FAGARAS MOUNTAINS

Romanian Muntii Fagaras mountain range, the highest section of the Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathian Mountains), south-central Romania. Their steep northern face rises above 8,000 feet (2,450 m) and overlooks the Fagaras Depression, through which flows the Olt River over a gentler gradient south to the Carpathian foothills. The mountains are heavily glaciated, with lakes, fretted peaks, and morainic deposits. The Olt breach defines the western end, the Bran Pass the eastern. Moldoveanu (8,346 feet ) and Negoiu (8,317 feet ) are the highest peaks. On the northern face many short streams fall precipitously into the Olt; on the southern face rise several rivers, the major one being the Arges. The 30-mile- (48-kilometre-) long range is relatively isolated and inaccessible in comparison with the rest of the Transylvanian Alps.