Lycian Way on foot

I have many hobbies - 4x4, water, motorcycle... everything is great. But I decided to remember my youth and went hiking in Turkey. As a result - 140 km in 7 days and minus 4 kg.
A group of 18 people - Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians and Azerbaijanis!!! Moreover, before the campaign, I only knew two of them. We walked together and it was very friendly. Probably, the brain works differently when hiking in the mountains; we didn’t have time for politics and other nasty things.

The Lycian Way (Turkish: Likya Yolu) is a long route in Turkey, running along part of the coast of ancient Lycia, about 510 km long. Connects Fethiye with Hisarchandir, which is 20 km from Antalya. The trail is marked with red and white markers, in accordance with the European Grande Randonnée agreement. The Sunday Times named it one of the top 10 walking routes in the world.

The trail takes its name from the ancient civilization that once inhabited this area. The route is characterized by elevation changes as the road descends towards and away from the sea. The easy sections of the trail are located on the Fethiye side, becoming more difficult to the east. The most favorable periods for passage are spring and summer, from February to May and from September to November. Summer in Lycia is hot, and you can walk in short, shady areas. The route follows mainly footpaths and mule trails, consisting of limestone, but also often hardwood.

We bought tickets to Antalya, packing our backpack, as always, was postponed almost until departure. It’s a paradox, but none of my friends ever pack a backpack in advance. It was not possible to establish the reason in the heated debate. A tent, a backpack, a rug, a sleeping bag, a pair of shorts, a pair of T-shirts, a fleece and a rain jacket, shorts and trousers, boots and sandals. ALL. A person doesn't need more.

Friends from Kyiv, acting as organizers, sent lists of products, in my backpack there is a kilo of raisins, 1.5 kg of buckwheat, 2 loaves, 4 large cucumbers and 2 sticks of sausage. About 4 kg. At the airport the scales showed 19.5 kg of live weight behind my back. Fine. On Caucasian hikes with full autonomy for 2 weeks it came out to 25-28 kg. It's a blast now.

We spent 2 nights in Kalechi, the old town of Antalya. Chinese and Japanese with huge cameras sweep everything, old Germans quietly walk along the alleys where glamorous Russian (Russian-speaking) girls with older lovers drink wine in restaurants... Lots of bars, live music. Atmospheric. Especially in the evening, there is a lot of live modern music. Everything is filled with friendliness.

As was noted by all the participants of the event, the Turks do not shy away from beer, then they sing and dance, sometimes they walk around quite cheerfully during the day. Of course, at ice cream stands, magicians perform miracles at the counter. The ice cream is delicious, a must. The small old port is full of excursion boats. The season has not yet begun and there are frankly few people, barkers are fighting for the client. They don’t grab your hands, but the persistence is annoying. We look around - and behold, on the other side of the bay we can see the approximate landscape of our hike. Up and down, up and down, and so on for almost all 10 days.

Madness of colors and smells, temperature about +25. And in the Motherland there is wind, rain and +5...

The Turks, as you know, are famous for textiles and other tailoring. There are a lot of synthetics, but you can easily buy decent panties for cheap, and if you look, they will also have branded tags. But, I found myself a carpet, cool! Since the bargaining process was long and took all 2 days of gathering the group (periodically he passed by and looked in with an offer of a new price), after purchasing the carpet, the seller Aykhan and I were already practically relatives, and the liters of tea we drank together ensured mutual trust for us. Taking advantage of this fact, I agreed with him and left a set of clean things to return back (not to carry them through the mountains), and, accordingly, the carpet itself. For free! Tomorrow to the mountains!

The guys ordered a transfer to the village of Hisarchandir in advance. After running around the old city with a backpack (parking is prohibited everywhere), the seasoned minibus still swallowed us with all our belongings and moved forward to the music.

The village is a settlement inhabited exclusively by peasants. Hard work, or rather the struggle with stones and drought, brings them small gifts in the form of oranges, tomatoes and other fruits. We didn’t see any huge plantations. Small houses on plots of 3-4 acres. The population is mostly well over 50. Everyone smiles approvingly and continues to potter around in their gardens. Having loaded our backpacks, we traverse Mount Namazlar-Tepe (height 1412 m).

How long have I been walking with a backpack?!?!? 10 years???? The first steps, the first sweat... The group walks briskly forward, the sun burns mercilessly.

The landscapes begin! Crimea? Yeah! Very similar, just higher.

It's warm, and I'm very hot. Excess weight glued to the stomach and other places makes itself felt. But I don't give up. Every 10 minutes there is a stop for a photo, I breathe, I look, I live. Everyone is surprised, except those who have already run through Lycia before.

And here it is - the first overnight stay. Several people in country clothes and with a gun ran past. They surprised us, but most likely they were hunters. We never heard any shots. During the day we walked about 15 km, gaining altitudes of about 600m. We stood by the water. On the edge of Mount Sarychynar.

It took a long time to collect firewood, because... On the first day, everyone was tired out of habit, and somehow the order of duty was not fixed. My advice is to be on duty on the first day, then just help and not strain yourself too much. By the way, there is no problem with dead wood on the trail; cedar, pine and other branches burn well. A midnight fire for cooking and warmth for 18 people is provided by an hour of hauling wood. Of course, there are no chainsaws or other accessories from the car. There isn't even a regular saw. We burn what we drag, alternating a little and changing the order of the branches in the fire. Spaaaat.

During the night the supply of firewood dried up, and whoever was on duty in the evening is also on duty in the morning. Cones! The cones saved the people on duty and allowed them to prepare both porridge and tea! A hearty and slow breakfast and we, leaving the tents, go to the radial road to this very Sarychynar (1811m).

Through the branches of the Lebanese cedars appeared the handsome Olympus, or in local terms - Takhtali. We won’t be there soon, but we will definitely get there and rise!

We climb for about two hours along steady gravel... fog, complete fog.

At the top there is a TV tower, shabby, a kind of Silent Hill. It seems like zombies are coming from all corners. But, to our regret, no one appeared and we, unable to see anything from the top, wandered back.

Yes, somewhere in the middle of the climb we came across a bathtub, an ordinary bathtub, which is not very surprising at home. And here she stands, white, beautiful. If this was the 5th day of the campaign, we would have found water and lit a fire under it and used this human creation for its intended purpose. And so they laughed and moved on.

This was probably my 50th or 60th trip. Therefore, it took exactly 10 minutes to assemble the tent and shmurdyak.

We move to the Khyudachik ridge, rocks, stones, and sticks are very helpful. The gravel road has ended, we are moving along a real path, where you need to constantly watch your step.

Somehow we picked up the pace so quickly that we took the wrong turn, didn’t look at the map and just got lost for 4 km. If you walk a couple of blocks in the city... but we are not in the city, we are in the forest. I have never stepped over so many fallen trees in such a short time!!!

We came across a grove of trees without bark. These are often found in Crimea. There they are called Shameless, for obvious reasons, or Strawberry Tree (I don’t know the explanation).

During the day we walked 16 km along the trail, and 20 with a detour. We gained about 700 m of altitude. It was cool, there was no sun, but walking in this weather was quite comfortable. We stood by a mountain river. It got dark.

The beautiful Mountain River successfully washed away everything Moscow from me. It was incredibly invigorating. But hiking not only cleanses the outside; the inner world of the hiker undergoes a strong detox. Where can you get a 10-day backpack massage course, SPA treatments in mountain rivers and incredible cross-fit? Only on a hike. And all this is diluted with a million-star Michelin night restaurant by the fire and the purest and most sober sleep accompanied by the singing of gentle birds. And how many conversations we had...

Every morning we got up at 6 am and moved out around 8 am. A large group is subject to confusion and vacillation, but it was not critical. Everything was friendly and fun. Another paradox: the more difficult the hike, the more jokes and laughs there are. This was done in a light manner: warmly teasing each other about various topics that had been discussed the day before. The topic of “dry shampoo”, what it is and how to use it, was very pressing. Marketers all over the world had to take notes on us.

In the evenings we had long conversations over TEA after the traditional camp dinner. And in the morning we ate porridge with raisins and dried apricots, and at lunch we had snacks with bread, vegetables, sausage and cheese.

Today is already the third day. Early rise and we head to the Goynuk Canyon. Which is in all avenues of active recreation in Turkey. The path runs, the backpack presses, the legs move.

Near the canyon there was a small shalman, which offered freshly squeezed orange juice for 30 rubles per serving... of course, we negotiated a discount for the group and everyone drank 2-3 glasses of an amazing tasty orange boost of energy!

People don wetsuits and dive into the canyon. I had nothing to wear with glasses, and the degree of myopia would not have allowed me to understand where I was at all. I'm waiting on the shore.

The group was absent for more than 2 hours, but then joyful cries began to be heard from afar. These are ours! How much joy there is in the eyes - canyoning - recommendations for visiting. The cost of renting a life jacket and wetsuit is about $10. During the season, groups of tourists from the coast are transported by appointment; the road is a slick dirt road, prepared for tourist buses. Below is most likely asphalt.

After pleasant water treatments, the group was faced with a rather difficult climb on the Lycian Way. After swimming, we had to climb 400 meters up and climb over the ridge, because... On the way there was an impassable section of the canyon.

Well, what can I say - everyone died. It probably took about an hour to arrive just at the bend in the shade of pine trees with huge thorns. Breathe, breathe, breathe...

Then, with some persistence, we descended to a large tributary of the Goynuk River, set up camp, ate our food and... in the absolute Turkish darkness under a gorgeous dome of stars, I took baths of youth, wielded a washcloth and shampoo... sometimes, in the city, you fidget for a long time to fall asleep... on a hike, please, put up a tent, brought firewood, ate, washed, zipped up my sleeping bag... opaques.

Good morning! The noise of the river did not allow anyone to wake up, only the obedient attendants made noise in the fire and pots of food. A pre-calculated diet for the group is the most correct approach. It’s not in the car - you can pile up as much as you like and bring half of it home, here - you carry everything you eat. We expected to replenish our supplies in small villages along the way, but some simply did not have shops.

Today we are moving up and up. Before us are the foothills of Andizli Tepe. We had a great time at the beginning of Harmony Canyon, where the guys were actively swimming yesterday. 4 people got their legs and butts wet on the slippery boulders. Climbing them with a backpack is quite a difficult task. But no one canceled the Hand of a Friend. Of course, we insured each other! Again I remember the sticks with a kind word - they helped well. Never neglect telescopic poles! This provides additional support and relieves the knees on descents.

I was surprised by the number of caravans of ants on the stones. Insects have their own journeys. In organized groups they wander about their ant business...

We wandered along Goynuk Yayla at an altitude of about 800-900 meters, climbed over an interesting fence and ended up in the village of Gedelme (700m).

And what I see is a mini copy of my dog! Tiny puppies with the exterior of a large Swiss Mountain Dog! Mom walked well. Well, some crazy gross turned out great. The handsome Olympus (Tahtali) stood in front of us all the way - we should go there. We’ve been going to him for the third day, but he still hasn’t come closer. But it only seems!

The dreams in the tents under the walls of the ruins of the Genoese fortress were pure and transparent. What people and for what purposes built the fortress here? What were they guarding? What was their secret? Turkish goats are eating bushes on the ruins. History is sleeping.

Yesterday we walked more than 20 km, gained heights of about 700m, and there were 2 days left to reach the top. It’s completely unbelievable when the mountain is in front of you, it’s so big and inaccessible, it’s so far and so close.

A huge plus of the team is that each person on duty brings a piece of their life, their habits and their tastes to breakfast and dinner. Cool! I love moments like this!

Today we needed to gain 900 meters of altitude! NINE HUNDRED! We got up very early, the morning gathering and eating were already more or less organized. A detachment from Odessa was on duty, delicious porridge and an ascent to the village of Yayla-Kuzdere.

Then we go sharply upward, the regime is clear, the muscles are accustomed to the load. Yes, food from smaller backpacks is gradually flowing into my large backpack, but I’m going as long as I can.

And now we come out into a wonderful clearing framed by stone battlements - Chukur-Yayla.

Fresh lush grass, a large spring, and all around are Lebanese cedars, massively protecting the peace in this valley. To collect firewood here, I had to walk around, because... The place is compact, almost all tourists stop in the clearing before climbing Takhtali and the firewood, as you understand, disappears quite quickly. But we also found firewood, brought water, and already wet our feet in the snow.

The instructor promised a cold night, but it was quite warm. Tomorrow we are going to storm Olympus! For some, this will be the first mountain!

And here it is, the long-awaited day of the taking of the Bastille, or rather Olympus, or even more precisely, Takhtali. Since in the Mediterranean there are at least 4 mountains called Olympus! As Kirill promised us, “Today is the most difficult day of the hike.”

After a cold overnight stay, everyone is woken up at 5 am, we take beautiful photos of happy hikers (note), put bags on our feet, since there is still snow, and we start up!

In 2-3 hours without backpacks, we need to climb 400 meters up, take a photo, drink coffee and ayran (very tasty), look at tourists in high heels drinking champagne at the top of the mountain at 10 am and safely descend to the tents.

It worked. First we walked on rocks, then on more rocks, then on snow, on snow, on snow, climbed over a plastic fence and now we are at the top! OLYMPUS IS OUR! 2365m above sea level! HOORAY!

One of the main goals of the hike has been achieved! It's beautiful all around! Mom dear!

Well, let's go down? Went! We return to the tents the same way, but with poles much faster - almost everyone goes down on soles like skis... only lower down the snow is already loose and does not allow fooling around like that.

Let's take our backpacks and head down! You need to drop a thousand meters, and this is a serious test for the legs. Everyone survived. We reached the village of Beychik, again ayran and ice cream. Tomorrow the hike will end, and for some reason everyone is feeling kind of sad...

Today we have 21 kilometers behind us...

After reaching the top and a long descent, we stood in a beautiful clearing, burned pine cones, and chatted until late at night. Tomorrow we must go down to the sea to the village of Charaly. Camping. Shower. That's all.

Along the way we passed the Fires of the Chimera - gas seeps through the rocks and someone set it on fire several thousand years ago, and it still burns. During the day, small pieces of fire did not cause emotions. Surely, at night this place is quite impressive and mysterious. The chimera, hidden under a layer of stones, emits the last tongues of fire...

We walked 18 km, dropped 1100 meters.

I’m standing barefoot in sea water, behind Tahtala with its snow cap, fires, clearings, steep climbs, descents, the weight of a backpack, good people, pleasant conversations, air... Yes, the Lycian Way, you gave me a lot of positive emotions. Impressions are the best thing you can collect in life. I want a continuation!

Thanks to all participants of the trip! You are very good people! It was very interesting and fun!

Many thanks to the organizer of the Lycian Trail Hiking Kirill Yasko. It has a lot of interesting routes for any level of training. My recommendations!

Well, for those who read to the very end: good boots, a backpack and company will allow you to climb a trail of any difficulty. Forward! All the colors of life are in front of you - you just need to pick up a brush!

Sergey Lysenko, Moscow.