Taurus Mountains - Aladağlar

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Name in Turkish

Aladağlar

Type

Mountain Chain

Highest Point

3756 m. (12,323 ft.)

Location

Niğde

Aladağlar

Taurus Mountains (Aladağlar) by iwasinturkey

Coordinates 38°37′N 35°28′E

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Location of Aladağlar within Turkey.

Taurus Mounatins - The Aladağlar (Crimson Mountains) range is a part of the Taurus mountain chain.

[edit] Navigation

Situated within Kayseri, Niğde and Adana city borders, they cover about 1000 square km. Frequently compared to the Dolomites, they have the highest peaks of the Taurus Mountains.

The Aladağlar can be divided into four areas:

1) North of Demirkazık:This area contains the highest peak of the range, Demirkazık (3756 m.), as well as other peaks, including Küçük Demirkazık (3400 m.).

2) The Yedigöller (Seven Lakes) Plateau: This area is the main camping ground for hikers and climbers wishing to climb the summits around, such as

3) Emli Valley: This is a deep, forested valley leading to the Kaldi and Alaca summits.

4) Vay-Vay-Torasan: This is the least visited part of the range due to its remoteness. Located south of the Yedigöller Plateau, it has many summits over 3500 m., including Vay-Vay (3563 m.) and Boruklu (3543 m.).

[edit] Getting there

[edit] By plane

Niğde Airport has been under construction since 1996. The closest airport is the Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport, which is 82 km. north of the city.Turkish Airlines has direct flights from Istanbul to Nevşehir, whereasSunexpress connects the city to Antalya

Another option is the Erkilet International Airport in Kayseri, located in the 132 km. northeast of Niğde. There are frequent flights from Istanbul, Izmir, and Antalya to Kayseri, operated by Turkish Airlines,Pegasus, and Sunexpress.

Turkish Airlines (Niğde): (☎ +90 388 213 21 17, ☎ +90 388 232 15 07), Turkish Airlines (Nevşehir): (☎ +90 384 341 46 88, ☎ +90 384 341 52 07), Turkish Airlines (Kayseri): (☎ +90 352 338 70 10, ☎ +90 352 338 70 20), Sunexpress : (☎ +90 212 444 0 797), Pegasus: (☎ +90 212 444 0 737)

[edit] By train

Niğde is on the Kayseri-Adana and Ankara-Adana railway lines. The Çukurova Mavi Tren (Çukurova Blue Train) operates between Ankara and Adana via Niğde and the trip from Ankara to Niğde takes 7 hours and 30 minutes. The Erciyes Ekspresi connects Niğde with Kayseri everyday. It is a two hours ride.

Turkish State Railways - Niğde Train Station (☎ +90 388 233 94 76)

[edit] By car

Niğde is easily accessible by the D805 motorway linking Kayseri with Ulukışla and further Adana to the south, or the D330 route, connecting Kayseri with Konya and Antalya.

The Aladağlar is accessed from Çukurbağ or Demirkazık villages which are a few kilometers off the main road from Niğde to Çamardı. An alternative roads to the mountain range is from the Yahyalı County of Kayseri via Barazama or Büyük Çakır (Şelale) villages in the north and from the Karsantı County of Adana via Acıman or Trak plateaus in the south.

[edit] By bus

The most common and best established route to the Aladağlar is from Niğde via Çukurbağ or Demirkazık villages.

Due to its location at the intersection of major highways that connect Western and Northern Turkey to southern and eastern provinces, there are frequent buses from Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir to Niğde. The distance to Istanbul is 799 km. and the bus ride from Istanbul to Niğde takes 11-12 hours, whereas Ankara is 345 km. and 4-5 hours away. Çukurbağ and Demirkazık villages are situated 65 km. east of Niğde. The Niğde-Çamardı minibuses needs to be taken to get to the Demirkazık junction. The junction is 15 km. before Çamardı. From the junction to Dağ Evi is 4 km. and the road can be either walked or hitchiked.

The following bus companies connect Niğde with other cities: Niğde Seyahat (☎ +90 212 444 00 20),Aydoğanlar (☎ +90 212 444 51 00), Niğde Çağdaş Turizm (☎ +90 212 444 00 51),İnan Turizm (☎ +90 212 444 00 37).

[edit] By boat

[edit] Weather

Below chart shows the weather statistics for Nigde province.

Month

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Average high °C
(°F)

5
(40)

6
(42)

11
(51)

17
(62)

21
(70)

26
(78)

29
(85)

26
(78)

20
(67)

12
(54)

7
(44)

Average low °C
(°F)

-5
(24)

-4
(25)

-0
(31)

5
(40)

8
(47)

12
(53)

15
(59)

15
(58)

10
(51)

6
(43)

1
(34)

-3
(27)

Average sunlight hours

3.8

4.8

6

6.9

8.7

11

12.1

11.5

10.1

7.4

5.2

3.6

Average rainy days

10.2

10.6

10.8

12.1

12.5

6.9

2.4

1.9

3.4

6.8

8.3

10.8

Precipitation mm
(inches)

30
(1.2)

33
(1.3)

47
(1.8)

47
(1.9)

25
(1.0)

5
(0.2)

7
(0.3)

29
(1.1)

36
(1.4)

38
(1.5)

Source Turkish State Meteorological Service - Last Update on March 14, 2010

[edit] Climbing

[edit] First Climb

Dr. Georg Künne from the German Alpine Club, togethe with Dr. Wilhelm Martin, his wife Marianne Martin, and a local guide named Veli Cavuş were the first party reaching the Demirkazık Peak in the summer of 1927. The first winter ascent of Demirkazık was achieved by Dr. Bozkurt Ergör in 1969.

[edit] Climbing Routes

The Aladağlar offer a number of climbing, trekking, and Alpine routes. The most popular route is the so-called 'Aladağlar Trans', a traverse of the range, which starts at the Dağ Evi (mountain hut) near Demirkazik village in the west and ends near the village of Ulupinar in the east. The distance traversed is 80-90 km. and takes several days. There are several lofty peaks over 3,000 m. en route, as well as passes, streams, and plateaus.

At 3756 m., the Demirkazık Peak is the highest point of the Aladağlar and can be climbed with a rope from its southeast face. The ascend on Demirkazık starts from Sokullupınar, a camping ground 1,5 hour walking distance to the village of Çukurbağ. From the camping ground, it takes about 10-12 hours to reach the summit and come back and can be done in one day. Other faces of the Demirkazik Peak can be climbed only by experienced climbers with further technical equipment.

The other two peaks in the range higher than 3700 m. are the Kızılkaya (3725 m.) and Emler peaks (3723). Unlike Demirkazık, they can be easily walked by the less experienced. The Yedigöller Plateau, a vast campground prefered by many hikers and climbers, is a good starting point to ascend on Kızılkaya, Emler, and other peaks. It is 10-12 hours walking distance from Çukurbağ village.

Another popular part of the mountain range is the Emli Valley, which can be walked in 1,5-2 hours from Çukurbağ. The Kaldı (3734 m.), Alaca (3588 m.), and Güzeller (3461 m.) peaks can be reached from the Emli Valley.

There are other numerous trails leading to the remote sections and loft hills of the Aladağlar mountain range. Further information on hiking trails and climbing routes can be obtained from Ömer B. Tüzel's The Ala Dağ: Climbs and Treks in Turkey's Crimson Mountains.

[edit] Climbing Seasons

The Aladaglar can be climbed in all seasons and each seasons has its own advantages and setbacks. Most hikers and climbers prefer summer months, although the heat and shortage of water can be a problem. The best time for rock climbing is from mid-July to mid-September.

The first snow usually falls before November and stays by the end of April or May. From December through the end of February are the best months for winter mountaineering. The risk of avalanche is high in certain routes in the period between March and May.

[edit] Permits

No permit is need to climb the Aladağlar. However, it is advisable to inform Dağ Evi and the local gendarmerie before starting the expedition.

[edit] Guides

[edit] Accommodation

At 1550 m. and in the shadow of the Demirkazık Peak, Demirkazık Dağ ve Kayak Evi (Demirkazık Mountain and Ski Hut), or shortly Dağ Evi(The Mountain Hut), is the only accommodation facility and an excellent base for hikers and climbers. It is a three-storey building and has dormitory type rooms, as well as a limited number of single and double rooms with private bath. The road to the Mountain Hut is accessible all year round.

Food is not served on a daily basis but there is a kitchen area for the use of climbers.