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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. The Yeşil Artvin office is moving from the Semt Garaj to the main Bus Station from Sept 2010. 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. Greenpeace Pension, Barhal pension and Camyuva Pension have wireless internet. Yusufeli market is on Fridays.
P44. The Aros festival, mid-July, has poetry reading, singing and folkdance. The Barhal festival has bull-wrestling and a Georgian element. Dargit has a week-long festival starting about 10th August, but it’s mainly a reunion for local families.
P49. is being restored and is closed to visitors until further notice.
P50. Protests and representations by the Berne Group, as well as the financial crisis, have affected lending for the Yusufeli dam – foreign banks have withdrawn their loans and it seems unlikely that Turkish banks will support the project. The governor of Artvin province has decreed that before more dams are started, the main roads have to be completed. The work of moving the main Artvin-Yusufeli road and Şavşat – Artvin road from the floor of the Çoruh valley and its tributaries to a series of tunnels and ledges part-way up the valley sides is now in progress; it is causing traffic delays and environmental damage and could take several years. In Erzurum province, the diversion of the main road from Yusufeli to Ispir, the construction of the Ispir dam and the dams at the mouth of the Sirakonklar valley are all being worked on concurrently. Life in that part of the Çoruh valley is hell and the Yusufeli – Ispir road is currently only just usable by private car.
p 56 Route 10.1.
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).
p 58 Route 10.3.
We have now detailed notes on the pass; the path has been repaired, cleared and marked with cairns.
P59. After the col a new road has been constructed 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 L 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 stream 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 Route 10.4. Duruklu is also known as Pişnir; there is a dolmuş service between Yusufeli and the mezraa in summer.
P66 Additional Route. Past Velise tepe, on your left is a side-spur descending to Duruklu/Pişnik. A steep and badly eroded gully separates it from the main ridge. It’s possible to cross the head of the gully and zig-zag down the 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.
Alternative routes: The descent of the spur to Aho yaylası is reported to be more like abseiling than trekking. There is reported to be a path from Sarigöl up the valley to the horizontal dirt road E of Kilyon and from there onwards to the ridgetop. I have checked part of this; the ridgetop is very broken up so the path may not be possible.
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/SE which leads to Patrikara yaylası; don’t take it as it leads across a valley to a landslip. It’s easy to go wrong here, especially going up.
P69 Route 10.7. 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 treeline.; 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 and walk 1-2km along dirt track on the green river-bank to Yusufeli.
Additional route Yusufeli – Bahceli: 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 Route 11.1. 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, E mezraa. There are now toilets at the campsite at Satibe.
P77 Route 11.3. Before a side stream joins the main valley, the road forks. One branch makes a sharp R bend, but a L branch crosses the river by concrete bridge and bears R towards Pişenkaya. At the moment it’s not possible to drive all the way to Pişenkaya, but you could leave your vehicle on the track and walk down to a second concrete bridge and cross over to join the Pişenkaya track. A diagonal climb takes you to the wide mule-track crossing the fields below Pişenkaya. Turn L and approach the village…. There are also toilets at Pişenkaya.
P79 Route 11.4. the forest road into the forest has been extended further towards the ridge-top and obscured the old path. You may be able to find the path; if not, follow the road to the end and then turn R/upwards the ridge-top. The climb might be quite difficult.
P83 Route 11.5. This route has been affected by a new road which has been built between the Onbolat Valley and Sarıbulut Yaylası, then joining the existing road above Uzunçalı Yaylası. At a large open area, the path runs into the newly bulldozed road. Follow this up hairpins and cut a corner to follow the new road on the N side of a low hill, Çuvart Tepesi, to an open pass, where there is a spur off to the R. The spur leads to a path which climbs to the end of the hilltop and from there to Satibe campsite. The road itself descends L/WNW towards Sarıbulut Yaylası where a L spur descends to the old houses (B120). The road then continues; after 80m on the R in front of a mill is the path which leads up to Satibe Campsite (Alternative route to Satibe Campsite). Below the mills, the new road continues along the telegraph line, following the course of the old path to meet the existing road at Uzunçalı. There is now a new water supply to Sarıbulut Yaylası.
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.
Section 12. The two passes of Hevek and Babur have been cleared and marked with cairns and are now passable by mules.
P92 Route 12.2. The upper part of Modut’s beautiful old path has been partly wiped out by a new road bulldozed up to the yayla. 600 trees are said to have been cut. Part-way down, it’s possible to leave the horrible new road and regain the old path. Look out on the R of a straight section of road for a descent to the old path.
P94 Route 12.3. There is now a nasty new road from the valley bottom which stops just below Aşağı Veknal. Turn down between the last houses to join the new bulldozed road. Turn along the road then, on a sharp R bed, continue onto the old track – there is a mark on a rock. The path descends the ridge on straight, broad path…
P95. There is no camping allowed at Deniz Gölü from this year. Toilets have been erected at the Dilberdüzü camp site.
P105 Route 12.7. We recommend the alternative route, following route 12.4 to Deniz Gölü, then crossing the low pass to Atsız Gölü. Atsız Gölü is a lovely campsite with room for many tents; it is becoming popular as it is an alternative base for a climb of Kaçkar. To re-join the route, turn R from the lake and descend a wide valley, following a small stream. This curves L and descends more steeply; here keep close to the stream then descend L again down a steep slope towards the main valley bottom and the junction of two streams (Bottom of p 106).
P110 Route 12.8. 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 steep-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 follow 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.
Additional Route: Beşkavak to Cevizli/Peterek. 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 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.
The first, 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 a steep path just before the mezraa 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 a gully then branches upwards towards the hilltop, becoming wide and clear as it rises. In woodland, again turn up/L to the hilltop and the pile of rocks.
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 the road 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.
P129 Route 13.6. Taşbaşı, Sırakonaklar, Soğanlı Yaylası: Instead of staying on the L/N bank of the river, you could cross the river between Davalı nad Taşbaşı and continue on the S bank (the mules now regularly use this route). The path rises to Taşbaşı, where there is one house in occupation for 3 months, the continues down between walls, across 2 gulleys with streams and above 2 isolated buildings. Here it continues into woodland, first pines then hazelnut groves with clearings. It crosses a ditch on a bride and passes below the upper house (with beehives) of Çavuşlar Mah. There is a pension (unsigned – you have to ask) a few houses down, and from there another path below the old road leads to a river crossing to Akbaş Mah, where there is a mosque and a track to the road. A L turn before the mosque takes you to the çeşme (E115).
P 130 ....up the L side of the stream and through a gate. Ignore the clear L turn up to a few huts on the slope above. Continue along the riverbank then cross and continue on the R bank (25 mins).
….buttress (topped by a cairn) then turns back and crosses the stream to the L bank (40 mins). It rises in zigzags up a bank then approaches the remaining walls of Soğanlı Yaylası. Just before the yayla, re-cross to the R stream bank and follow it up towards the upper basin of the valley. Just before the lip, re-cross the stream and continue on the L bank, sometimes zigzagging. The valley flattens out (1 hr, D208), but then the path climbs to the R side of a buttress in the valley centre, continuing upwards between outcrops towards the R of the valley. Climb gently to the pass close to the rocks on the R of the valley rim (1hr 10 mins, D214)….. Take a R/NE diagonal path down scree, maybe towards a snowpatch. It continues down slippery zigzags, keeping to a bank R of stones and a stream. Approaching the valley bottom (20 mins), the cairned path continues NNE over moraine mounds onto a low ridge which leads towards the lower/E end of Dilberdüzü campsite …
P137 Route 14.4. Karmık Y, Yıldlzlı Gölü, Hacıvanak, Elevit. (8 hrs) This lovely route is now better explored – the part from Karmık via the lake to the pass is fabulously beautiful but a bit difficult to find (no clear path) – the descent to Hacıvanak is down a stony ridge which, while easy to follow, is not very comfortable walking. A new road is being built from Elevit to Hacıvanak.
The faint path to the lake starts just above the old animal pens on the S side of the yayla. It rises over a slope, straight towards the bank down which the lake outlet stream runs. Before the bank, in a boggy dip, it turns R and crosses the bogs and streams aiming to the R of the outlet stream. After the stream, it turns up and climbs the bank close to the stream. You could also stay entirely on the R/N bank of the outlet stream. Cross a shallow upper basin to reach the lake. Yıldızlı gölü is perfectly circular, framed only by low banks, and with an impressive view of the Kaçkar massif beyond. There is plenty of room to camp and the water is wonderfully inviting for a swim. The lake is at the lower edge of a huge basin, edged by a high wall of scree-covered cliffs. In this basin, and separated from the cliffs, are two rock massifs, close together but divided by a valley and stream. The L/SE massif has been broken up by landslides and would be difficult to climb; the route to the pass is over the R massif.
To continue, go to a large rock on the SW corner of the lake and climb over the stony bank adjoining the inflow stream. (Do NOT go R/WSW up the slope to the R of the rock – there is a path here but it leads to a dead-end at a shepherd’s barınak) Beyond the bank is a second, smaller lake; keep R of this and follow it round to the incoming stream. Climb a steep bank parallel and above the stream onto the R rock massif. Continue upwards/SSW, crossing basins with shallow seasonal lakes and climbing the slopes in between, but always keeping the stream/valley below and L. After several basins, you reach the source of the stream, close below the rocky, and seemingly unscalable, wall of the cirque. Turn L and cross the boggy head of the stream onto a level area on the extreme S end of the L massif. From here, looking SW towards the wall, you will see an outcrop and, to the L of it, a grassy slope with a faint zigzag up it. This is the easy path to the pass. At the top, instead of a descent, is a wide, level area with another outcrop on the far side. Needless to say, if there is no mist the views are impressive.
Turn R/W and cross the level area then an area of loose rock towards a ridge. Turn down the ridge, which descends gently SW then WSW towards Hacıvanak. You could walk just off the stony ridge top on more grassy areas. Eventually, you will glimpse the roofs of Hacivanak below/L; do not turn down the steep ridge, but continue towards the outcrops on the ridge ahead. Pass two outcrops and continue straight to the end of the ridge at a steep drop towards a stream below. On the R is the valley of Yedigözler pınarı, the source of the stream. Turn L and follow a faint path down, parallel and above the stream, towards the yayla, which is only 500m away.
If you want to return to Elevit, at the yayla turn R, cross the stream and continue towards the valley bottom and the new road (currently under construction) to Elevit.
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