Hydrology

The entire hydrographical network of the Buila-Vânturariţa Massif depends on the Olt River, through its direct or indirect affluents on the right, which have a north-to-south flowing direction. In Bistrita, Costesti, Otasau, Cheia, and Olanesti, the underground waters have been very active, generating numerous endokarstic phenomena, represented by around 120 caves, and many other exokarstic phenomena smaller as amplitude: steepness, springs, dry valleys, and narrow straits. There are also numerous exokartic phenomena: steepness, swallets, dry valleys, narrow straits. The main rivers, from south-west to north-east, are:

Bistriţa, an affluent of the Olt River that springs from the Căpăţânii Mountains and is formed after the gathering of two main streams: Gurgui (west), coming from Curmătura Rodeanu, and Cuca (east), coming from Curmătura Zănoaga. It passes through the limestone chain of the Massif, carving gorges in its south-western corner, gathering all the waters from Bulzu Mountain and from La Clae Mountain (eastern slopes), through many streams, like the Stream of the Fountain, Bulzului Stream, and others from Mount Arnota (western slope).

Costeşti, left affluent of Bistriţa river, into which it flows south of Costeşti village, springing from the Căpăţânii Mountains (in Curmătura Lespezi), and gathers the waters from the north-western slopes of the massif (the sector to the Lespezi Plateau, the streams, Şasa Voiceşti, Ghelălău and Curmăturii), from the eastern slope of Mount Arnota and the southern slopes of Mount Cacova (Pârâul Sec or Valea Morii). It also carves spectacular gorges, on the itinerary of an important fault that cuts the massif from north to south.

Otăsău, left affluent of Bistriţa, springing from Curmătura Builei and gathering the waters from the southern slopes of Mount Piatra and Mount Albu (Bulzului Valley and Pătrunsa Valley).

Cheia, right affluent of the Olăneşti River, springs from the Căpăţânii Mountains (Zmeuret – Preota area). It gathers the waters from the high area of the Căpăţânii Mountains and from Buila-Vânturariţa, on their north-western and south-eastern slopes. Cheia forms a spectacular sector of gorges, one of the wildest in Romania, carved in the limestones between the Stogu and Vânturariţa peaks.

Olăneşti, right afluent of the river Olt, that springs from the Căpăţânii Mountains (in the Gera Peak), that gathers the waters of the western slope of Mount Stogu. Olăneşti also carves gorges, shorter but also very spectacular with the limestone formations going further to the eastern slope of the gorges.

As for lakes and water accumulations, the massif is rather poor, with only a few small lakes: the antropic ones in Pietreni, generated by the falling rocks on which the waste dump in the Bistriţa quarry, two small ponds (topliţe) on the Bistriţa Gorges and a few small puddles in the sinkholes of Mount Piatra, that during the drought summers, dry off almost entirely.

Underground waters have been very active, generating many endokarst phenomenons, represented by the over 100 caves, and several exokarst ones. There are many water sources like springs, Izvorul Frumos (the Beautiful Spring), near Pahomie Hermitage, being the most important. Smaller ones are located north from Curmătura Builei (at the Stone Cross), in Scărişoara Glade, Pătrunsa Glade and in the Bistriţa Gorges.