Our motorhome is parked on a mountain ledge a few metres above the village of Yaylalar. The views over the village and down the valley are rather special. However, last night, the village disappeared in a blanket of cloud as one almighty thunder storm arrived. Being in the actual cloud of the thunder storm is a new experience for us and one we don’t wish to repeat. The noise as the clouds crashed in to the mountains was pretty dam scary and the poor dogs were terrified. Torrential rain pelted our tin roof like machine gun fire and a mighty rushing wind had us wishing for lower ground. 

Evening – The Storm as it moved down the valley

This morning, we wake to find the rains have drenched the dirt road out of Yaylalar and passing is impossible. Any movement from us or the villagers will be on foot. Good job we have plans to walk to the ”Yaylas”.  These high mountain pastures are up there alongside Ataturk, baklava and cigarette smoking in the Turkish estimation. None are more renowned than those above the Black Sea. Although the village of Yaylalar is less visited than most due to accessibility. This enduring national affection for yayla land continues to attract people year after year. The attraction is derived from the time when Turks commonly summered their stock on the high pastures.

Over a cup of breakfast tea we chat to Elmas, a doctor from Ismir and she tells us she returns every year to the village. Her parents still live here but in winter they move to lower ground as the conditions are way too severe to survive. An elderly lady walks over and welcomes us to the village. We are offered more fresh tea and some brown sticky fondant stuff. Elmas smiles and explains it is a traditional dish of the local Hemşin people.  I take the fork and try it, it is not too bad but the texture is a little weird. Apparently, this lady is known for her yummy muhlama – cornmeal cooked in butter.

My Lovely Hubby with no feet!

The village of Yaylalar is over 7,000ft above sea level and already its summer residents are preparing to leave to lower ground.  Men are preparing to border us the houses and do the last minute road repairs…excavate a boulder the size of a small car. A job they wished they had never started. About 3km further up from Yaylalar on a scenic path, the quiet hamlet of Olgunlar really feels like the end of the line. Standing in splendid isolation with soaring peaks, amazing vistas, trickling streams and some of Turkey’s purest air.(click to enlarge photo)

Wonder who lives behind this window?

The path takes you through the farming community and Mac n Tosh get giddy with farm smells and the thought of rolling in fresh dung. At the top there are two paths.  We take the left path which follows the Büyük Çay upstream to the meadows at Dilber Düzü. 

We are heading as far as you can see!

It is a pleasant walk up a graduated valley and the views are stunning. The air is cool and fresh but the UVA is high and we are leathered in sun block. I even bring my floppy hat out for the occasion. We plod on following the mountain stream. A magnificent and immense landscape which stretches way above us to the mountain.  Occasionally, we glimpse a little tongue of snow and ice clinging to its north facing summit. (click to enlarge photo)

Getting closer to the top

On either side of us are meadows are covered in purple crocus and wild flowers. As we ascent up the hill flowers disappear and raspberry and strawberry bushes appear to creat a beautiful bright red carpet sweeping up the mountain side. Waterfalls elegantly flow down the cracks and cows munch away at the moist grassland. In a month’s time, when winter arrives the surrounding streams will turn in to a raging river. Then the snow and ice, it will stay that way for half the year.

After a few hours we peak at about 2,800m (9,000 ft) and decided to head back down stream. In all our time of walking we’d only passed two locals and their ladened horse.  Which reminds me, we found a traditional horse shoe and kept it for good luck.

Back in Olgunlar and in the tea house, only a few locals remain. Once again, we were the only tourists in the village and somehow we get the feeling they see very few non Turkish visitors. 

Hello from us four….yayla land

We stop with Mac n Tosh to drink mineral water from a natural spring. A group of shawled women emerge abruptly from behind some cowpats and handed us blobs of resin. We really didn’t have a clue what they were until we got back to Vin and googled them.  Its rosehip from the trees, which they use as scented chewing gum.

Our Bumble wild camping spot at Yaylalar GPS position N040.866859, E041.256971

Between us and the wall …a huge gorge.

In the morning, mist lingers over the mountains. I take Mac n Tosh for a walk and its rather a chilly affair. Craig prepares breakfast of coffee, banana, yogurt and granola. We sit and look out over the terraced fields below and start to chatter. “Wonder where Mr & Mrs S are of to this year?” I say “Well they should have set off by now and any day soon we should be getting a ping” Craig says. Slurp as we drift back to our views.  Some of these mountain slopes are seriously steep and you wonder how these folk manage to grow sweet corn and various crops. The amount of effort to climb these terraces is huge and most of these villagers are no spring chickens. 

It’s a serenely calming view and the constant running spring water tap just adds to the captivation. The peaks of the high Kackars drift tantalisingly in and out of cloud cover.  Sadly, by the time we pack up Vin and begin our descent the cover is burnt off. Craig switches on the GoPro (give him a nudge to get the video folks) and the death defying journey begins.

It is an OMG going down as it is going up. 

We roll down the mountain and pull in to an abandoned campsite at Altiparmak. It will be an alluring base for forays into the Kaçkars once complete.  We nestle in the verdant valley, with a fast flowing river running through its heart. Tonight our views are up to the village and the jagged peaks beyond rather than down.

The sky is clear and dense with stars and the temperature plunged to about 18 degrees. Another night with the stars and this time we pull on a fleece to keep warm. With no moonlight and no ambient light the sky is awash with stars. 

Milky Way & Thousands of Stars

Our Bumble wild camping spot at Altiparmak GPS position N040.903147, E041.516495