake there is a spring – one of the few on this section. By the lake you can see the ruins of the Podu Giurgiului shelter, destroyed by avalanches.

From the lake, steep zigzags on scree lead to the summit – Munții Noștri describes this slope as abrupt. From the west, from the Vârtopului saddle (2,287 m), a long climb leads to the top; you can cross the summit or bypass it on the north side. From the south the Podu Giurgiului cirque can also be reached from the Transfăgărășan road – by the forest road of the Buda valley to the Podu Giurgiului sheepfolds and then by the blue-triangle path up the Podu Giurgiului valley; according to Munții Noștri this route takes about 10 hours.

What you see from the summit

Captions of Munții Noștri photos taken on Mircii mention the view west to Negoiu and Lespezi and to Vânătarea lui Buteanu. Below the summit to the east lies the cirque with Lake Podu Giurgiului and beyond it Podragu; a little further east, by position, rise Viștea Mare and Moldoveanu, but the sources give no detailed description of the panorama.

Nature and history

Lake Podu Giurgiului belongs to the group of glacial lakes on the southern side of the Făgăraș – Romanian Wikipedia also lists Capra, Buda and Călțun among them. The cirque below Mircii is one of many in the central, highest part of the range. The Piciorul Mircii spur and the Scărișoara and Coastele Mari ridges, which branch off Moldoveanu, together outline the Podu Giurgiului cirque, clearly visible from the Podragu saddle.

The ruined shelter by the lake is a reminder of the avalanches that come down into the cirques below the ridge in winter. In the Buda valley below the cirque there are sheepfolds, so in summer flocks graze here and you may meet sheepdogs.

Safety, season and rules

The Făgăraș ridge is the Natura 2000 site “Munții Făgăraș” (ROSCI0122), not a national park; follow its regulations and keep to marked paths. The descent from the summit to the lake is steep scree – take special care in rain and fog. Munții Noștri considers the ridge route inaccessible in winter: snow hides the waymarks and avalanches sweep the cirques – follow the bulletin at meteoromania.ro. In summer beware of thunderstorms on the open ridge and carry water: springs are few and, according to Munții Noștri, can be hard to find.

Bears are common in the Făgăraș. Call out, do not keep food in your tent by the lake, and do not run from dogs near sheepfolds – shield yourself with your rucksack. In an emergency call the national dispatch 0SALVAMONT – 0725 826 668 or 112; advice is on the Salvamont România website.

Photos: This image is a work by Mercy. When reusing, please credit me as: Mercy from Wikimedia Commons. I would appreciate being, CC BY-SA 3.0; Hardsr, Public domain; Cioboata Andrei, CC BY 3.0; The original uploader was AnaZ at Romanian Wikipedia., CC BY 2.5 — Wikimedia Commons.