DESCRIPTION
Trail: Bratca – Lorău – Ponor – Under the Ponor Hill – Iadului Valley – Bulz – Bratca
Start off from the center of Bratca village towards the exit to Borod and go straight ahead just before the railroad crossing, following the road sign for Lorău and Ponoară. Go along Crișul Repede river and turn right at the first intersection, right at the road sign for Lorău village. Go uphill through the village as the slope slowly turns sharper, then exit the village and follow the winding road through the forest until it exits into a vast glade with a crossroads. From here on, follow the gentle ups and downs of the road to the first houses of the village. After a short descent, a last continuous climb will take you to the center of the village. From this point there’s a soft descent to the church, where you turn left and follow the most visible road. Going up a little, you will come to Y shaped crossroads, where the roads go around a large sinkhole. Follow the road on the left and pass several intersections going straight ahead, until your road turns 90o to the right, with a less visible road up ahead that’s used for accessing two houses. Keep going uphill. The road turns abruptly to the left, passes the last houses and takes you to the hilltop.
Pay attention! In this area it is highly possible to encounter gates that pose as obstacles in the road. If they are closed, we recommend that you close them as well after pass through, so that the animals of the locals don’t wander out.
This is where the sharp descent towards Valea Iadului (Iadului Valley) begins, crossing secondary access roads (on the right side) to isolated farmhouses. In the valley, turn right on the road you come across and in a short while you will see a small bridge crossing the water. Follow it to the asphalt road where you turn left and continue following the road signs to Bratca.
Challenges:
- Continuous climb to Ponoară;
- Sharp descent towards Valea Iadului (Iadului Valley).
DETAILS
Length: 25 km
Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: difficult
Trail type: cycling tourism
Total elevation gain: 570 m
Surface: asphalt, gravel road
PHOTO GALLERY
LOCATION
PĂDUREA CRAIULUI
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