Legend has it that Mt.Ararat was the rocky precipice
upon which Noah's Ark came to rest when the waters of the
Great Flood began to recede. Whatever happened here, this
mountain is an exciting trekking destination. Peten Travel
is now pleased to offer this famous trek to Turkey's highest
mountain. Occupying a large corner of Turkey’s Eastern
Anatolia near the borders with Iran and Armenia, the
mountain requires a climb of 5165 meters or 16,941 feet.
The ascent is tough, but non-technical, but does require the
climber have good stamina. The upper third of this dormant
volcano is covered in snow throughout the year and the last
100 meters is icy, requiring the use of ice axe and
crampons. The actual climb to the summit from Camp II at
4200 meters (13775 feet) is optional however.
Mount Suphan is another dormant volcano and with its height
of 5137 meters ranks as Turkey’s second highest, second only
to Mount Ararat. Also located in Eastern Anatolia this
magnificent mountain rises from the northwestern shores of
Lake Van, Turkey’s largest lake. Snow falls on Suphan
throughout the winter, reaching levels of three to four
meters, but in the summer only its crater on the summit
remains filled with snow. The climb to the summit is rugged
but the path is broad, having been smoothed by eons of
erosion. The slopes have retained much of their conic
shape, making the ascent to the summit relatively
straightforward.
Just 150 km from Van is Nemrud Mountain (not to be confused
with Mt. Nemrut in Adýyaman). Our dormant volcano Nemrud
Mountain rises about today’s city of Bitlis. The mountain
has twin craters and two lakes named after Babylonian kings
who ruled in 2100 BC. The highest peak stands at 3050
meters, but it is believed that the volcanic peak stood at
4450 meters before its last eruption, which is believed to
have happened in 1440 BC. The crater actually has five
lakes, but two are of special interest. The large Cold Lake
(13 square kilometers) is fed by a cold water stream and has
an average depth of 100 meters, but is 150 meters deep at
its deepest point. The Hot Lake is fed by thermal springs
and has a visible amount of steam rising from its surface.
The heat sometimes reaches 60 degrees centigrade!
Van was an important settlement of the Urartu Kingdom that
flourished here from the 13th-7th cent. BC, enjoying
considerable power in the Middle East in the 9th-8th cent.
BC. Coming under repeated attacked by Assyrian kings, it
declined in the late 8th cent. BC and ceased to exist after
invasions by Cimmerians, Scythians, and Medes in the 7th
cent. BC
TRIP LIMITED
TO MIN 8 AND MAX 16 PARTICIPANTS
Tour Date
16 - 28 July 2007
06 - 08 August 2007
E-mail
us for a detailed itinerary and brochure
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