| If you want to get off the beaten track and | | | | nature lovers to the Kaçkars. The steep, |
| discover some of the best Turkey walks, head to | | | | rocky mountains resemble the Alps, and are in |
| the Kaçkar Mountains. | | | | fact a continuation of the Himalayas. The highest |
| The Kaçkar Mountains - Turkey's Hidden | | | | peak, Kaçkar, reaches 3,937 metres, and |
| Secret | | | | to reach the summit of any of the high peaks is |
| Away from the overcrowded coastline of | | | | to be greeted by spectacular views out across |
| Western Turkey lies a hiker's paradise - the | | | | the entire region. |
| Kaçkar Mountains. Located in the north east | | | | There are many walking routes in the area, |
| of the country close to the Black Sea, this | | | | originating as paths connecting the yaylas, or |
| dramatic mountain range offers some of the best | | | | summer pastures. These range from gentle half |
| walking landscapes in Turkey but is rarely visited | | | | day hikes through the valleys to tough day treks |
| by outsiders. If you are looking for an unusual | | | | through high mountain passes. Mapping is poor and |
| Turkey walk, this is definitely one worth | | | | waymarking non-existent, so this really is an area |
| considering. | | | | where local knowledge is imperative. But no |
| What To See | | | | matter what kind of walk in Turkey you are |
| If you want to go on a scenic walk in Turkey, | | | | looking for, you are bound to find one that is at |
| there are few places that are better than the | | | | your level. |
| Kaçkar Mountains. The variety of scenery | | | | When To Go |
| that is to be seen here is truly wonderful. There | | | | When you go depends on what part of the |
| are glaciers, mountains, lakes, meadows, forests | | | | mountains you want to see. If you want to get |
| and farming valleys, with the sea to the north | | | | up into the high passes themselves, the season is |
| completing the picturesque landscape. It is a fertile | | | | relatively short - late June through to mid |
| region, with the rich valleys used for growing | | | | September. Snow and unpredictable weather |
| apricots, walnuts, and many other varieties of | | | | make the mountains inaccessible outside of this |
| fruit and nut. With the area having escaped any | | | | time to all but experienced winter walkers and |
| kind of mass tourism, a visit to this region allows | | | | mountain climbers. |
| travellers to see some of Turkey's more | | | | If you are content to explore the lower parts of |
| traditional ways of life up close, including the | | | | the Kaçkar Mountains, you can get some |
| nomadic Hemsin people who live here. Particular | | | | good walking in from April to October, where |
| highlights in the region include the stunning | | | | snow and adverse weather are less serious |
| Yedigöller Lakes, located high up in the | | | | hazards. As with any mountainous region, it is |
| mountains themselves, and the remote Sumela | | | | important to remember that the conditions can |
| Monastery, dramatically located right on the edge | | | | change rapidly in the Kaçkar Mountains, so |
| of a steep ridge. | | | | walk with clothing that is suitable if there is a |
| Above all, it is the mountains themselves that | | | | sudden onset of bad weather. |
| continue to draw dedicated walkers, climbers, and | | | | |