Peștera Toșorog

Peștera Toșorog lies at about 965 m above sea level in the east-north-east slope of Toșorog mountain, on the right side of the Bradului (Capra) valley, about 9 km upstream of its confluence with the Bicaz. It is in Bicazu Ardelean commune, on the north-western side of the village of Telec, close to county road DJ127A, in the north-east of the Hășmaș Mountains, near the border between Neamț and Harghita counties. The cave formed in Upper Cretaceous conglomerate made up mostly of limestone fragments, as fissures and bedding planes were gradually widened by dissolution and erosion, together with collapses from the ceiling and walls. It is a labyrinth about 423 m long with a vertical range of 57 m. It is a fossil cave that no longer carries water, and its dripstone formations were deposited during a period with a much wetter climate than today. Mapping of the cave began in 1966 with N. Valenciuc, I. Ion and M. Harea of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași, and full exploration was carried out in 1988 by the Montana Sports Club of Onești. The 1-hectare site was placed under protection in 1971 at the proposal of the Natural Sciences Museum in Piatra Neamț, became a mixed nature reserve in 1994, and this status was confirmed by Law no. 5/2000. The cave shelters a bat colony that has been affected by disturbance from visitors. Access is along a marked trail with information panels. The cave is not developed for tourism and has no lighting. The first two chambers are easy to reach, but beyond them the route passes through a 4-5 m hole and connecting passages mostly under 1 m high, so going further requires equipment and someone with caving experience. Some of the stalactites and stalagmites have been destroyed, and the walls bear traces of fires and graffiti.