Kaçkar Trekking

Поблизости с Качкаром есть два крупных аэропорта - Трабзон (в Турции) и Батуми (в Грузии). Сбор группы либо в аэропорту, либо в поселке Ардешен (2,5 часа от Трабзона)

У Ардешена покидаем прибрежную полосу и едем вглубь континета. По дороге смотрим чайные плантации и делаем остановку для беглого осмотра крепости Zilkale. В деревушке Чат (1200 м) начинается пешая часть маршрута.

Идём по грунтовке вверх по течению реки Heinşin. Река течёт по живописному каньону с водопадиками и старинными арочными мостами. Проходим крошечную деревушку Kaleköy (высота 1800м). В принципе, можно остаться на ночлег и тут. Но чтобы облегчить завтрашнюю акклиматизацию имеет смысл сегодня пройти еще пару часов и стать на ночлег у деревни Başyayla (Баш Яйла, 2200м).

We finally leave the forest zone. Most of the route passes through alpine meadows. It's easy to navigate, but there's no firewood at all. Therefore, we will cook on burners throughout the trip.

We pass the settlement of Başyayla and leave the bottom of the valley - the ascent to the Kale pass (2900m) begins. The not too well-trodden path goes along an old kurumnik overgrown with grass, in some places it becomes completely lost. You have to step from stone to stone, trying not to fall into the cracks. At the pass we have lunch overlooking the new valley.

Along an equally terrible path with boulders we descend to the abandoned village of Hacivanak (2500m) and set up tents.

Today our plan is extremely similar to yesterday. We go upstream of the Külük river and climb along the grass with stones to the Hodacur Geçiti pass (3160m). At the pass we have lunch with a view of Kachkar - the highest peak of these mountains, our goal. Then, if desired, you can make a radial route to the large mountain lake Döner Gölü. We continue our journey along the valley of the Davali river (2500m). Idyllic green meadows and cows. We cross streams several times (over rocks) and the main riverbed (arched bridges). We spend the night near a shepherd's camp at an altitude of 2550 m.

A long climb (900 meters of climb) will lead to an unnamed pass (about 3400m) separating the Soğanli Dag mountain from the Kachkar ridge. Behind it, first the small lake Atsiz Gölü, and then another transshipment river, awaits us. Immediately after the second pass there will be a large lake Deniz Gölü near which we will put up tents. The altitude here is 3350 meters, which is more than enough for altitude sickness. Therefore, in order to sleep better at night, after lunch we will make an acclimatization hike at least 200 meters up. Early dismissal - tomorrow will be a difficult day.

Today is the most difficult day of the hike. In order to reach the summit before it gets covered with clouds, we will get up before dawn, have a light snack and, without folding the tent, set off for the ascent.

We take raincoats, water and courage with us. The path to the top is not easy - again there is a lot of powder, there are steep sections where you will have to hold on with your hands, and there may be patches of snow. The ascent will take 3-4 hours. If you're lucky, you can see Ararat and even Elbrus from the top of Kachkar. We have lunch and begin our descent around noon.

The return to camp will also take about 3 hours. We make tea, rest slightly (swim in the icy lake) and fold up the tents. The body needs rest (read oxygen), and for this we must drop 500 meters until the evening and spend the night in the Dilberdüzu clearing (2900m)

Dilberduzu is a very popular stop. Most likely we will meet here international groups of climbers and tourists from all over Europe. And right above this clearing rise the very photogenic Shaitan Rocks (Şeytan Kaylari).

Relatively short day. Actually, it’s very close from Dilberduzu to our next stop. But we are separated from it by the Kachkar spur, and in order to go around it we will first have to go down the Büyük river to the village of Olgunlar (2100 m). There is a store there and you might be able to buy something tasty (fresh bread, ayran). After an early lunch, we begin our ascent through the neighboring Düpedüzü valley. We set up camp at the sources of the river of the same name at an altitude of about 2700m.

Again we go up the kurumnik slopes - a whole sea of ​​stones and a sea of ​​clouds above them. We conquer the last Naletleme pass of this hike (3220m) and thus find ourselves on the other side of the Kachkar ridge. Due to the fact that clouds are constantly creeping in from the north, from the Black Sea, a completely different climate reigns here, and accordingly a different nature. The northern slopes of Kachkar are covered with coniferous forests.

We have lunch at Lake Karadeniz Gölü and descend to the village of Yukari Çaymakçur (1300 m). Another 4 km along the forest road and we find ourselves in the mountain resort of Aider. We put up tents at the campsite (shower, toilet). If you wish, you can go to the thermal baths or a restaurant in the evening.

In fact, the hike along Kachkar is completed, you can fly home. If you wish, you can stay another day in Ayder and go rafting. Or you can go to Trabzon and visit the famous mountain monastery of Panagia Sumela. If you are interested in a seaside holiday, then frankly, it is better to fly from Trabzon to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey - the beaches there are better.