Rodnei Mountains - geophysical characterization

Localization: is in the Northern part of Romania and Transylvania and belongs to the Northern group of the Eastern Carpathians, within which it is part of the Western group together with the Oas, Gutâi, Tibles, Suhard, Bârgau and Maramures Mountains.

Appearance and landscape: the Rodnei Mountains is one of the most impressive mountain in the Carpathians, the highest in the Eastern Carpathians. Within this part of the Carpathian chain it is only in the Rodnei Mountains that we can find glittering tarns and typical icescoured valleys. Huge, spectacular caves were formed in this limestone region; many speleologists from the country and abroad visit them regularly. The cataracts appearing at every step along rapid streams also heighten the touristic appeal of the mountain. The most popular ski-grounds of the region are also in the Rodnei Mountains therefore tourists come here in the wintertime too.

The Rodnei Mountains is in fact an asymmetric, towering horst. The Northern-directed slopes and side-ridges are short and highly inclined while the Southern-directed ones are long and gently sloping. The Rodnei Mountains has a distinct main ridge which is connected on the East and West to the ridges of the neighbouring mountains. The main ridge is 50 kilometers long between the Setref Pass (817 m) and Rotunda Pass (1271 m). More than half of the main ridge is made up of alpine ridge portions and on a length of more kilometers leads above a 2000 m height. There are several pyramid-shaped peaks along the ridge; their difference of level as compared to the saddles along the ridge is 200-250 m. The highest peak of the mountain is not along the main ridge but on the most alpine Northern-directed side ridge. The 2303 m high peak is called Pietrosul Rodnei. This is the highest point in the Eastern Carpathians. There are some more five more peaks above 2200 m (Ineu, Ineut, Rebra, Rebra Mica and Grohotu) and six peaks above 2100 m (Puzdra, Buhaiescu Mare, Aniesul Mare,Gârgalau, Omului, Rosu).

The surface forms created by the ice age glaciers are most typical of this landscape. They were not formed to such an extent in other mountains of the Eastern Carpathians. Parallel glacial valleys of various size follow each other on the Northern side; the length of the ice flows did not surpass 3-4 km even during the greatest cooling downs. In some places there are sharp ridges between the glacial valleys, the most typical around the Pietrosu and Ineu.

The great, spectacular cave systems make the mountain memorable. They are nature conservation ares and therefore may be visited with pemission only. We must mention the following : Izvorul Tausoarelor Cave (L=570 m, H=30 m), Grota Zânelor Cave (L=4368 m, H=112 m), Iza Cave (L=2440m) and Schneider Cave (L=490 m).

Geological Structure: from geological point of view the Rodnei Moutains ar part of the middle chain of Eastern Carpathians, made up mainly of crystalline and metamorfic rocks. West of this chain there is a volcanic chain and East of it the sedimentary and folded chain.

The Rodnei Mountains consists mainly of metamorfic rocks made up of gneiss, mica schist, amphbolite, quartz, chlorite schist, graphitic schist and crystalic limestone. The magmatic rocks can be found recrystallised in all three series of crystallic rocks. The various prodicts of Neogene volcanic activity (rhyolite, dacite, andesite and basalt to a lesser extent) can be found mainly in the Southern of the mountain. Sedimentary rocks surround the crystalline core of the Rodnei Mountains. Limestone, conglomerates, sandstone, marl and argillaceous-sandstone rocks can be found in these mountains.

Hydrography: the greatest part of the streams abounding in water belong to the water-system of the Tisza through the Somesul Mare, the greatest river of North-Transylvania on the Southern part and the Viseu and Iza rivers on the Northern part. Some streams in the North- Eastern part of the mountain aree branches of the Bistrita Aurie which is part of the water-system of the Siret.

Waterfalls: There are several large and spectacular waterfalls in the Rodnei Mountains, increasing its touristic appeal. The most important are: Cascada Cailor (h=80 m), Cascada Buhaiescu Mare (h=20 m), Cascada Puzdra (h=20 m),Cascada Verde (h=20 m).

Lakes: there are 25 great permanent lakes in the mountain, mos of them glacial. They lay at 1800-1950 m heigh above sea level and all of them are behind the morenas (the brash piled up by the glaciers) or in the glacial amphitheatres. Well developed glaciers had been only in the northern part of the mountain (except Lala glacier complex), therefore glacial lakes are also only North to the main ridge.