Țarcu Peak

Țarcu Peak (Romanian Vârful Țarcu, Hungarian Szárkő) is a 2,190 m summit in the Țarcu Mountains, on the western edge of the Southern Carpathians in Romania, in Caraș-Severin County. It gave its name to the whole massif and, together with Căleanu and Pietrii, is one of its three highest peaks; sources give the heights of this trio differently – from 2,190 to 2,199 m – and Romanian Wikipedia considers Căleanu (2,196 m) the highest. A weather station stands on the summit. The Țarcu Mountains have the shape of an almost isosceles triangle: the Timiș valley bounds them to the west, the Bistra valley to the north, and the valleys of the Rece, Șes and Mare rivers to the south and east, beyond which lie the Godeanu and Retezat mountains.

The main ridge runs from north-east to south-west and consists of several parts: Țarcu – Căleanu, Baicu – Nedeia and Pietrii – Petreanu (Bloju); to the west stands Muntele Mic with its ski resort. According to English Wikipedia, together with the Retezat, Godeanu and Cerna mountains these ranges form one of the few large intact forest landscapes in Europe.

How to get there / trails

A trail marked with a red stripe – the main ridge route of the massif – crosses the summit. It starts at the Tomeasa colony below the Gura Apelor dam, climbs the Corciova valley to the Iepii saddle and Mătania (Nedeia) peak, leads over the Șcheiului and Șuculețului saddles to Țarcu and then descends via the Plaiului saddle to the Cuntu weather station. Romanian Wikipedia lists the main gateways: the Bistra valley (the village of Bucova is a good starting point), Hațeg, Poiana Mărului, the neighbouring Godeanu and Retezat, and the villages of the Timiș – Cerna corridor south of Caransebeș. The routes here are long and lonely, so plan with plenty of spare time.

What you can see from the summit

Țarcu is a high, isolated summit on the western edge of the Carpathians, so it is visible from afar: its snowy dome can be seen even from the road between Lugoj and Băile Herculane. Sources give no detailed description of the summit panorama, but by position the Godeanu Mountains lie to the south-east of Țarcu and the Retezat to the east.

Nature and history

The Țarcu Mountains are dominated by weakly metamorphosed crystalline schists pierced by granite bodies. In the Cretaceous this rigid basement was overridden by a nappe of deeply metamorphosed schists; erosion almost removed it, but one remnant survives precisely on Țarcu Peak and extends from there to the south-east, forming the Godeanu Mountains. At 2,000–2,200 m there are well-preserved remains of the ancient Borăscu planation surface. Glaciers worked here during the ice age: in the Oboroacele cirque at 1,950 m the lake Iezerul Țarcu lies among screes, the Rece river (about 34 km long) springs from a glacial cirque on the eastern face of the peak, and the Lung and Pârâul Alb rise on its western slope.

The climate is harsh: the mean annual temperature on the summit is about 0 °C, in January about −9 °C. The highest ridges have up to 200 frost days a year, snow can fall above 1,500 m in any month, the snow cover at the weather station usually exceeds one metre and in the glacial cirques reaches 2–3 m. North and south winds prevail.

Above 1,600–1,800 m there are alpine meadows and scrub with dwarf mountain pine, juniper, rhododendron and bilberry, and the protected Swiss stone pine grows on Custura Mătaniei. Chamois and capercaillie live here, and in the forests bear, wolf, roe deer, wild boar and stone marten; trout and grayling inhabit the mountain streams and lakes. The mountains form the Natura 2000 site “Munții Țarcu” (ROSCI0126), over 58,000 ha in area, designated in 2007; the species it was declared for include the European bison, wolf, lynx and otter.

Safety, season and rules

Western winds bring a lot of precipitation to these mountains, and the weather changes quickly. Snow lies in the high cirques from October–November until June, in places until July, so in winter and spring the ridge requires winter equipment and experience. Salvamont advises not going into the mountains alone, telling someone your route, carrying a map, compass, torch and enough water, and leaving the ridge at once if a thunderstorm comes.

Bears are common here. Stay on the marked paths, talk or call out from time to time, do not hike in the evening or at night, do not keep food in your tent and hang it away from your camp. Sheepdogs near sheepfolds may rush at hikers – do not run, 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.

Photos: Brakawa, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.