Category Archives: Bicycle touring

Tufanbeyli to Divriği via Darende: apricots, mosques, and Anatolian hospitality

Wow, this section was really fun.  The scenery wasn’t great, it was fairly windy and too hot, but the people were wonderful, the apricots were plentiful and tasty, there were things to see, and the mosques, well, the mosques were … Continue reading

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Bicycle touring Aladağlar (less mountain eye candy)

I’ve had three big mountain sections of riding on this trip (so far!): Dedegöl Dağları, Bolkar Dağları, and Aladağlar, in that order.  The riding got harder, the elevations got higher, and sadly the scenery was, well, what should I say?, … Continue reading

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Gülek to Aladağ: more castles, mountains, and canyons

From Medetsiz it was mostly downhill to the town of Gülek, then mostly uphill to Gülek Kalesi (a castle), the guardhouse for the Cilician Gates.  I arrived in the evening, pitched my tent, and handled the guard duties for one night.

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From sea level to Medetsiz (3524m) (and Tarsus)

It’s one thing to drive to a trailhead and walk up a mountain.  It’s quite another thing, and much more aesthetically pleasing in my opinion, to make your way under your own power to the trailhead and then continue to … Continue reading

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Çamlıyayla loops: castles, mountains, and canyons

Fixing my infected tooth requires going to Tarsus (pop. 340,000; elev. ~sea level) once a week to see a dentist (she cleans out the infection, and once she doesn’t find any more, she’ll do a “permanent” filling, and I’ll be … Continue reading

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