NEW ROUTES  TREKKING & BACKPACKING TOUR ALONG the inland remote parts of THE PONTIC ALPS Kackar Mountains (also known as the Little Caucasus or the Pontic Alps) 2011 dates: June 12-26, July 10-24, August 14-28   KACGAR MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK WEST→EAST (14 nights, 15 days) Difficulty level: GRADE C .      10 nights camping, 4 nights pension/hotel accommodation, 9 days backpacking. 2009 dates: July 11-25,  August 1-15,  August 16-30   This tour is designed exclusively for those people who are used to and willing to carry their own backpacks. The mules will be fellows of the group. Experience what it's like walking on an unknown planet as you hike across Pontic Alps landscape. You will be able to enjoy beauty spots, viewpoints, villages, monuments, ancient ruins and diverse landscapes as you walk between overnight accommodation of campsites or pensions.. Pontus, a Greek word meaning "sea," generally  taken in the ancient world to refer to the Black Sea, Pontos Euxeinos, or Axeinos (Strabo 1.2.10 C21). It also came to be applied more specifically to the Hellenistic kingdom of the Mithradatid rulers that emerged in northern Asia Minor at the end of the 4th century BCE.  Geographically, Pontus divided into two distinct parts—a narrow, coastal strip,and a mountainous, inland region interspersed with fertile river valleys and separated from the sea by the Pontic Alps, which run parallel and close to the coast and which limited routes of communications between the two zones.   The Pontic Alps looking over the waves of the Black Sea is a natural paradise with its vast forests displaying myriad shades of green, picturesque plateu, its world famous teas, babbling streams as vivacious as its folk songs and endless beaches.Culturally this is a most fascinating region. The local populace is at once friendly and also intensely proud of their many and varied traditions. Local architecture reflects the various peoples that have passed this way and indeed live here still, so Greek, Roman, Seljuk, Armenian, Ottoman and Georgian influence can still be noted in the churches and mosques set amidst mountain valleys cloaked in beautiful Oriental Beech and Spruce forests. Above the still waters of the atmospheric Black Sea rise beautiful snowy mountains, their bright green flower studded meadows ablaze with a fabulous range of spring bulbs and orchids. Trek the remote and scenic Pontic Alps. Spend time with local tribes of Turkish nomads. Go beyond normal travel boundaries in this exciting trekking and cultural adventure! Far from the tourist routes, this exotic trek goes through spectacular alpine scenery and fascinating yaylas - summer camps of the local people. We hike among the locals who are living their traditional lifestyle with colorful dress and makeshift houses. Tucked away in the far north east of Turkey, the Kackar range forms the highest part of the rugged Pontic Alps which hug Turkey’s Black Sea Coast. With their remote Alpine Valleys, hidden glacial lakes and spectacular mountain scenery, the Kackars are quite simply a trekkers’ paradise. The range itself runs in an east-west direction for around 100km and forms an effective barrier to the mist and torrential rain that continually rolls in off the Black Sea some 40km to the north. Trekkers on these northern slopes are guaranteed to get a soaking as this is the wettest part of Turkey with an annual rainfall of a staggering five metres. The southern slopes and mountains, which lie in Kackar’s rain shadow are by contrast, usually much drier.   There is an optional ascent of rocky Mt. Kackar (3937m/12915ft).   Before and the after the trekking trip you have a couple of days/nights in the fascinating city of Istanbul to experience the eastern delights of this great old city, capital of two of the greatest empires the world has known..

PONTIC ALPS

 

 

Itinerary Highlights

 

day1	Arrivals: Transfer to hotel	Meeting at the hotel; Free time in old town: Istanbul
day2	Fly to Erzurum	Free time in Erzurum & Sightseeing walk tour
day3	Transfer to İspir-start hiking:	Camp1
day4	EN ROUTE	Camp2
day5	EN ROUTE	Camp3
day6	EN ROUTE	Camp4
day7	EN ROUTE	DAY OFF: Free Day
day8	EN ROUTE	Camp5
day9	EN ROUTE	Camp6
day10	EN ROUTE	Camp7
day11	EN ROUTE	Camp8: Optional ascent of rocky Mt. Kackar (3937m/12915ft).
day12	EN ROUTE	Camp9
day13	Transfer to Erzurum	Free time in Erzurum
day14	Fly to Istanbul	Free day in Istanbul
day15	Departures: Fly home	Transfer to airport; for lately flights: free time in old town: Istanbul

 

 

 

 

 INDIVIDUAL RESERVATIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE.

WHEN THE MINIMUM GROUP NUMBER IS REACHED,

YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED IN A REASONABLE TIME PERIOD.

 

prices are subject to change without notice

 

Included in Cost

• Domestic airfare in Turkey (Istanbul/Erzurum/Istanbul).

• Airport transfers for individual arrivals (minimum 8-people groups).

• Accommodation as double occupancy basis in tents (shared tent / room basis for individuals) and hotel/ pension.

• Camping equipment.

• Mule & truck support.

• Services of a professional guide, drivers and service men.

• All airport transfers (in air-conditioned minivans) for group of  minimum 4 participants.

• All sightseeing and admission fees to sites/museums, nature parks.

• All meals + snacks as indicated B (Breakfast), L (Lunch), D (Dinner).

• All soft drinks and  plain water with breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout.

• Service charges and other taxes.

 

Not Included in Cost

• International airfare.

• Airport transfers for individual arrivals (less than 8-people).

• Post-Tour Extension. Please ask for the possibilities.

• Items of a personal nature such as soft drinks (except on hiking days at the trail), liquor, laundry, phone calls, extra special medical assistance, postage, additional hotel nights and meals not specified in the itinerary, traveler's insurance, gratuities to guide, drivers and crew.

• Trip cancellation, travel delay or baggage insurance (Please refer to Terms & Conditions on the web page).

• Passport or Turkish visa fees.

• Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond control of  Dragoman Travel Agency.

 

 Notes:

• The Itinerary represented above is the one taken under normal weather conditions. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary for any reason deemed necessary to ensure the best trip possible.

• Your fellow campmates may be foreign as well, adding to the international nature of your adventure.

• Previous hiking and camping experience is essential. In order to participate in a backpacking trip you should be in good physical and mental fitness. Group camping and some individual outdoor equipment are supplied.

• For terms & conditions and reservations, please refer to our reservations page on our web site.

• Prices do not include international flights; gratuities to tour guide(s) and driver(s); any items of a personal nature.

• A recommended gear & essential equipment list is to be sent to the participants before the tour.

• A support vehicle will drop food and other supplies for the group at certain points.

• Although all participants are under the travel company's insurance policy, an extra individual travel insurance is highly recommended for all International outdoors & adventure travel.

• Depending on the weather situation, it might be necessary to modify the walking tour program; in this case the modifications will be announced in time before the flight to Turkey or directly in Kas at least a day before the tours start.

  

Tour Duration: 14 Nights, 15 Days

Destination: PONTIC ALPS: ERZURUM -TRABZON - RIZE - ERZURUM TURKEY: BLACK SEA REGION

Specialty Categories: Trekking & Backpacking, Camping

Trip dates: June, August

Airfare Included?: Domestic Flights (Istanbul-Erzurum-Istanbul)  are included.

Tour Customizable?: YES for minimum 8 participants

Number of Participants: Minimum: 8 backpackers + 1 guide + mule man Maximum: 15 backpackers + 2* staff + mule man *(Group leader and an assistant).

Accommodation Overnights in tented camps and hotel / pension

Meals Lunch box / restaurant / camp cooking /hotel Vegetarian ratios are possible.

Land Transfer & transport: by minibus and/or 4 x 4 vehicle.

 

 

 

Our grades range from A to D.

  A. is easy - for anyone of any age.

   B. is moderate - for anyone who is a ‘regular walker’.

   C. is fairly strenuous - for the regular hill walker.

   D. is strenuous-for the keen, regular hill walker, or even the less keen if they are willing to feel tired at times.

In general however we are not running commando courses and can be fairly flexible but it is important that you do not ‘bite off more than you can comfortably chew’!

 Conditions that may affect grading

Please remember that it is impossible to be absolutely precise about how hard a walk may be, as there may be many contributory factors. The main benefit of grading is to provide you with an overall indicator to compare one walk against another. We therefore look at the following 6 factors before deciding the grade:

• Length of trek and length of walking day. 

• Average altitude and altitude gain and loss.

• Trail conditions.

• Level of porterage or backpacking.

• Temperature range and likely weather conditions.

• Remoteness to services and general level of comfort.

 

Clearly conditions for a particular holiday may vary from one month to the next. It is not practical for us to give grades for each individual departure, but you may like to take this into account before choosing a specific departure date.

 

 

Our Environmental Philosophy

As walking holidays grow in popularity, more and more rubbish is being left unnecessarily in some beautiful areas, in spite of promises by tour operators to curb this. Dragoman Outdoors Center adopts a ‘Pack it in - Pack it out’, 'Soft Walking&Camping' and 'Leave No Trace' policy on all our holidays. To meet this end, all rubbish that is not combustible or biodegradable (i.e. metal, glass and often plastic) will be carried out to a suitable disposal point. For example, we collect all rubbish on the trails and at campsites (and not only ours)! Any non-burnable or non-biodegradable rubbish is carried back to Kas for proper disposal. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.