OFF52 Ineu – Valea Întunecoasă

In 2020 we wanted to cross the mountains from the Ciuc depression to the Valea Întunecoasă village (Dark Valley). We tried a road that starts near the railway viaduct from Caracău but we came across a difficult part and we returned.

In 2021 we tried another route. We left Ineu village, on a road that goes up to Livezi village. The first part is flat, we cross a field, so the road is quite flat. Then we start to climb a hill, at first a little steeper, then softer along the level lines. The surface of the road is with sandy soil but also some stone, enough to be relatively ok even after a more serious rain. After a few kilometers of easy climbing through a pasture area, we will reach a intersection. We’ll take the road on the left.

We enter the forest and after 1-2 km relatively horizontal the road begins to become more uneven and a steep climb of almost 1.5 km follows. After this we reach a sheepfold. Here the road turns to the right, we cross a stream and enter a dense coniferous forest. Here the grass almost covers the road in places but we can’t get lost. Slowly, slowly the forest thins and we will come out in the communal road 111, the one we told you about at the beginning, that is the one that goes up from the Caracău viaduct.

From now on, the road is a bit better and it follows a section where we go on the deforested peaks of the Hășmaș mountains. We are at almost 1400m altitude and the landscape is spectacular. On this part you will probably find a few small parts with mud but nothing to be afraid of. Be careful because a few hundred meters after entering DC111 there is a slightly steeper slope but with many boulders. It needs to be approached with more determination and lots of acceleration. 

We pass a few sheepfolds and reach an intersection. Our route descends to the right. If you go straight ahead, the road continues up the mountain ridge to some viewpoints. We didn’t go there because it was starting to rain and the visibility was very poor. If the weather is nice, it’s probably worth going for the scenery.

The road that descends is pretty good, it’s a forest road used by big trucks, so going down to the village won’t be a problem.

We will reach the asphalt in the village of Valea Întunecoasă and from here we can go on DN 12A in Ghimeș pass.

From here you can try several off-road routes, you have them all marked above on the map or on the main page www.2ride.eu.