Following the success of my trip to Morocco last Christmas, I decided that more adventure was required!! Initially, I felt Morocco calling once more - this time the High Atlas trek, but alas I was too late.
Again, the Explore Worldwide brochure was consulted, with the result being a trek through the Taurus Mountains of Turkey! Would I be able to cope with the moderate to strenuous walking though ...?
Fortunately, however, the trek started off gently, with some touristy stuff. Starting off in Istanbul, we then moved on to Konya via the overnight train.
From there we stopped in at the Mervlana Dervish Museum and the Seljuk caravanserai of Sutanhani, before making our way to the magnificant landscapes of Cappadocia.
The features of the Goreme Valley are totally unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Amazing rock formations were everywhere with caves and fairy chimneys.
Of course, a trip wouldn't be a trip without having to dress up at some point,
I think we make quite passable rural Turkish folk..........well, if you squint a bit perhaps.....and use your imagination.....
After a plethora of visits to rock cut churches, underground villages, castles and ancient monasteries, it was time to get on with the real mountain trekking we'd come for.
The walking was certainly tough, made all the more difficult by most of the group coming down with stomach upsets at various times (naturally I had to be first to be unwell!!). The fabulous walking and scenery more than made up for any discomfort though.
Having had a couple of days with increasingly strenuous treks, it was time to gain altitude by heading to the High Camp on the Yedigoller Plateau.
The ascent seemed to go on forever, but eventually the pass was reached and we could look back at the path we'd just been.
Although it had been planned for the following day, we elected to climb Mount Embler on our way to the High Camp. This was to be the highest point of our trek at a height of 3273m.
I had struggled with the day's walk up till now, so wasn't sure if I'd be fit enough to climb. However, it proved to be easier than I'd initially thought, so after a short time, I found myself on the summit alongside the rest of the group .
Of course, where you have an enormous ascent, you've got to at some point make an enormous descent!
Difficult to say which was the more difficult really!
The last night's camp surely had to be one of the more impressive settings, at the foot of a rather torrential waterfall.
Sadly though, it was all over too soon and we headed back to Istanbul, flying back from Kayseri.
Time, methinks, to start planning the next trip!!
For viewing the rest of the photos from my Turkish trip, please click here.
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