Cascoly Greece

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Trekking in Kackar Mountains of Eastern Turkey

Aug – Sep 2007

Itinerary:  Trabzon, Kackar Mountains, Kars, Ani, Cappadocia

Last revised 18 Sep 2006

We’ll trek for 7 days from the lush, misty slopes of the Black Sea foothills, to the drier plateaus and valleys of the Kackar range with passes up to about 10,000’.  Following herders’ trails and ancient foot paths, we’ll walk through yaylas (summer herder villages) and see evidence of some of the former occupants, Armenian and Georgian churches and forts, and perhaps share mountain tea with their descendants.  [MAP] The area is noted for its many glacial lakes, wild flowers, butterflies and wildlife of deer, ibex, wolves, bears and birds of prey. Next we’ll traverse the arid plateaus and hills of Eastern Turkey to visit Kars, and the ancient Armenian capital of Ani.  Surrounded by river gorges on 3 sides, projecting into Armenia, Ani has an evocative setting with many fine (although crumbling), frescoed Armenian churches and other ruins.  Archaeological work is ongoing on this site that once was a major hub of the Silk Road, with a population over 100,000 in the 10th century.  Finally, we’ll fly to Cappadocia for several days of hiking among the area’s famous geological oddities and exploring cave dwellings and underground cities.

The trip is 19 days long, classified as moderate hiking, about 5-6 hours per day on the trekking portion, less on the hiking. Trekkers’ gear will be carried by mules, except for a light daypack.  Outfitters priovide all tents and camp equipment; hikers bring their own sleeping bags.  Hikers carry light daypack.  There will also be an optional 8 day posttrip extension for Nemrut Dag, Urfa & Antakya in Eastern Turkey.  [MAP] A sense of adventure is required – many of these areas are not visited very often, and we may adjust the itinerary due to local conditions, weather or other opportunities

This will be our seventh trip to Turkey, hiking and exploring both traditional and classical sites and seldom visited areas.  For the trek, most luggage will be carried by mules, except for light day packs with your personal needs for the day.  Evenings we’ll stay at mountain yaylas [summer herders villages] or in tents.  Otherwise we’ll stay in 3-4 star hotels, often with 2 night stays. All meals are included.  This includes full buffet breakfast in the hotels, and a wide range of Turkish regional specialties.  When not trekking, we’ll travel in an air conditioned, private minibus taking us to and from trailheads each day.   Our friend, Lutfi Atay, is licensed as a national guide by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism.  He has been our guide most of our previous trips and will accompany us throughout this trip.

Full itinerary

 Escorted Tours in Turkey

There are 4 distinct segments which be combined to form trips of from 1 to 5 weeks. You may sign up for any combination of segments, or we can develop a customized itinerary for you before or after any segment.

Middle East
Turkey, Syria, Petra/Jordan & Egypt
We'll hike and trek in 4 different countries. Pick any combination from 1 to 5 weeks. You may sign up for any combination of segments, We'll explore the remains of Egyptian, Nabatean, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader and Ottoman cultures - pyramids, lost cities, desert and mountain fortresses, and modern ancient cities that have survived it all with bustling markets and sites sacred to many religions.