Toroiaga

Toroiaga (Romanian: Vârful Toroiaga, also Toroioaga) is the highest summit of the massif of the same name in the Romanian part of the Maramureș Mountains (Munții Maramureșului), 1,930 m above sea level. It lies in Maramureș County above the mining village of Băile Borșa (about 5.5 km) and the town of Borșa (almost 10 km), between the Vișeu and Vaser valleys. According to the route descriptions on muntii-nostri.ro, the highest part of the massif is the sharp Toroiaga crest, the neighbouring top Piciorul Caprei is 1,804 m, and a mining boundary marker stands on the summit itself.

How to get there / routes

From the Prislop pass (route 10, red stripe). The Prislop pass (1,416 m) is the highest in the Eastern Carpathians. From there, according to muntii-nostri.ro, the route follows mostly forest and tractor roads via Tarnița Țâfa, past the peaks Hăjmaru, Cornul Nedeii and Strungi, the Fântâna Stanchii hut, the old hand-paved «Drumul Războiului» path, the Prislopul Cataramei meadow and the Gâliu saddle (1,430 m) to the Lucăciasa refuge. Then a former mining road through dwarf pine leads to the Toroiaga crest and along it to the summit. It is 30.4 km, 10–13 hours and more than 1,700 m of ascent; the route is considered technical.

From Băile Borșa and the Vaser valley (route 9, red triangle). The path from the Măcârlău stop of the Vaser valley narrow-gauge railway to Băile Borșa (15.6 km, 6–8 hours) passes below the Toroiaga crest via the Lucăciasa saddle; from the refuge the red stripe leads to the summit.

What you can see from the summit

According to muntii-nostri.ro, the summit offers a wide panorama: to the north-west Pietrosul Bardăului peak and, in the distance, Mount Farcău; below winds the Vaser valley with small lakes. To the south you see the Rodna ridge and Mount Cearcănu.

Nature and history

The Toroiaga massif has a long mining history: on route 9 you pass the abandoned mining colonies of Măcârlău and Gura Băii, adits and spoil heaps, and the slopes above the Vaser valley bear the scars of mining. Near the Măcârlău stop stands a stone dam (haitul) built in 1850 for floating timber. On the route from Prislop you may meet the black grouse, a protected bird. Near the crest you can see traces of an old fire in the dwarf pine.

Safety, season and rules

According to muntii-nostri.ro, the routes to Toroiaga require good navigation skills: the waymarks are faded or sparse in places, especially in logging areas. The traverse of the Toroiaga crest and the slopes below Piciorul Caprei are avalanche-prone in winter. In winter the high ridges carry a serious avalanche risk — follow the avalanche bulletin of Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) on meteoromania.ro.

Bears are common in the Romanian Carpathians. Salvamont rescuers advise not to hike alone, to talk loudly so that an animal hears you in advance, to keep your distance and never feed wildlife, and to store food in sealed containers away from your tent; if you meet a bear, do not run and back away slowly without turning your back.

Mountain rescue: Salvamont national dispatch 0SALVAMONT = 0725 826 668 and the emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• The Prislop pass, where the route starts, is the highest pass of the Eastern Carpathians.
• The summit of Toroiaga is marked by a mining boundary marker.

Photos: Martin Kozák, Public domain; Martin Kozák, Public domain — Wikimedia Commons.