Niğde Aladağlar

This mountain range, is in the provinces of Kayseri, Nigde and Adana, has a wide variety of plant and animal life and because of this a 54,524 hectare area was declared a national park in 1995.

In this range there are three peaks of 3700m, many more over 3000m, with numerous lakes. In the spring, a large number of lakes are formed from the melting snow but the in dry summer season most of them evaporate. Only a few, fed by underground water sources, remain by the end of the summer.

Height: 3756 m.

Location: These mountains are the highest in the province of Nigde, and are an extension of the Taurus Mountains.

The Best Time for Climbing: The best time for climbing is between June and September.

Characteristics: The mountains consist mostly of limestone. There is practically no forested area outside the Emli and Barasama valleys. Alpine vegetation in the area is very developed.

Transport and Accommodation: There are three primary ways to reach the Aladaglar Mountains.

From the West: The villages of Cukurbag or Demirkazik can be reached from Nigde in 1½ hours. The mountain resort here provides all the necessary services of a regular hotel.

From the South: From Adana to Karsanti, then to the Aciman or Trak mountain plateaus.

From the North and Northeast: From Kayseri to Yahyali, and then to the villages of Barazama or Buyuk Cakir (Selale).

Climbing Equipment: Normal camp equipment, rope, safety gear (carabine, hammer, climbing tape, etc) and personal supplies.

Climbing Demirkazik: To climb Demirkazik (3756 m.), is the highest peak in Aladaglar, going from Cukurbag to the mountain plateau of Sokulupinar, a hike of about 1½ hours, and set up camp. It normally takes between 10-12 hours from the campsite to the peak and back. For those planning to make a number of ascents in the Aladaglar Mountains, it is recommended to use the valley of Yedigoller as a base camp. It is a 10-12 hour walk from Cukurbag to Yedigoller.

There are number of ways to reach the summits of Emler Peak (3723 m), Kizilkaya (3723 m) and Direktas (3470 m) from Yedigoller. In the village of Demirkazik, there is a new privately managed mountain resort with a 100-bed capacity, with eating and bathing facilities as well as a library. It is possible to use this resort as a base for reaching the summits of Demirkazik and Lesser Demirkazik (3425 m).

Leaving from the village of Cukurbag, it is a 1.5-2 hour hike to Emli valley. Using this area as a base one can climb Mt. Kaldi (3734 m), Mt. Guzeller (3461 m) and Mt. Alaca (3588 m).