Photos by melekzek

I found this in my fathers stack of old slides, scanned and converted into bw. I am three months old in this pic, and the colors of this 30+ year old slide is still pretty good. It makes one wonder, whether what will happen to our digital images stored in our harddrives in 30 years time.

At the end of the Emli valley in Aladaglar, a bowl of peaks will surround you. After many years and many visits, this place never ceases to amaze me. On the right, the amazingly beautiful Parmakkaya (aka fingerrock) is visible, which we intended to climb from its classic (easiest) route. The weather seemed pretty bad, yet we continued to our climb, hoping to get a window of climable weather. After three days of rain and wind, we had to turn back. Olive in the picture, is carrying heavy loads of trad gear to our camp.

Tech note: The image(s) are shot with a 19mm lens on tmax400 b&w negative. I stiched 2 images, yet working with 19mm has its problems. I have a hardtime fixing the deformation around the sides of the images to stich seamlessly. I used panorama tools ps plugin to correct the distortion. Next time I should stick to 50mm lens, since they are easier to stich.

This sector is "work-in-progress" as of June 2004. It is a beautiful slightly past-vertical limestone wall, and a couple of routes are already set. Ozturk, after finishing a hard days work of opening a new route ground-up using hooks, enjoys climbing at its best.

The first couple of routes set on this sector are a bit on the harder side. Even this "warm-up" route goes around 5.12. Zuleyha decides to put a new anchor halfway to make a short 5.10 to make it more accessible to mortals.

ending a nice climbing day, olive is on pumper #9. Direct standing start is 5.9, yet we both were tired, and could not figure out the sequence. Using the large cheater stone underneat which makes the leader uncomfortable, it becomes 5.8 using perfect hand jams. Sit start from the horizontal roof is v4- or 5.12a.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

She will flash your problems sans climbing shoes or even rope. She does not need to jam either...... Can you tell whether there is something wrong in this picture?

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

Backside of E-Rock features slab fun or torture, depending on your personality.... Here, olive is trying to find something.... anything to be classified as a hold. It is hopeless, there are none. Too much fun packed for a 5.9 route....

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

On the left is ha ling peak, and to the right is EEOR. I stich 5 images, but this time it didnt work that well, because of the deformation on the lines on the road. I tried to make them as seemlessly as possible, and this is the result.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

Yet another thumbnail sized panorama. This one is from canmore. It is almost a full panorama, roughly 300 degrees.

You can see ha ling peak on the far right side of the image. Three sisters are visible somewhat behind them a little to the left.

It was a beautiful fall day, very nice colors, but I wish there was a better light that day.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

This image shows the moment I first saw the Aladaglar region. In June 1992 four of us went there for the first time and without a guidebook. We had only a rough description of the region and a map which we cannot make too much sense anyhow. Our plan was to ascent classics routes of Alaca and Kaldi. We bailed, because we didnt had any clue what we are doing.

I shoot 8 pictures with my semi-working Zenith camera and stich them together to hang in front of my desk. A couple of years later I scan them with all the dust and fingerprints. My initial try to stich them together digitally failed, since I was lacking the all the tools (oh, my state-of-the-art 386DX40) and skills at that time. A manually stiched halfdone image was my background for more than a year. The images float around in my harddrive, I never had the courage to delete them, hoping one day I will finish the job.

Finally, after more than 11 years, I put them together, cleaning and color correcting, trying to get the image burned in my mind years ago. Here it is, the exact moment, which changed my life forever.

Antalya Beydaglari is a beautiful place to visit for short or long hikes during early spring. There are many 2000-3000 meter peaks and forested valleys between them. Many villages are scattered throughout the area, so I cannot say that it is compelete wilderness, but still you can get lost for a couple of days wandering around.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

Kackar mountain is hard to reach during the summer, usually requiring 3-4 days walk through the snow filled valleys. olive is walking in deep snow on a rare sunny day, not knowing that the next day we will be hit by a storm.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

All around kackar mountains there are many high villages used only during the summer. Very old stone paths and high passes connect the villages. A three to four day hike starting from Vercenik mountain reaches beneath the Kackar mountain passing many of these villages.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

In our second try to make the first winter ascent of Kaldi north ice field, we got stuck at the end of the ice field and could not make the traverse to the chimney. Tired and frozen we returned to our camp at 3100 meters. The north ice field is the right one on the picture.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

First pitch on Demirkazik north wall finishes on a very large ledge. The problem is that with the early sunlight rock pieces start to fall directly to this ledge. Eventhough we climbed this pitch the day before and fixed the rope just to reach the main chimney (it is on the left side of the image), where we can be secure from the falling rocks, we were late. It was really scary. I am on the belay, and Ayhan is cleaning the pitch. Our third, Korhan, is not visible in the picture. The photo credit goes to Baris Akkiris.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

If texas weather is too hot for you, and I bet it is, you can cool of in the lake between the climbs. Before you jump, do not forget to check the depth though.

Sulagan keler is probably the only place to find water during the hot summer days in Emli valley Aladaglar. It is also possible to find water in aksampinari during the early summer. Behind the camp the north walls of Lahitkaya and Kaldi is visible.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

Itoturumu north wall (IV, V-)is one of the fun short climbs where you can get used to chossy aladaglar limestone. On the second pitch Ayhan is traversing to the big ledge under the crux pitch, and Buzbas is on the belay (not visible). It was my second wall climb and I ended up climbing the face next to the all wet chimney pitch.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

As you reach under the north wall (the route is 600m vertical starting at an altitude of 3100m, and goes at IV+ VI), you start wondering the size of it. Ayhan is rereading the route description and wondering what the hell we are doing. Unfortunately at 7th pitch I dropped a rock on his hand, breaking 2 fingers. We had to retreat one pitch short of the crux. Usual to aladaglar, small rocks are raining, and especially the first pitches should better done in the very early morning. Even at the end of august, some of the pitches were still wet.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

yamanc having hard time cleaning deeply placed nuts on Eat. I still have a hard time trusting cams, and prefer passive gear. The route is nice with lots of gear placements, but the crux is the last move. Until the last move I was comfortable, there are lots of alternative face moves, whenever my lack of crack climbing skills become evident. I spend some time focusing before commiting the last move, eventough I had bomber placements.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

Buzbas trying to dyno to the crux sloper on Moruk (X-). He tried hard, but the first ascent went to Mustafa months later...

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

The yedigoller high plateau is at 3000 meters, with many 3500-3700 peaks around. Just behing the great lake is Direktas, one of the shorter summits at 3500 meters. The visible face is the north face, and goes at IV-, V.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

At the end of emli valley, there is a large area, where the nomads camp with their goats during the summer. Visible are the peaks Siyirmalik and Guzeller. To the left is the ridge to Gurtepe. Water can be found a little bit higher (100 meters) on the valley to the right.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

Returning from a 10 day long camp with multiple climbs, the last 5 km walk back to the village hurts my already tired feet. Aladaglar looming in the background, and emli valley is just over there.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.

Seriously, the large plateau just before the Kaldi (3736 m)is called "the football field". As you can see, it was getting dark, and we ended up with a cold bivuac (spelling ?) ,not too far from our camp.

10.14.05 Edit: My old slide scans were not so clean. I decided to clean dust, fix color errors, and resubmit them.