trekking and climbing
get away from the crowds and discover the true beauty of
Turkey
Turkey is a mountainous country with beautiful
scenery and large areas of unspoiled countryside, which are
wonderful natural preserves for an extraordinary variety of
wildlife, flora and fauna. The mountainous nature of the country
has had a strong influence on its cultural evolution. For
centuries, nomads and semi-nomadic peoples have lived here
andmigrated annuallywith their livestock to the fresh pastures
of the mountains and hills around. These alpine meadows, or
yayla, still represent a firmtie to traditional culture.
Trekking allows you to get away from the crowds and discover
the true beauty of Turkey – the friendly villagers,
remote historic sites and stunning scenery. Serious climbers
will probably want to explore Turkey’s rich interior
and mountainous east but even by walking a short distance
inland from some of the busiest coastal resorts, it can feel
as if you are in a different world.
Turkey now has two official long distance footpaths, the
Lycian Way, which was recently listed by the Sunday Times
as one of the world’s top ten walks, and the newer St.
Paul Trail.
Lycian Way
The Lycian way is a 509 km way-marked footpath around the
coast from Fethiye to Antalya. It takes its name from the
ancient civilisation which once ruled the area, the most visible
reminders of which are the carved rock tombs which can be
seen throughout the region. This section of the coastline
is stunning with wooded mountains rising steeply from the
shore affording fantastic views and making for varied walking
conditions. The route also goes past many of the more remote
historic sites. The route is graded medium to hard; it is
not level walking, but has many ascents and descents as it
approaches and veers away from the sea. It is easier at the
start near Fethiye and gets more difficult as it progresses.
It is recommended that you walk the route in spring or autumn;
February-May or September-November. Summer in Lycia is hot,
although you could walk short, shady sections. The route is
mainly over footpaths and mule trails; it is mostly over limestone
and often hard and stony underfoot.
Highlights of the Lycian Way are:
- Spectacular walks on the slopes of Baba DagðÝ, beneath
the flight path of the paragliders descending to Ölüdeniz
- Stunning descent to Faralya, above the cliffs of Butterfly
Valley.
- The 22km long beach at Patara.
- Spectacular views over the coast from above Kas¸
and Kalkan.
- The castle, harbour and sunken ruins at ÜçagðÝz
- The church of the Angel Gabriel in the hills above Myra.
- A fabulous ridge top walk to Finike.
- Staying at the lighthouse at Cape Gelidonia.
- Climbing Mount Olympos - 2388m.
- Splashing in the canyon at Göynük.
St Paul Trail
The St Paul Trail is a newer, way-marked footpath leading
from Perge, 10 km east of Antalya, toYalvaç, NE of
Lake Egðirdir. There is a second branch starting atAspendos,
40km east of Antalya and joining the first route at the Roman
site of Adada. The route totals about 500km. This project
partly follows the route walked by St Paul on his first missionary
journey inAsiaMinor.It starts at sea level and climbs up to
2200m, with two optional peaks at around 2800m.Although the
St. Paul Trail is slightly wilder than the Lycian Way, it
is also higher and cooler in summer. The trip has varied and
enjoyable walking days, some of which take you to ridge and
peak tops, while others pass through forests, fields and ancient
villages. The town of Sütcüler, around which you
will spend two days in the first part of our walk, was an
important administrative centre during Ottoman times. There
is an old mosque from that period in the town centre and ruins
from the Roman times on a nearby hill. Ancient pilgrimage
routes ran through the adjacent gorges, and the area was known
as Bavul, after St Paul. The second part of the walk takes
you over the shoulder ofMt Davras (2635m), and across the
IÏsparta plain for two days trekking in the Barla mountains
with an optional climb of Gelincik DagðÝ (2799m) and Mt. Kaymaz
(2250m). Stay in Barla before moving on to the lakeside town
of Egðirdir for an ascent of Sivri DagðÝ, with time to take
a Turkish bath or swim in the lake.
Highlights of the St. Paul Trail are:
- The Aksu river crossing and the waterfalls at Ucansu
- The huge pines and firs on the route above Oren.
- The views from the route above the Candir canyon
- The Roman road at Adada
- Staying on the island in Lake Egðirdir & crossing
the lake by fishing boat
- The medieval paved road around Sarp peak
- The beautiful village of Beydili
- Following a Roman aqueduct into Yalvaç
For further information on these walks: visit www.lycianway.com
Climbing & mountaineering
Serious climbers will no doubt wish to discover Turkey’s
most challenging peaks, the best known of which is Mount Ararat
or AgðrÝ DagðÝ, which is the country’s highest peak.
It is said to have been the place where Noah’s Ark came
to land after the floods, and is an extinct volcano, capped
with snow and ice throughout the year. The summit of Ararat
was first climbed by Dr Parrot, a German, in 1829 and has
been popular with international climbers ever since. The best
time of year to September being the most pleasant months.
The ascent is non-technical although it does include some
rough terrain. The southern face of the mountain offers the
easiest and safest ascent to the summit, as it has the best
routes as well as having safer communication and transportation
systems. It is not advised to climb Mount AgðrÝ (Ararat) alone
and without a guide. You will, in any case, need official
permission for the climb. Mount Ararat is approx. 270 kms
from Erzurum.
Other mountains which are popular for trekking and climbing
include the Kaçkar Mountains, or Pontic Alps, which
run parallel to the Black Sea in the north west of the country.
The scenery is stunning and the area offers an insight into
a more traditional way of life where the local people spend
the winters in the cities and the summers in the mountain
pastures or yayla with their animals. The main season is in
the summer months from July – September. The Aladagðlar,
or ‘Red Mountains’, form part of the Taurus mountain
chain, running from west to east along the Mediterranean coast.
Most climbers are attracted to the peaks known as the Beyaz
or white Aladagðlar. The main season is in June and July when
the mountains are a beautiful lush green with lakes and stunning
waterfalls.
For further information on climbing in Turkey, visit www.mountainsofturkey.com
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