Geoláda: Izvorul Gabrienii

This is the eighteenth cache of our series, Sacred Springs. A sacred spring, or holy well, is a small body of water emerging from underground and venerated either in a pagan or a Christian context, often both. The term is commonly employed to refer to any water source of limited size which has some significance in the folklore of the local area. This can take the form of a particular name, an associated legend, or the attribution of healing qualities. In Christian legend, the spring water is often said to have been made to flow by the action of a saint. Our approach on the sacrality of these springs is slightly profane: it refers mostly to the holiness of native land.

Din staţiune urmăm marcajul bandă roşie până la intrarea în poiana Şesul Cald. Aici părăsim drumul carosabil şi marcajul şi ne abatem spre dreapta, pe un drum ce urcă foarte lin cu marcajul cruce galbena. Intrăm în pădure. După nu mult timp, drumul se bifurcă (putem merge pe oricare dintre variante) şi ieşim în poiana Buhuia. În stânga vedem două colibe. În dreapta se zăreşte, nu mult deasupra noastră, baliza topo ce marchează punctul culminant al vârfului Buscat (1676 m). Dincolo de o fâşie de brazi, din stânga-jos vine drumul ce urcă din Valea Ierii, de la lacul Bondureasa, pe la Măruţa. Reintrăm în pădure. Ajungem la frumosul izvor Fântâna Găbrienii. Marcajul cruce galbena ne aduce inapoi pe drumul carosabil.

From the resort we follow the red sign until the entrance to the glade Sesul Cald. Here we leave the road and the red sign and we turn right, on a road that goes very smoothly with the yellow cross mark. We go into the woods. After not long, the road forks (we can go any way) and we arrive to Buhuia meadow. On the left we see two huts. To the right is visible, not far above us, the topo beacon marking the top of Buscat peak (1676 m). Beyond a strip of fir, from the bottom-left comes the road that comes up from Iara Valley, from Lake Bondureasa through Măruţa. We re-enter the forest. We arrive at the beautiful spring Fountain Gabrienii. The yellow cross mark brings us back to the main road.