Vârful Cucurbăta Mare, Mountain summit in Criștioru de Jos, Romania.
Vârful Cucurbăta Mare is a mountain peak in the Apuseni range, part of the Western Carpathians, reaching 1849 meters. The summit features a broad, rounded plateau that slopes gradually as you move away from the highest point.
Mountaineering societies established the first marked trails in the early 20th century to enable people to reach and explore this area. Over time, the pathways were improved and better maintained to support increasing visitor access.
The name comes from the Romanian word for pumpkin, inspired by the rounded shape of the summit. This name reflects how locals have always seen and described this distinctive profile.
Multiple marked trails lead to the summit, with routes from the surrounding valleys taking between four and five hours to complete. Good hiking boots and layered clothing are important since weather changes quickly at this elevation.
As you climb higher, the vegetation shifts noticeably from dense coniferous forest below 1600 meters to alpine plants above that line. This transition zone demonstrates how sensitive mountain ecosystems are to small changes in elevation.
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