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P25
Sun Express no longer fly Antalya – Erzurum
Metro buses run direct between Yusufeli and İstanbul.
P26 Last Erzurum – Yusufeli bus is now at 4pm.
Useful local buses: Tekkale – Bölükbaşı – mornings about 6am except weekends, return pm
Dargit Yaylası – Yusufeli – mornings about 6am except weekends, return pm.
Duruklu/Pişnir – Yusufeli – summer mornings about 6am except weekends, return pm.
P29 Barhal pension has internet.
Yusufeli market is on Fridays.
P33 The clinic at Yaylalar has re-opened.
P44 The Aros festival, mid-July, has poetry reading, singing and folkdance.
The Barhal festival has bull-wrestlking and a strong Georgian element.
Dargit has a week-long festival starting about 10th August, but it’s mainly a reunion for local families.
P50
It seems that the word financial crisis has affected lending for the Yusufeli dam – foreign banks have withdrawn their loans and it’s unlikely that Turkish banks will support the project.
To reach Bayır Kilise, turn L at the çeşme on the road near Dört Kilise and follow a rising clear path upwards to a river crossing. Here it turns up the stream then hairpins up/L to gain height on the valley side. It then continues rising parallel with the main stream to the junction of two streams. Cross the first, walk up the 2nd for only 20m then turn L up the bank the R onto rising zigzags over a headland. Continue with stream below/L past waterfalls through woodland until the path veers R/away from the stream to a junction. Keep R and follows rising zigzags into more open woodland and oak scrub. At a junction below a rock wall, turn R, past two headlands. From the second, Bayır Kilise is visible on the far side of a valley. Descend L to cross the stream bed and climb R to the church. (1hr 10 mins).
We have now detailed notes on the pass; it has now been cleared and marked with cairns.
P59
After the col a new road has been contructed to Güngörmez/Selant (not Salent!) yayla, causing much damage to the forest and damaging the old path. Where the track veers away from the river it’s possible to cross and follow a path on the far side to the yayla, re-crossing at the junction of streams below the yayla.
P60 The onward path rises diagonally R above the yayla and circles a hill. Beyond this is a flat area with a stream on the L. A clear route along the stream leads to Büyük Göl. Our route continues rising R along the side of a hill, then crosses a stream and climbs towards the outflow from Küçük Göl, with the outflow stream on the R. The final zigzags lead up to the basin with the lake.
Turn R and cross the lake by stepping stones and continue SW up the wide, shallow valley which leads to the pass. The path rises on the R valley side, and as it approaches the first, false pass drops into and crosses a shallow, stony basin, which may be snow-filled. Climb out on the far side onto the low point of the ridge. Beyond is a huge U shaped valley leading down to Çevreli. Turn R/up the ridge towards the real pass, aiming R of the rock stacks. Turn L along the ridge to the low-point, weaving between the rocks.
The descent starts at the low-point on long zigzags over scree, keeping below a rock pinnacle. It continues on scree for about 2 km, descending towards a tiny green basin which is an excellent campsite. On the L of the camp is a slope leading up to Poso Göl; you could follow the outflow up to reach the lake. The descent continues over a scree bank with the stream bed on the L, first with the stream well below, then descending on zigzags. The path approaches the junction of two streams and crosses via rocks. On the far side it rises on a diagonal to Nabadere Yaylası, perched on a spur. There are empty huts and a spring, so you could stay here.
From Nabadere, you could continue L/rising on well-used path to Modut Yaylası, around and over 3 spurs. The descent from Modut to Mikelis has been spoiled by the construction of a new road, see below; you could join route 13.2 to Yaylalar. Or descend from Nabadere towards the stream and pick up a lovely paved path which runs on the L bank of the river towards Mikelis. Later it zigzags through woods then terraces. It turns L and enters Mikelis past a walled garden and a white house at the top of the village. End.
P61
Duruklu is also known as Pişnir; there is a dolmuş service between Yusufeli and the mezraa in summer.
P63
A fierce hailstorm (yes, in August!) has just washed out the road between Güzelce and the junction with the Karbasan road. The Karbasan road is also badly damaged. The gulleys above Karbasan are also likely to be in poor condition. The roads will probably be bulldozed within a few days but, if you plan to use them, check first!
P66
Past Velise tepe, on your left is a side-spur descending to Duruklu/Pişnik. A step and badly eroded gully separates it from the main ridge. It’s possible to cross the head of the gully and zig-zag downthe spur on a faint path over grass to a shoulder. Continue the descent to the R side of the shoulder, above a stony gully with scattered and often broken trees. The path continues in zigzags through scattered trees to a tiny barınak, then, in the same direction but less clearly, to a dry spring and trough. Here is a wide path leading L, first almost horizontal then descending less clearly across meadow and scrub to meet the road directly above the mezra. Opposite is an insect trap and beyond that two mills.
This route was obviously once a major descent from the ridge, but has been unused for years.
GPS points will be added to the file shortly.
I haven’t tried the spur to Aho yaylası, but I have looked for a route down from Satibe Tepesi to the road at Kilyon. There appears to have been a route which is now blocked by fallen trees and undergrowth, so I don’t recommend it. There is reported to be a path from Sarigöl up the valley to the horizontal dirt road and from there to the ridgetop. I have not checked this.
P67 On the ridge is a tree which has been stripped of branches and has a platform with beehives perched in the top. Above this tree, there is a path to the R which leads to Patrikara yaylası. Ignore this.
P69
Alternative route:
You could use this route to walk from Bölükbaşı back to Yusufeli. The alternative route starts at Alikolat, not Poysant. Turn up a gully with houses on the L. On the R of the stream find an indistinct route which climbs on zigzags through forest with a stream gully on the L. After an hour, it gains the ridge and climbs to an open area. From there, zigzag to a stone wall just above the treline.; this marks the lower limit of the yayla. Follow it L to the houses of Bavut. (2 hrs).
Bavut is a group of partly-used wooden houses all facing down across the Çoruh valley. There is a spring on the slope at the top part of the yayla, and enclosed gardens on the E facing slope.
For Yusufeli, walk R/S along the ridge towards woodland, keeping first R then L of the ridge. Turn sharp L down a hairpin path to a meadow with a spring. The path continues parallel to a side-stream, mainly over steep zigzags and meets the main stream bed. Turn R and walk down the stream bed, passing under a water pipe. Climb out of the valley on the L onto a concrete road. Follow this down, re-cross the stream and pass through the houses of Bahçeli. Bahçeli, as its name implies, is a garden in the wilderness. Surrounded by steep cliffs and dry slopes, the village has many types of fruit trees on terraces and beside the stream. Scattered wooden and stone houses overlook the valley. You can follow the concrete and dirt road down the dry valley to the Barhal river (2-3km), looking out for wild goats or deer on the valley sides. Here, either cross the bridge to the main road, or turn R abnd walk 1-2km along dirt track on the green river-bank to Yusufeli.
This route is a day-walk from Yusufeli to Bahçeli mezraa in a side-valley leading from the Barhal river about 1.5km N of Yusufeli. It is mostly on stony, dry hillside and passes two conspicuous rock pyramids on a ridge. Bee-eaters, wild pigs and migrating birds.
From the centre of Yusufeli cross the main bridge and take the rising concrete road opposite. Turn R up concreted steps to the road just before the Köşk hotel. Turn L on the road and walk to a bend, where there is a valley and a concrete retaining wall on the R. Climb above the wall and cross to the R side of the valley. Find and follow a faint path rising up the valley. Cross the stream bed and continue on the far side; turn up a rock slab and follow the valley above. Turn R towards a pass. From here, follow the ridgetop L/up, towards two rock pyramids. Pass below/L of the first pyramid to a dry river bed. Turn up this and find an indistinct rising path which passes below the second pyramid. This climbs to the lowest point of the ridge beyond the pyramids. Follow the ridge over a rock stack and find a path running horizontally R/N across the hillside. This is initially faint but becomes clearer as it crosses a dry gully and climbs to a ridge. From the ridge, you can see into the Bahçeli valley. A path descends L to a spring on a grassy shoulder. From here it continues down zigzags into the side-valley beyond, passing through oak scrub and some trees. Reaching the valley bottom it turns R and runs down the stream-bed to reach the concrete road just below the mosque in the centre of Bahçeli. Walk down the road to the river (see above) and turn R along the dirt road to Yusufeli (see above).
P73
The names of the mezraas of Amanesket and Naznara are in the wrong order, both on the map and in the book. Naznara is the lower, eastern mezraa.
P74
Alternative route:
You could reach the lake via the path to Satibe hilltop.
Instead of turning R on the canal, turn L and follow it to a cairn. Here, a path leads up the hillside of Nebisatgur until you are about level with the lake. Turn R and contour around the hill then drop slightly to join the first path. It’s reported that this is easier than the climb over scree to the lake.
P85
IMPORTANT:
The landslip at the valley head between Sarıbulut and Borasan has become impassable. It may be repaired by the time you read this, but check with locals before you start out.
There is apparently an alternative route down from Satibe ridge to join the road above Borusan, but I don’t know how clear it is. Mules can use it.
P86
I have been asked to point out that Taş Yayla is almost invisible, and that the mulemen also know Satelef Yaylası as Taş Yayla. Avoid confusion!
Section 12.
The two passes aof Hevek and Babur have been cleared and marked with cairns and are now passable by mules.
P92
Modut’s beautiful old path has been wiped out by a new road bulldozed up to the yayla. 600 trees are reputed to have been destroyed. Part-way down, it’s possible to leave the horrible new road and regain the old path. Look out on the R on a straight section of road for a descent to the old path.
P95
There is no camping allowed at Deniz Gölü from this year.
Toilets have been eredcted at the Dilberdüzü camp site.
P110
Continue towards the pass up the couloir, passing between moraine hills. The climb to the pass is on zigzags on the L of the valley. At the top, you can see the upper valley above Dargit/Dabgit, and a huge black cattle pen on the far side of the stream. There may be herds of bulls in the upper valley, but they are curious rather than dangerous; if you throw stones they will retreat.
Descend over zigzags (faint at first) with the stream on your R. As the slope becomes steeper, the path bears L, but you can descend to the basin and aim at the crossing place of the stream. On the far side, follow cattle tracks to the pen and, just beyond it, a shepherds’ hut. Just past the hut is a step-sided stony gully and Dabgit is visible from the lip. Either cross the gully very high/R and bear L to descend the spur on the far side, or cross close to the stream and foıllow a path to the bottom of the spur. Both routes join a clear path with the stream on the L which runs to a stone building just above the yayla. Continue down steep path through the houses to the bridge. The accommodation is just below the bridge on the L.
The dirt road starts at Dargit. The old road runs between walls on the L of the new one; it’s marked by telegraph posts and you could follow it for at least some of the way down the valley.
There is a morning (weekdays only) bus from Dargit to Yusufeli – summer months only. Dargit festival lasts a week and starts around 10th August. It’s mainly a reunion for scattered families.
This lovely route is a mainly horizontal walk at around 1900m between the mezras on the slopes above the Çoruh. It starts at Beşkavak and finishes on the road which joins Gündüz Mezraa to Cevizli, a distance of about 12-15km from Cevizli and about 20km from the main Yusufeli – Ispir road. You need transport to get down this road, although in summer, especially when the Çamliyayla festival is in progress, you may get a lift from the bridge.
From the roadside covered spring below Beşkavak, take a hairpin path up the valley side to Beşkavak. (There is also a road). Turn R and find the old road which contours the hillside to to meet the new road to Lantet. Turn L/up and walk to the mezra. (1hr).
Continue on level path past a spring to a river bed (ignore a turn down). Follow under-used path marked by telegraph posts upwards to a headland from which you have wide views over the valley. From here the undulating path continues over several spurs to a white house with a spring. The mezra of Haaret is 300m beyond; ignore a turn down to Yüncüler. (45mins).
In the mezraa, turn up/L just before the last house and find a clear path rising past a water mill (ignore the lower path). This continues climbing steeply across the hillside to a rocky spur. From the top, you can see the next mezraa of Görgüt, around two spurs and at the same altitude. The hillside is open and the path rocky and undulating, but clear. It enters the mezra along a line of poplars and continues past two springs. Ignore the rising paths from both ends of the mezra and continue slightly down. The next large and inhabited mezra of Gündüz is visible from a headland; below it is a winding road which leads to Yüncüler. Just before the mezra, a steep path descends through pine forest to meet the road. The quicker alternative is to continue level above the mezra, across a stream, then keep L/up towards a hilltop where a pile of rocks in a clearing marks the start of the next section and the boundary between Yüncüler and Cevizli. (1 hr).
Alternatively, you could walk down to meet the road, turn L on the road to the mezra and find a new building just below the end of the road. From here, a horizontal path runs towards the valley then branches upwards towards the hilltop, becoming wide and clear as it rises. In woodland, turn up/L to the hilltop.
The next, horizontal section starts at the rock pile and runs through woodland, past a spring to another hilltop. Across the hilltop, the path continues, circling a valley; below a mezra and road is visible and tree-cutting may be in progress. At the next headland, where there is a spring and barınak for the forestry workers, you meet the road. (30 mins). Turn L and continue down through forest to a junction. Turn R then L below a couple of houses, then R again just before the river. Cross the bridge, where there is a sign L to Çamlibel yaylası (20 mins).
Turn R/down along the road which runs parallel with the river to Cevizli village (10km) and then a further 6km to the main road just above the bridge at Peterek castle.
The walk is pleasant, but nearly all downhill over dirt road and concrete, so hard on the knees; there are occasional vehicles heading to and from Çamlibel; if you are offered a lift, take it. If you can time the walk to co-incide with the Çamlibel festival (last weekend July?), you could enjoy the festival before returning to the main road.
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