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Turkiye. Mt. Spil (1530m) #4. Beşpınar- Paşaini Mağarası-Spil Zirve-At Alanı.
It was a hike with Izdak.org. This isn’t my first hike up the mountain with the club. And the route we chose wasn’t difficult — from the south side. Last time we climbed from the north side, which is much more difficult. But this time the weather intervened. Meteorologists had predicted heavy rain, but it didn’t come. Until we reached the summit. At the top, a strong wind picked up. We managed to have a snack without rain, but then on the descent it was just trash – it started pouring like a bucket, and with a strong wind. No raincoats helped, no matter how cool they were. I walked without thinking about anything. My pants got wet, and water started to seep into my boots. The only thing that saved me were the waterproof socks that my beloved daughter had given me. The guides also got wet, so they called a bus to the gates of the nature park — they took pity on us. That’s how the challenge turned out. But how nice it was to sit in a cafe after the hike, change into dry clothes, and sip hot tea with cookies! wikiloc











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Turkiye. Mt. Nif (1510m) #3. Taşduvar – Nif zirve – Kemalpaşa.
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Turkiye. Yukarikizilca – Mt. Mahmut (1352m) – Yukarikizilca. Frozen forest.
This hike was with touristic club Izdak. I have been previously to mt. Mahmut but it was autumn and another pathway (post). Last time our path ran along rocks and narrow ridges. It was interesting and challenging. This time our guide led us by more traditional but safe roads. The challenge was the weather not the pathway itself. At the beginning the weather was convenient – no wind, no cold. But as we gained altitude, the weather conditions began to change – the wind picked up, at times very strong, and it became noticeably colder. There was thick fog. The surrounding forest looked very unusual. The trees were covered with hoarfrost, not snow, as is usually the case in winter. Apparently, it had rained in the mountains, and in such a fierce wind, the moisture that fell on the trees turned into frost. I myself was very cold in places because I hadn’t brought my winter mittens. And the worst was waiting for us at the top! The wind was simply piercing, and there was snow too. I took all the warm clothes I had out of my backpack and put them on. We didn’t stay at the top for long. We took a group photo. I managed to take a sip of hot tea from my thermos. We quickly started our descent. Half an hour later, we took a short break for food, and life immediately took on new colours! By the end of the descent, we were back in autumn again – the sun was shining brightly, and the trees were green. I would never have believed that just a short while ago I had been freezing. As my friend says, stay at home, and we’ll go to the mountains for you! wikiloc


























Mt. Mahmut -

Turkiye. Kiriklar – Mt. Gelin (1497m) – Kaynaklar.
I’ve been at mt. Gelin a couple of years ago (post). That time the weather was sunnier. This hike was by another pathway. And the weather was different. It was cloudy. The clouds lay right on top of the mountain, but they weren’t just lying there, they were moving with the wind. Their movement resembled wisps of smoke, creating a beautiful but slightly gloomy atmosphere. The surrounding silence also added to the suspense. It was good that the sun peeked through sometimes. There weren’t many views from the top of the mountain this time because of the cloudiness, but we did encounter wild horses! We made about 22km at this hike. wikiloc


















the summit 




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Turkiye. Mt. Murat (2312m). Kula – Salihli Unesco Global Geopark.
It was two-day activity with a small team from Idadik.org. We started from Izmir at Friday night and reached thermal resort at the foot of the Murat mountain before the dawn. After a brief preparation, we switched on our headlamps and set off for the mountain. We climbed most of the steep, forest-covered slope in the dark, and by dawn we had reached a gentler, treeless slope. A strong, biting wind blew throughout our ascent. At first, the trees in the forest protected us from the wind, but on the pass we were exposed to its full force. We had to put on three layers of clothing and be careful not to get blown off the road. Because of the strong wind, we did not linger at the top, just took some photos and videos, and headed back. When we reached the forest area, it became quite comfortable. We could take off our extra clothes. It got warm, and we descended to the resort without incident. Next, we checked into our bungalows, enjoyed the thermal pool, and in the evening, the guys grilled some kebabs. We had a wonderful time dining outdoors. At this day we made about 22km and reached an altitude of 1,133 meters. Wikilock
The next day, we had an extensive programme ahead of us. First, we drove to a waterfall about twenty kilometres from the thermal resort. Then we headed to the Kula Geopark on the road to Izmir. The geopark features amazing rock formations formed by magma flows from nearby volcanoes and shaped by wind and water. The landscapes in the geopark are similar to the world-famous rocks of Cappadocia, albeit on a smaller scale, but no less impressive. Then, after a delicious lunch, we went to see one of the ancient extinct volcanoes. We climbed to the top of the crater and walked around it. We had enough impressions for a week ahead!

































crater 



lava field 
extinct volcano -

Turkiye. Kavaklidere – Nazarkoy.
I have been there almost the same date last year but today the weather was opposite – warm and sunny. You can compare the difference by yourself. The hike was with touristic club Izdak. The total distance was about 21 km and the elevation gain was 877m. Wikilock















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Turkiye. Amazing Cappadocia. Zelve. Imaginary valley.
Third day in Cappadocia we planned to visit a lot of wonderful places (naive) We moved to Avanos town direction. First stop for photo session was near Chavushin town. Simply stop and shot!
After that we moved to Zelve open air museum. Fairy chimneys are there! 😍 And Devrent vadisi ( Imaginary valley ) and more and more… But time and energy are not endless. So, when we reached “Three beauties” near Uchhisar town, we took them simply as more rocks, nothing more (facepalm). Two-three days for Cappadocia is too few.




















































Imaginary valley. Uchhisar – “Three beauties“.






































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Turkiye. Amazing Cappadocia. Magic flight.
We woke up early in the morning. Pick up time was at 4:45 am. Start point was not far from our hotel. When we reached the start point the weather conditions was unstable. And then it started to rain. We began to think that the flight would not take place, but the rain quickly stopped. Then the clouds began to disperse, and dawn broke. Out of the darkness around us, many more launch sites appeared around our location, and everyone began to bustle about – cars with platforms arrived, and the balloons began to be inflated.
Finally, the balloons were ready. Everyone was divided into teams and seated in the gondolas. And the flight began… Nothing to say – emotions only 😍😍😍It’s unforgettable! You have to try ✌️✌️✌️

































































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Turkiye. Amazing Cappadocia. Goreme – Uchhisar.
I visited amazing Cappadocia with my lovely wife. We rented a car and moved to Antalya first to catch the passing summer. We enjoyed the still warm Mediterranean Sea and set off for Cappadocia the next day. We stayed at a small, cosy hotel “Alaturca House” in Goreme.
Next day we booked a balloon flight (another post). The rest of the day we devoted the famous views of Cappadocia near Goreme and Uchhisar towns.
Goreme is a small town surrounded rocks with the caves. Millennia-old houses inside the rocks alternate with modern buildings. There is the Goreme Open-Air Museum near the town with churches carved into the rocks from the early Christian era – “Dark church”, “Snake’s church”, “Buckle church”. After museum we moved to the Uchhisar town to visit a Castle. It’s a kind of a hiking activity to reach a castle on the top of a mountain, but the way lays through the picturesque village. After the Castle we visited Pigeon valley with dwellings and bird cages carved into the rocks. At the end of this day, we visited Love valley. You will recognise this valley at first glance. 😜
It was too many impressions for one day, but there are a lot of wonderful places to visit and so little time as usual😢 And our journey through equally amazing places continued the next day.
IMHO Cappadocia should be in every traveller’s wish list.

Goreme 








“Buckle church” 










Uchhisar Castle 





















Uchhisar town 
Pigeon valley 
Love valley 












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Turkiye. Antalya – Lycian Way – Gelidonia lighthouse.
It was a hike with Idadik.org and our second day in Antalya region. We decided to reach Gelidonia lighthouse on the Lycian Way. Our route was short because we had to return to Izmir after lunch. The road offered picturesque views of the coast. There are also several viewing points near the lighthouse, offering views of the sea, islands and boats. wikiloc
























