Vf. Poienii / Mező-havas

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Apuseni (Western Transylvanian Mountains)
- Additional Parents
- Vlădeasa Mountains
Vf. Poienii / Mező-havas

Page Type:	Mountain/Rock
Lat/Lon:	46.66759°N / 22.64361°E
County:	Bihor
Activities:	Hiking
Season:	Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Elevation:	5331 ft / 1625 m
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Topographic isolation: 1.5 km
Nearest higher peak: Vf. Bohodei / Istenek havasa (1654 m)
Prominence: 145 m

Overview

The valley of Dragan with Buteasa (1792 m)

Romanian name: Vf. Poienii

Spotted Junipers on the flat summit
Hungarian name: Mező-havas

In the following text I give both the Romanian and the Hungarian versions of the geographical names. Why? The mountain is in Romania, but it was part of Hungary or the Hungarian Principality of Transylvania during 1000 years. And it is a favourite hiking destination for tourist who live in eastern Hungary and in Budapest.

Most of the Western Transylvanian Mountains are covered by forests. Exceptions are some inhabited and cultivated areas – and some higher mountain ridges. One of these higher grassy mountain ridges in the western part of the mountain range is a long U-shaped ridge that close in the valley of Drăgan/Nagy-Sebes.

This 18 km long grassy ridge has the following summits in sequence from northwest to northeast:

Vf. Piatra Calului / Ló-havas (1463 m)
Belvedere Raia / Édenkert (1395 m)
Vf. Muncei / Kis-havas (1411 m)
Vf. Poienii / Mező-havas (1625 m)
Vf. Bohodei / Istenek havasa (1654 m)
Vf. Fântâna Rece / Hideg-kút (1654 m)
Vf. Cârligatele / Horgas-havas (1694 m)
Vf. Briței / Sík-havas (1759 m)
Vf. Stânişoara / Ugrókő (1683 m)
Buteasa / Bocsásza (1792 m)

As you can see from this list, Vf. Poienii/Mező-havas is not the highest of the summits. But it is one of the summits that can be reached relatively easily.

Vf. Poienii/Mező-havas forms part of the watershed between Crișul Negru/Fekete-Körös and Crișul Repede/Sebes-Körös. Sebes-Körös is 209 km long river while Fekete-Körös is 168 km long. Though their sources are in Romania, their confluence is in Hungary.

On the Summit

The neighbouring peak - the rocky Vf. Bohodei

The western slopes of the summit is covered by pasture land, while the eastern slopes are covered by low bushes of junipers. This vegetation allows 360 degree panoramic view for its visitors. Since the summit is enough high, you can see many important summits of the Western Transylvanian Mountains:

NE: Vlădeasa/Vigyázó (1836 m) and Buteasa/Bocsásza (1792 m)
E: Vf. Briței/Sík-havas (1759 m)
SE: Vf. Bohodei/Istenek havasa (1654 m)
S: Vf. Cucurbăta Mare/Nagy-Bihar (1849 m)
W: Vf. Pleşu/Szár-tető (1112 m)

Routes

The summit of Vf. Poienii/Mező-havas can be accessed from three directions on marked trails:

From Stâna de Vale/Biharfüred. This is the shortest route. Distance: 2 x 4 km. Elevation gain 525 m.
From Saua Băiţa/Feredő-nyereg. This is the route with the smallest elevation gain. This trail has an exciting section on a sharp rocky ridge near Vf. Custurilor/Kusztura. Distance: 2 x 5 km. Net elevation gain 427 m. Cumulated elevation gain: 510 m
From Satul de vacanţă Boga/Bogatelep. Long approach from south. This route is recommended if somebody wants to hike from Satul de vacanţă Boga/Bogatelep to Stâna de Vale/Biharfüred. The effort to walk this long route is rewarded also by the rocky peak of Vf. Bohodei/Istenek havasa. Distance: 2 x 10 km. Net elevation gain 1105 m. Cumulated elevation gain: 1445 m.

All these 3 trailheads can be accessed with car, from western direction, on narrow but paved roads. These mountain roads are side-roads of the European transit road E79 that connects Oradea/Nagyvárad with Deva/Déva.