14 days: Mt. Kackar(3937m) - Ararat (5165m)tour

DIFFICULTY: The Pontic Mountains stretch parallel to the Turkish Black Sea coast. The eastern part of the mountains, the wild Kackar massif, is particularly beautiful in terms of landscape, with glaciers and their numerous lakes. Up to an altitude of 1,800 m, the mountains are covered by dense deciduous and coniferous forests; the Nordmann fir, popular as a Christmas tree, comes from here. White blooming rhododendrons shine on other surfaces. The high pastures are full of flowers, yellow crocuses and the beautiful Pontic Turk's Cap Lily, which also blooms yellow, grow on the alpine meadows. The first goal of our trekking tour is the almost 4000 m high peak of Kackar, one of the highest mountains in Turkey and the highest mountain in the Black Sea region. After that, we continue through Kars, which received attention through the novel "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk. Here Ani, the nearby capital of Armenia, is visited. The highlight of this trip: Mount Ararat, one of the most powerful volcanic massifs in the world, is clearly visible from afar and rises like a phoenix from the ashes above the lowlands of eastern Anatolia. The "Big Ararat" is the highest mountain in Turkey at 5,165 m, only separated from the "Little Ararat" (3,896 m) by a saddle. Our hotel is located in Dogubayazit, our hometown, at the foot of Mount Ararat. Here you will visit the fascinating ruins of the Ishak Pasha Palace before heading to the village of Eli, the starting point of the climb, the next day. In Eli at about 2100m you start with the 5-day ascent via 2 camps to the summit of Ararat. The path leads past Kurdish nomads, alpine meadows and over scree paths to the snow-capped summit. From the highest point in the country you have a unique view over the lowlands of Turkey to Armenia and Iran. The descent follows the ascent route to the village of Eli. End your trip in Dogubayzit with a traditional Kurdish dinner.