Mount Ararat
 | Mount AraratTurkey |  |
| Mount Ararat. reputedly where Noah's ark landed is at 5137m the highest
mountain in Turkey and its ascent provides excellent preparation for the ascent
of Mount Elbrus (5642m) the highest summit in Europe. Ararat may be either
approached from Erzurum to which may be reached by train or air. This is the
main city of Eastern Turkey. It has a long and important history related to its
position as the eastern bastion of defence on the Anatolian plateau. An
alternative approach is via Van and its beautiful and relaxing lake Van. Van is
best reached by air. From either Van or Erzurum, Doğubayazit can be
reached in a few hours drive. This town lies at almost 2000m and is the base
for the ascent of Mount Ararat. Not far from the town lies the famous temple of
Ishak Paşa. The ascent involves two camps at 3200m and 4200m. Few acceptable alternatives exist due to a lack of water. The ascent above 3200m is generally on snow that may be icy and might require crampons. Although a rope is carried it is rarely needed as the ascent is non-technical and crevasse problems are negligable. The weather on Ararat is generally stable and it is possible to make an ascent on almost any day. It is however a very high mountain and good acclimatisation is essential. On our programmes we generally prefer this to be done away from Ararat itself as the mountain does not lend itself to acclimatisation treks at a suitable altitude. If no alternatives exist then the best option is to spend 2 nights at 3200m on the way up. On the acclimatisation day you should then walk up part or all of the way to 4200m as a practise day. On the summit day allow about 4 to 5 hours for the ascent and a further 3 to 4 hours for the descent back to the more pleasant altitude of 3200m. Our Programmes Kackar and Mount Ararat. The Kackar are only a short distance from Ararat and with summits approaching 4000m offer good acclimatisation before the ascent of Ararat. The rich flora and fauna, beautiful mountains and villages of the Kackar make for a complete contrast to the bleaker volcanic slopes of Ararat. The Kackar Programme is best followed by Short Ararat ascent. Tauros, Cappadocia and Mount Ararat. Trekking in the Taurus offers a good acclimatisation period before the ascent of Ararat. Both areas have a rich local nomadic culture which add to the interest of both regions. The trek finishes in Van where there is a day to relax by the beautiful Van lake. Sample Trip Details Mount Ararat - short. This trip is suitable for those who have previous high altitude experience and know they acclimatise well. As with the previous Taurus - Ararat programme it includes visits to Istanbul and Van. Sample Trip Details Note: Mount Ararat requires the use of crampons and walking poles but previous experience in the use of them is not essential. In fact Ararat is an excellent training mountain for those interested in going on to higher and more demanding sumits such as Elbrus, Peak Lenin or Kilimanjaro.  Winter on Ararat
|  Mount Ararat
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Ishak Pasha
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ALW 2/11/03
