Anatolia Mountains 2022

The main objective of this trip is to enjoy lazy holidays on the Mediterranean coast. However, I was quite sure that I would find some spare time for a few climbs. With nothing specific in mind, I naturally began by researching unclimbed ultrapeaks. I found at least seven of them in the region, and despite the fact that they appear nearby on the map, the trailheads are a bit of a drive away. But that’s why we have audiobooks, isn’t it?

The first peak I chose was Geyik Daglari, which was located straight east from Alanya and was quite easy to reach despite the lack of a trail. Then, a few days later, the slightly higher Kizlar Sivrisi mountain. The mountain, located west of Antalya, had quite a long drive but was paid off by an excellent hike in unspoiled nature.

Two summits I planned and climbed in one day. I wanted to avoid long drives as much as possible, and two remote peaks west of Anatolya within a few hours’ distance of each other were a perfect match. Moreover, one of them is a popular tourist drive-up. I climbed Uyluk Tepe in the morning and drove to Babadag in the afternoon. The morning hike was partly off trail, but I found it a very interesting walk. The short evening walk to the second summit was memorable because of the beautiful sunset and large number of paragliders.

The fifth of the six summits on the trip was Dedegol Tepesi. Peak is in the beautiful and unspoiled Kzlda National Park, near Lake Beyşehir. A clear and easy-to-follow trail led all the way to the highpoint. Finally, I had a pleasant drive on the ski slopes towards Davraz Tepe. Who knows, maybe one day car-ski will be included on the list of Olympic games..

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Davraz Tepe

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Dedegol Tepesi

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Babadag

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Uyluk Tepe

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Kizlar Sivrisi

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Geyik Daglari

Of course, we had time for cultural experiences. The highlight was the Ancient city of Side. I was expecting a quick visit to the amphitheater, so I was surprised and impressed to find the entire city intact. Two weeks in the Antalya region went by so quickly that I guess this is a primary sign of good timing.

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Antalya

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Ancient city of Side