OFF34 Izvoare – Mădăraș

From the access road that goes to the Mădăraș Harghita ski resort, after leaving the village of Izvoare, if you keep it straight, there is an unpaved road that passes the Harghita mountains from West to East. The asphalt ends right at the intersection when you exit the road to Cabana Mădăraș. At first the road is relatively flat and fairly straight. Then it starts to climb. The slope is quite constant and in about 8 km we will reach the point of maximum altitude. Although we reach 1307m altitude, we will have only a few tighter curves and only a serpentine. So far the road is quite well maintained, it seems that it has recently been covered with gravel and leveled.

As soon as we start descending, the road surface deteriorates. Not too bad but enough to make portions of mud or sludge. But don’t be scared because as we go down the road gets better and better. Even the last part after leaving the forest and up to the village of Mădăraș, the road becomes very wide and there are parts where you can go easily ride with 70-80 km/h.

From a landscape point of view, this road is not very spectacular because almost the whole route is through the forest. We only have a clearing in the top area and a few kilometers of open land on the last portion. Here you can admire in the distance the Hășmaș mountains and the Ciuc depression.

The road is quite accessible regardless of experience. It can be ridden without problems even by those with little experience in off-road riding. It is good for beginners because it also has climbing areas with gravel and low grip, a slightly more technical descent area and a speed zone. But none of these parts are difficult, and the road is long enough for you to practice and gain the courage to ride on more difficult roads.