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Outdoor adventure in Cappadocia


Cappadocia is one of those rare places in the world that offer something to almost everyone.




Lovers of culture and history are enthralled by its rock-cut churches, with their vibrant frescoes, and the tunnels and chambers of the underground cities where early Christian communities took refuge from invading armies. Geologists and geographers are fascinated by the region’s unique volcanic landscape, with its bizarrely eroded rock formations, plunging canyons and soaring volcanoes. Backpackers love the plethora of cheap, cheerful pensions -- most with the added attraction of womb-like cave rooms where they can sleep off travel fatigue (or a hangover!) totally insulated from the outside world. The less impecunious traveller stays in one of the dozens of immaculate boutique hotels, fashioned from the shells of abandoned Greek mansion houses.

The region has long been a favourite of domestic as well as overseas visitors, not least because it is a weekend destination from the capital, Ankara. Most, whether foreign or local, are content to unwind in the laid-back villages, sample the excellent local wine and indulge in some light sight-seeing. Cappadocia, however, has much more to offer than history, culture and r & r. It has become a mecca for lovers of outdoor adventure. Here are just some of the activities you can indulge in:

Ballooning

This is, paradoxically, arguably both the most thrilling and the safest activity (despite alternately floating free several hundred metres above the ground and dropping down to scrape the treetops). Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive and least active (there’s only so much exercise you can get in an oversized basket!). For the majority, the hardest part of a balloon ride over Cappadocia is the early start -- when the winds are at their lightest and the rosy fingers of dawn light up the landscape in an ethereally beautiful manner. Almost as scenic as the patchwork of canyons, mesas, vineyards and villages unfurling beneath you are the silhouettes of the other balloons bobbing eerily around you -- like “Apocalypse Now” with hot-air balloons in place of choppers.

Whitewater rafting

For some genuine thrills you could try rafting down the foaming torrent that is the Zamanti Cayı. A one-day trip will send you lurching through 12 kilometers of grade 1-4 rapids, one minute ducking to avoid a spill, the next gazing in awe at the limestone peaks soaring all around you. At the end of the whitewater run there’s the chance to see the famed Kapuzbaşı Falls, where jets of water force their way from snow-filled caves straight out of a cliff-face. For most people, a one-day trip will suffice, but if you get hooked, longer trips are available.

Winter mountaineering

Despite the visual appeal of its towering rock formations and plunging canyons, Cappadocia’s soft sandstone and crumbly volcanic tuff render it unsuitable for rock climbing. The volcanic peaks whose eruptions formed this unique landscape are, however, a different matter -- especially in winter. Then, the unstable and shattered basalt rock is consolidated under a thick blanket of snow, the weather dry and stable, the skies unimaginably blue and the summits of 3,916m and 3,268m Mt. Hasan beckon. A two-day expedition will suffice for either peak, and both have non-technical routes to the summits (though you will need an ice-axe, crampons, a helmet and some experience to tackle either). From the summits, it’s possible to see up to 200 kilometers in all directions, a stunning panorama of central Anatolia.

Walking and trekking

Many of Cappadocia’s beautiful valleys lack (thankfully) vehicle access, which makes walking not only the best, but the only way, of reaching them. Several routes are well-trodden enough for even the inexperienced walker to chance (from Göreme to Uçhisar for example). Unfortunately, with the lack of adequate maps, it is safer to hire a local guide for many of the others. It is worth it, though, to escape the “honeypot” sites of the Göreme Open-Air Museum, Zelve and Paşabağı and explore the hidden valleys, rock-cut churches and cave-dwellings few tourists see. The most beautiful valley in Cappadocia, Ihlara, with its babbling brook, lush vegetation, towering sandstone cliffs and rock-cut churches, is a “must” -- especially in spring. There is worthwhile trekking on the slopes of Mt. Hasan (and the remains of a church or two to explore) and in the Melendiz range, whilst the more experienced may like to have a crack at the summit of Mt. Erciyes.

Abseiling

Most visitors are content to gaze in wonder at the natural rock pinnacles (known locally as fairy chimneys) which stud the Cappadocian landscape. The slightly more adventurous are happy to clamber around the tunnels, chambers and caves hollowed from their insides by the indigenous population from time immemorial. But for a real adrenalin buzz, try abseiling down the face of one of these towering monoliths, halting your steady glide down the rope every once in a while to admire your surroundings, before kicking off again into the blue. Ortahisar, a beautiful village of old stone houses dominated by an 86-meter-high rock pinnacle cum fortress, is the best venue for this increasingly popular activity.

Skiing and snowshoeing

Downhill skiing has been established for many years on Mt. Erciyes, and the dry but chill air of central Anatolia regularly produces ideal, powder snow conditions. There is a choice of hotels, from the council run ski-lodge to a five star hotel, at Tekir Yaylası (altitude 2,150m). All the latest equipment (including snowboards) is available for hire.

Erciyes and Mt. Hasan are both ideal for ski-mountaineering, as are the nearby Aladağlar, and several companies runs expeditions here. More sedate, but enjoying a massive surge in popularity, is snowshoeing. Looking like oversized tennis rackets, plastic snow-shoes are a modern adaptation of the wood or wicker contraptions which mountain people the world over have traditionally strapped to their boots and used in their daily (winter) lives. Now used for leisure rather than necessity, they are an ideal way to get around snow-blanketed Cappadocia.

Horse riding

For many, horse-riding is an ideal way to explore the wide-open spaces of central Anatolia. Imagine riding across shimmering grasslands, with a magnificent backdrop of volcanic peaks, table-top mesas and canyon walls -- all under a wide blue sky. There are several stables in Cappadocia, offering everything from short sunset rides to week-long expeditions.

Are you up for it?

Whether you have a weekend, a week or even two to spare, there are more than enough outdoor activities to keep even the most adventurous happy -- and what a landscape to enjoy them in!

Fingertip Facts 


How to get there: Turkish Airlines from İstanbul to Kayseri four times daily, Kayseri to Göreme one hour. Göreme is a three-and-a-half hour drive from Ankara, four-and-a-half hours by bus

Where to stay: There are dozens of excellent pensions and hotels throughout Cappadocia, Worthwhile choices are:

Göreme: Kelebek; www.kelebekhotel.com Tel 0384/271 2531
Ortahisar: Alkabris: www.alkabris.com www.alkabris.com Tel 0384/343 3433
Ürgüp: Esbelli Evi: www.esbelli.com www.esbelli.com Tel 0384/341 3395

Adventure tourism agencies: There are many companies offering adventure experiences in Cappadocia. Some of the best are:

Ballooning: www.Kapadokyaballoons.com Tel 0384/271 2442

Rafting: www.medraft.com Tel 0384/213 3984

Winter mountaineering, walking and trekking and abseiling: www.middleearthtravel.com Tel 0384/271 2528

Skiing and snowshoeing: Kirkit Voyage www.kirkit.com Tel 0384/511 3259

Horse riding: Akhal-Teke www.akhal-tekehorsecenter.com Tel 0384/511 5171

Best seasons:

Ballooning: May-June; September-October

Rafting: June-October

Winter mountaineering: January-March

Walking and trekking: April-June; September-October




Abseiling: May-September

Skiing and snowshoeing: January-March

Horse riding: April-June; September-October

Guides and maps

“Lonely Planet: Turkey”; “The Rough Guide to Turkey”

Kartographischen Verlag Reinhard Ryborsch map series nos: 3 & 5

25.04.2007
TERRY RICHARDSON  CAPPADOCIA