Photo credit: (c) Eugenia Pasca / AGERPRES

‘With several unique, gorgeous things, protected in zones of special preservation, Padis is sheltering on almost 25 square kilometres the biggest density of reserves and monuments of Apuseni. Naturally this is a reason of pride for the Bihor citizens and Romanians in general, because they are representative at European level through the natural potential they have at hand,’ professor Lucian Nistor, technical director with the County Rescue Salvamont Service — Salvaspeo Bihor told Agerpres.

In his opinion, tourism in such an area should be conceived through three characteristics: ecological, economic and educational. As karstic phenomena, says he, they are the most impressive of Romania, but as they have a natural park status, and not a national park one, which excludes any human intervention, a more favourable symbiosis is requested of the environment with the local community.

‘The need of the nature and the need of the community should be both considered. Although the forest was exploited from ancient times, naturally — otherwise it dies, here, unfortunately it is exploited without wisdom, in an exaggerated way, both against the natural regeneration potential of the forest and against the reforestation activities. This is the aspect noticed in Padis. Yet what tourism can one perform if one has no accommodation?’ Nistor said.

The first step for the Padis tourism was the county road’s rehabilitation connecting it with the DN 76 Oradea-Deva, close to Beius. The 29 km were asphalt-covered by the Bihor County Council, for this major tourist project through a 76 million lei European financing. The road was completed in 2012.

Although the access to Padis is feasible on a “like in the palm” road, up there, on the mountain lack the accommodation infrastructure and facilities for now. There exist only three half boards under construction, remained at red brick stage. Here, in this area the construction is allowed, yet special approvals should be obtained to prevent the special conservation areas. Such areas are several, as Poiana Ponor or the oligotrophic bogs.

Tourists could stroll, by foot, the Catatile Ponorului, Cheile Galbenei, Cetatile Radesei circuits or the Lumea pierduta (The lost world) trail where the mountain fans could discover karstic valleys, sinks, karstic close depression, Poiana Ponor, caves and potholes, cascades.

In the Padis area, the deepest cave in Romania exists, the Valea Rea cave, at minus 600 metres depth, with an up to 800-metre potential.

The most visited, unarranged from the tourist point of view cave is the Cetatile Ponorului karstic complex, with the highest gateway in Europe, 120 metres. The underground side is not included in the tourist tour, as it is reserved only to the amateur and professional speleologists with certain training.

The wild Cheile Galbenei, with their famous tunnel, its fan-like cascade and even the gorges themselves are of a remarkable complexity and grandeur. The Catatile Radesei is an old cave, a true geological laboratory, in the last evolutionary phase of a cave, following that within a few thousands of years, should the man doesn’t accelerate this process, the cave would transform itself in a gorge, experts say.

The Padis Plateau, of a rare beauty still just a little touched by the anthropic influence is famous through its characteristic micro-climate through a so-called Padis-fog which forms itself in the warm period of the year, a phenomenon studied by meteorologists and climatologists, which confer a certain magic to the area.

Mandatory, in Padis one should remind the five ice caves of Romania: Scarisoara, Barsa, Focul Viu (Living Fire), Zapodie and Avenul Negru (The Black Ravine). They could be visited but, unfortunately the ice volume diminishes year-by-year, in front of a not so encouraging perspective that within a few years the ice will disappear, especially in the Zapodie and Barsa caves.

“We cannot cut tourism, we cannot protect the environment but trying to protect it actively. To shut down an area is both an utopia and counter-productive, it is easier to control it than impose it by force. From my viewpoint, the creation of the Natural Park of Apuseni including areas from three counties is beneficial, but this body should enforce its rules in order to control the tourist flow, to make an ecological education, to establish certain regulations and least but not last to set up the punitive means,’ the mountain rescuer said.

As regards the tourist routes, the Salvamont Service technical director says everything that means tourist marking was being restructured and aligned with the European norms. From a tourist artery, with a red belt crossing the Oriental Carpathians from North to South, tourist routes were opened or re-arranged to the main tourist objectives in the area, yet in order to cut the anthropic impact all of those are circuits. The Padis is connected through a red belt with the artery which starts from the Vladeasa Mts, and passes through the Stana de Vale, then through the Padis, Glavoi, Vartop, the Bihorul Mare Peak and the Gaina Mt.

All Padis circuits are marked and approved in accordance with the procedure issued by the Tourism Ministry. Each route has its own file and it corresponds entirely to the legal norms.

For the tourists’ security, the mountain rescuers have made technical safety arrangements in the area. So, in the gateway of the Cetatile Ponorului, on the access trail steps and a cable were put for the tourists to help themselves when climbing up or down. Other technical arrangements are in the third sink, on the Galbenei Gorges with balustrades, in the Cetatile Radesei — a cable, steps and chains, and in the Vartop area, the rescuers have participated in arranging a via-ferrata route in the Pietrele Negre area.

Accomodation in Padis with tents, is only agreed in places especially dedicated, meaning around the Padis cottage and in the area of the Glavoi clearing; in the rest, camping is forbidden. The Apuseni Natural Park Administration has itself rangers as employees in this respect. The Salvamont Service ensures the preventive patrol and first-aid granting through its fixed permanent posts at Stana de Vale, Poiana Glavoi and Vartop. The Salvamont Service could be appealed at 112 emergency number or at the national dispatcher, calling 0 Salvamont.

‘The mountain hikes have recreational, spiritual and of physical nature features, meaning movement, which is so necessary to the modern mankind. Let’s not forget that this area of Apuseni of maximum landscape and cultural value should be known, appreciated and protected in a beneficial communion both to the man and to the Mother Nature,’ Lucian Nistor highlighted. AGERPRES