Suphan Dagi (4087m/13189ft) – 26 July

Breakfast at 02:30 with a pre-dawn start for the long walk up Turkey’s third highest mountain.

 

First light with Lake Van in the distance (1)

First light with Lake Van in the distance (2)

The group is now at its biggest as we have been joined by Wayne from Denver and Bob, who celebrated his 75th birthday earlier in the week and his 70th on Mount Ararat, is with us for the last time. As daylight creeps over the horizon it slowly reveals to the mountain and flocks of sheep and goats appear as if from nowhere.

 

Flock of sheep and goats

Shepherd, or more correctly, the shepherd’s lad

Shepherd’s lad and Shepherd

We didn’t even rate as an inconvenience as the flock swept around us like an unstoppable tide and, I think for the first time, there were no dogs either leading or trailing the flock. Another flock followed another grassy shoulder up and around the lower reaches of Suphan Dagi as the early warm and very welcome sunlight washed over us.

 

Last wondering look down at us before going over the shoulder

Back down to the plain where we started

Back down to the plain where we started with Lake Van in the distance

First look at where the summits are – on the right

Another breakfast needed

Just about to leave the last of the grass behind

Another breakfast required – it was a long day!

Looking back down as we start the final pull to the summits

Not altogether stable boulder field leading to the top

Over the first summit and going to the second, not quite the highest summit

 

There are four high points on the rocky plateau of which the lowest is the official summit (which we didn’t visit), two others are listed on different websites as the highest (visited both, just to be sure) and the fourth which is clearly the highest (if you have a hand level – which, of course, we did). The fourth also has a summit register, unlike the official highest summit – I don’t know either!

 

Leaving one of the “not the highest” summits

Summit plateau (1)

Summit plateau (2)

Approaching the highest summit with one of the false summits behind

Summit photo

Looking at the start of the final descent

Dried water course in late afternoon sun

Thistle

Thistle with Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Last ridge with Lake Van in the distance

At last, the mini-bus, from the last ridge (tiny white square at the upper left)

Another local