Kara Dağ - p600.org

Two hours after takeoff from Istanbul, we touch down in Hakkâri-Yüksekova (YKO). A blast furnace greets us as we disembark; the desert heat radiating from the open aircraft doors. Despite the infernal conditions, the distant mountain range looks promising. Airport formalities are a breeze, and our guide for the trip, Recep, is waiting. Curiously, while the airport bears the name Hakkâri-Yüksekova, it’s actually closer to Yüksekova. Hakkâri itself is a couple of hours’ drive away. A classic case of geographic nomenclature gone awry.

Hakkâri-Yüksekova (YKO) airport is small but boasts stunning views of the surrounding mountain ranges.

Police and military checkpoints guard the roads, but our “tourists” sticker gets us through swiftly. Turkish efficiency in action! Lunch at a Hakkâri restaurant was a culinary triumph. Fresh salads and perfectly cooked shish kebab, topped off with a soothing cup of tea – a taste of paradise.

The streets of Hakkâri are bustling, as expected in the region, with numerous gold shops lining the way.

Increased security and check points is likely a general thing in eastern Turkey.

Hakkâri is surrounded by impressive peaks.

This nice Ribu peak wasn’t in our original plan, but our Uludoruk permit was called off at the last minute because of snow on the top. I suspect the real reason is that we’re foreigners, since locals were still allowed to climb. Anyway, with Recep’s help, we came up with a new plan to climb Kara Dağ, which isn’t reported on Peakbagger yet. It’s not a super challenging climb, but it’s a great way to start. Our itinerary looks as follows:

Day 1: Drive from Yüksekova to Hakkâri and then to the camp at 2 877 meters.
Day 2: Summit at 3 752 meters, descend, and drive back to the Yüksekova hotel.

Hakkâri as seen from the road to the Kara Dağ trailhead.

A few smaller peaks are visible from the camp.

Our driver wanted to camp early due to the minibus struggling on a steep, albeit decent, road. One particularly tough stretch forced us to walk while the vehicle cooled down. Eventually, we convinced him to push on a few more kilometers to a spot closer to the summit. The campsite was surprisingly good, with a nearby stream. Bonus: decent internet on a nearby hill let me squeeze in some work. Recep and his team cooked up a fantastic dinner to cap off the day.

Looks like our camp can be reached by a regular taxi.

Dinner made on the fire was very good, and breakfast was natural and tasty, especially the black semi-dried olives.

My tent and local women riding donkeys at first light.

I believe the local women are riding towards the city early in the morning to reach the market.

We were up before sunrise, tents packed, and stomachs filled with a quick breakfast. The trail began on a rough road, so we cut corners to reach the higher vehicle track. Just as planned, the road ended at the valley’s edge, aligning perfectly with our route.

The pyramid-like peak a little to the right is our destination, hidden behind one more ridge.

Green slopes and pastures in the morning light.

The summit ridge in the northeast has a few bumps.

To our surprise, we saw a few tourist tents and, less surprisingly, local shepherd tents.

Berçelan Yaylası Valley, with its pinnacle and two lakes below, is a popular destination.

We see a bear footprint, and our local guide confirms that there are bears in the mountains.

At the valley’s end, we turned right and climbed the slopes towards the summit. A faint trail soon appeared, guiding our ascent. We bypassed a few snow patches without needing crampons, as the snow was soft. Reaching a ridge, we continued up snow-free slopes. After circumnavigating one final small snow field, we stood on the summit just minutes later.

Looking back from the first steeper slope.

Chamomile, known as Papatya in Turkish (*matricaria recutita*)

*Papaver rhoeas* (??), commonly known as the common poppy.

*Allium akaka* is a species of onion native to Iran.

*Eryngium* is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, with about 250 species. *Astragalus uraniolimneus* is a plant species in the Fabaceae family

Adam crossing the first snowfield without much difficulty.

Kara Dağ South Peak, at 3635m P155, is the peak Steven and Adam detoured on the way down.

Looking down to the valley from the summit.

The valley we came through, with the remaining team approaching the summit.

Uludoruk mountain range in the background.

A cairn marked the summit. Adam and I waited for the others, enjoying a relaxed moment together and snapping a group photo. Steven and Adam expressed interest in climbing Kara Dağ South Peak, a 3635m P155 peak about 1.5 kilometers south. The ridge looked challenging, but why not? To our surprise, they reached the car just minutes after Dave, Rob, and me.

Dave taking the last steps to the summit.

From left to right: Dave, Rob, me, Steven and Adam on the first peak of the trip.

One last look back at the summit on the way down.

A rugged mountain peak with snow patches.

Landscapes featuring streams and boulders.

Numerous sheep herds are scattered everywhere.

It looks like autumn, but it’s actually the color of the ‘cumin-shaped’ plants.

It’s obvious why evolution developed two hands.

Locals cooled down watermelon in a mountain stream and gave it to us after our hike, definitely elevating the peak bagging experience.

A great trip start, indeed. The hike was memorable and surprisingly easy, despite the rocky peaks and unexpected snow. After a refreshing watermelon break, we returned to Yüksekova and our hotel, ready to tackle Mor Dağı tomorrow – another uncharted ultra prominent peak for Peakbagger.

Steven’s account of our hike can be found here

Kara Dağ	3752 m altitude	1265 m prominence 33.13 km isolation
Ranges	Anatolia - Southeast Anatolia
Countries/regions	Turkey - Hakkâri
Distance	5.30 km up	5.30 km down
Elevation	875 m gain	875 m loss
Time	1h40 up 0h15 other	1h30 down 3h25 total
Trailhead	2877 m altitude	37.6944670, 43.7321020
Route	The route starts on a basic road, with a few shortcuts to switch between paths. Instead of following the road to the end of the valley, we turn right onto grassy slopes. We walk along a stream, cross a soft snowfield, and ascend to the ridge. There are various trails, including game and shepherd paths. The climb becomes steeper just before reaching the unmarked summit, which offers good views. We descend the same way we came up.
Difficulties	A few soft snowfields are also possible to avoid.
Links	GPX trail