ANATOLIAN ADVENTURES :: Trans Taurus Mountains Summer Trekking Expedition

ABOUT TAURUS MOUNTAINS

Taurus Mountains are a mountain range in Turkey, from which the Euphrates and Tigris descend into Syria and Iraq. The Manavgat River originates on its southern slopes.

The system extends along a curve from Lake Egirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris in the east. It has many peaks rising above 10,000-12,000 ft (3,000-3,700 m), with the highest point being the Demirkazik summit in the region known as Aladaglar, at 3,756 meters (12,322 ft.) high. Another notable peak is Medetsiz (3,524 m. / 11,561 ft.) in the Bolkar Daglari section.

It divides the Mediterranean region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian plateau.
The pass known in antiquity as the Cilician Gates crosses the range north of Tarsus, which was the birth place of Apostle Paul.

Limestone has eroded to form karstic landscapes of waterfalls, underground rivers, and the largest caves of Asia.

The Taurus Mountains are the western most branch of the great mountain chain that stretches across all of Asia - the Himalayan mountain belt. The Turkish section of this massive mountain range follows the southern border of Anatolia and it is made up of four major sections, the Western, Central, Southern and Southeastern Toros ranges. The highest peaks rises out of the Central and Southeastern branches, a stretch of mountains which are rugged, magnificent and arduous to climb.

Forming part of the Central Taurus range, the Aladaglar range runs from the southwest to the northeast for approximately 50 kilometers. It is between 25 and 30 kilometers wide and boasts the region's highest peak, Demirkazik which stretches to 3756 meters. Other high summits include Kizilkaya in the center (3725 m), a peak that reaches 3688 meters in the south and Mount Vayvay in the East (3565m). The long range is situated in the provinces of Nigde and Adana and rises between Lake Ecemis and the Zamanti river.

The geological formation of the area is responsible for the interesting rock formations and waterfalls. The erosion of limestone has created a fascinating karstic topography and hydrography, especially in the Yedigoller valley, where karstic underground rivers and caverns collect the surface water. Both the Mediterranean and Anatolian weather systems influence the climate of the Aladaglar bringing warm summers and cool winters to the mountains.

Exposed to the gentle Mediterranean breezes, the snow-covered peaks of the Taurus Mountain Range intermingle with the foothills spread out like a colorful nomadic carpet of flowers dotted with fruit orchards, pine, fir, cedar and juniper trees.

The wildlife in these mountains presents the same diversity as that of the rich plant cover. Taurus Mountains are home for birds such as pigeons, blackbirds, francolins, partridges, quail, turtledoves, woodcock as well as for eagles, sturnidaes, falcons, chaffinches and orioles. Animals that can be observed here in their natural habitat are deer, fallow deer, bezoar goat, boar, lynx, roe deer, fox, wolf, jackals, martens, rabbits and hyena.

The Taurus highlands are found within the provinces of Gaziantep, Hatay (Antioch), Adana, Içel, Antalya and Mugla.

In this beautiful natural site, seven different springs on the mountainside fall from heights ranging between 30 and 70 meters. An important one to see is Kapuzbasi waterfalls.

The best season to climb the mountains is during June, July and August when the alpine meadows of higher elevations are rich in vegetation.

TAURUS MOUNTAINS QUICK FACT BOX
Elevation	12,323 feet, 3,756 meters
Location	Turkey, Central Anatolia
Range	Anatolia, Taurus Range
Coordinates	37.8167000 latitude 35.1667000 longtitude
Convenient Center(s)	Nigde
Nearest Major Airport	Kayseri Airport

Splendid trekking experience combined with leisure days at Cappadocia; the land of beautiful horses

Our tour starts from the capital city Ankara. Same day, we drive to Nigde, Cukurbag village by minibus and continue to the campsite on the slopes of Turkish Alps, Taurus (Aladaglar) Range. After finishing the trans trekking of the mountains we head towards Cappadocia, where we will see the magnificent fairy chimneys and red valleys that mother nature gave unique shapes. After spending two nights in Cappadoccia region we drive to Ankara for the end of the tour.

Itinerary

Day 1: Meeting at the Ankara Esenboga Airport and transfer to Nigde, Aladaglar region. In the afternoon we arrive to our campsite at Sokullupinar.

Day 2: In the early morning from our campsite we start our long day trek along Karayalak Valley. After 5-6 hours trekking we reach the most beautiful campsite of this region. Dinner and overnight at campsite near the biggest lake of Aladaglar, called the Yedigoller region.

Day 3: After early breakfast we climb to the 3rd highest mountain of this region, called Emler Mountain with an enjoyable trekking route. After summit we descend down to our camp. Free afternoon. We can swim in the lake or enjoy the lovely trekking routes.

Day 4: We leave the Yedigoller Region, to another beautiful place called Sogukpinar. The path we will follow is surrounded with green and dense forests. At night we will camp in the forest after 5-6 hours lovely trekking.

Day 5: In the early morning we start trekking untill we reach the Barazama village which is our last stop and famous for its waterfalls. We will rest and enjoy our drinks at the waterfalls. before we drive to Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight in hotel at Cappadocia region.

Day 6: Full day sightseeing in Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight in hotel. Depart from the hotel we will visit Devrent Valley to see the unigue fairy-chimneys. Drive to pasabag (Monk"s Valley) to see the most interesting mushroom-shaped pinnacles. Drive to the city of Avanos. In the afternoon visit another beautiful open air museum at Göreme where the remains of rock-cut churches and Christian settlements date back hundreds of years. Lastly, before returning to our hotel, we will visit the natural castles at Uçhisar.

Day 7: Departing from our hotel after breakfast we drive to Derinkuyu Underground city to visit the huge refugee settlement carved by early Christians, where they could hide from persecutors. From Derinkuyu we continue to the beautiful valley of Ihlara, formerly known as peristerema. Explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike 4 km through the valley. In the afternoon drive to Ankara, End of Services at Ankara Esenboga Airport.

Duration	Maximum Elevation	Season	Grade
7 Days	12,215 feet, 3,723 meters	June-October	III

Inclusion List

All transfers stated
Boutique hotels& pensions in Cappadocia 2 nights half board basis (B,D)
Cappadocia full day sightseeing transfers and entrance fees
Full board basis during mountain period (B,L,D)
Aladaglar National Park entrance fee
All hot drinks on the mountain. (Tea, Coffee...etc)
Cooking service
Mountain food expenses
Mules / horse support for loads (max 17 kg per person)
Tents (one tent for each 2 person)
Sleeping mattresses
Group technical safety equipments
Leaders and mountain guiding (english)

Exclusion List

Personal climbing clothes and mountain equipments.
Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls,minibar etc.
Unexpected costs due to any necessary changement in the program
Tips to the staff.
All drinks in the cities

You can find all the important tour details you would like to know before and after booking tours with us hereunder. Please choose the topic and it will take you to the information:

Insurance
Cappadocia Full day guided cultural excursion
Cappadocia Hotels
Cooking Service
Mules / Horse Support
Equipment List
Leaders and Mountain Guides

Insurance:

All Anatolian Adventures guests are being insured with the TURSAB travel insurance package. Being the member of TURSAB (Turkish Travel Agencies Association), Anatolian Adventures guides or the main office may keep your insurance until the end of tours.

Cappadocia Full day guided cultural excursion:

For the clients who have booked Complete Ararat Packages starting from Istanbul and the clients who have booked extra, the daily excursion is being organized by Anatolian Adventures licensed cultural tour guides or combined with another travel agency service, in case the number of participants is not enough to form a group.
During the daily excursion in Istanbul you will be transferred from your hotel in the city center to the Old city of Istanbul, Sultan Ahmet area. The tour will start with Hippodrome, Obelisk of Theodosius, Serpentine Column and German Fountain of Wilhelm II. Afterwards we will visit the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia before Lunch in Topkapi Palace. The daily tour will finish at your hotel after visiting the Grand Covered Bazaar.
Anatolian Adventures or travel agencies cooperated; keep the right to change the program and number of places to be visited regarding to the season, working days and time management.

Cappadocia Hotels:

Anatolian Adventures is booking the rooms mostly from the family-run cave hotels. All rooms have en suite bathrooms, which are modern and of a very good standard. The hotel is licensed by the Ministry of Tourism of Turkey.

Cooking Service

Our cooks will provide you best available food on a mountain with at least 4 course menus and teatime after all meals.
We take care of the international tastes and vegetarians in all our cooking facilities. If you are vegeterian or have any other special desire to be much comfortable with food, please inform the office staff in advance or the climbing guide the day you arrive to Dogubeyazit.

Example menu
Soups: lentil, chicken, mushroom or tomato soup.
Main dishes: Chicken schnitzel, burgers & meat balls with rice or pasta.
Salads: Mediterranean salad or authentic shepherd salads.
Desserts: Puddings and authentic Turkish dessert “Kadayif”
Fruits: Water melon, melon, peach, apple, cherry
Drinks: Boiled water, Tea, Coffee, Chocolate, fruit juices

Mules / Horse Support

During the treks up to the camps and down, Anatolian Adventures guarantees you load support with horses, limited by 20kg per person. In winter ascents we use porters for the support. This is much more expensive than the horse support and Please NOTE that Anatolian Adventures may demand some part of the costs extra from the participants due to the unexpected weather and snow situation.

Equipment list

You can download a detailed equipment list from here: http://www.anatolianadventures.com/eng/files/Trans_Toros_kapadokya_Equipment_LIST.pdf

Leaders and Mountain Guides

All Anatolian Adventures professional guides have at least university degree speaking English. All of the guides, young or experienced more than 25 years, have extensive knowledge about trekking, climbing, safety equipments, first aid and navigation.

Istanbul Hotels and Transfers

For those who would like to have Istanbul hotels & services from Anatolian Adventures we advise you to choose your hotel in city center Taksim area to reach many unexpected needs like mountain equipment, change offices, air ticketing services, etc. We generally use 4 star or boutique class quality hotels in Taksim district. If you would like to book one of the Istanbul hotels in below list, please state the hotel name, your Istanbul arrival and departure dates within your booking form.


Seminal Hotel (4*)		*Midtown Hotel (4)**		*Lares Park Hotel (4+)**

LARES PARK HOTEL

Hotel Information
With its executive deluxe concept, Lares Park provides a complete satisfaction to your personal and intimate needs and fulfills even your unexpressed demands. You notice its distinctive quality and warm inviting welcome with your first steps into the lobby.

Facilities & Services
Open buffet breakfast, International Cuisine, Italian Cuisine, Swimming Pool, Whirlpool, Sauna, Turkish Bath, Gym. 24 hrs Room Service, Babysitting, Hairdresser, Laundry & Dry-Cleaning, Foreign Currency Exchange, Souvenir Shop, Newspaper Stand, Secretarial Service, Wake-up Service, Courier Service, Mobile Telephone Rental

Rooms
Interactive TV, Pay TV, Cable TV, Voice mail system, Minibar, Electronic Safe Deposit Box, Smoke detectors and sprinklers, Air-conditioning, Computer and fax connection

SEMINAL HOTEL

Hotel Information
Seminal Hotel is located in Taksim, the business and entertainment district of Istanbul. The hotel, with its indoor swimming pool, Turkish bath and sauna, has a very comfortable feel. The restaurant offers international cuisine.

Facilities & Services
Internet, Pets are allowed, Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service, Safety box at reception, Power generator, Parking lot, Children section, Indoor Swimming Pool, Turkish Bath, Sauna, Massage, Health Center.

Rooms
All 88 rooms have private bathroom with bathtub and shower, telephone, cable TV, music, Split A/C, heating, mini-bar, Safe Deposit Box, Internet Access, Hair Dryer, Non Smoking facility, Direct Dial Phone

MIDTOWN HOTEL

Hotel Information
Midtown Hotel, designed as a exceptional business hotel with a modern and innovative understanding of service, is located on the Lamartin Street, in the Talimhane area of Taksim, which hosts the first urban transformation project of Istanbul.

Facilities & Services
Internet, Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service, Safety box, Power generator, Parking lot, Meeting Rooms.

Rooms
Midtown hotel has 73 deluxe room, 9 with a view of Bosphorus. All rooms are equipped with a minibar, a kettle, a tea and coffee set, a 23'' LCD screen TV, cable and wireless internet access, a safety deposit box large enough to store laptops, a relaxing rain shower, a hair dryer, daily newspaper and around-the-clock room service, optionally a DVD player, a special design coffee table, chairs and working desk and custom designed comfortable furniture, beds, natural sanitary and personal care products.

For the transfer services, it doesn't matter what time you arrive Istanbul, you can book your airport transfers round trip or one way with Anatolian Adventures. Please see the rates below, and give your transfer information in your booking form if needed.

Istanbul Ataturk Airport - Istanbul Hotel transfer rates
1-2 pax	25 euro
3-8 pax	50 euro
9+	please ask for prices

Ticketing

For any international and domestic flight ticket services you can safely make your booking with our ticketing department within our A group travel agency. Generally, international tickets bought from the flight destinaton city are more expensive than tickets bought from flight departing city. So we advise you to check for prices with your local agecy first. For domestic flights needed for your extension tours within Turkey and for international flights departing from Turkey, ticket prices surely will be cheaper if you book with us.

Extension Tours and Customized Itineraries

With branch offices and strategic partnership all over Turkey, Anatolian Adventures will provide you best services within the standards you ask for. From cultural tours to blue voyage, from spa tours to religious tours you can get the best information and booking assistance from our company. Please refer to the link Cultural Tours to look at the details of our cultural tours.

2009 TRIP DATES & AVAILABILITY

7 DAYS TRANS TAURUS & CAPPADOCIA TOUR
DATES	AVAILABILITY
18 - 24 August 2009	Available
23 - 29 August 2009	Available

2009 TRIP PRICES

7 DAYS TRANS TAURUS & CAPPADOCIA TOUR
PRICE PER PERSON	600 EUR
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT	75 EUR

BOOKING FORM

To book this adventure, please fill the booking form provided below with payment details and fax to +90 216 418 45 22.

http://www.anatolianadventures.com/eng/about/bookingform.pdf

BOOKING CONDITIONS

Anatolian Adventures is the trademark of HTC Turizm Travel Agency which is established with the Act No: 1618 of Turkish Republic Laws and guarantees your reservations under the following terms and conditions.

1. To book a trip from Anatolian Adventures, you must complete the booking form provided in our website. That form must be completed by a person who is at least 18 years of age. He/she must sign the reservation form, therefore agreeing to the terms set out below.

2. Your booking will be confirmed on receipt of your deposit of the holiday/tour/trek stated within the website or by the contact person of Anatolian Adventures. If you have made your booking paying the deposit with bank transfer, Anatolian Adventures keeps the right to ask for the remainder of the price 3 weeks prior to the departure.

If you have made your booking paying the deposit with credit card via booking form, Anatolian Adventures keeps the right to charge the remaining balance from the same credit card, which is payable no later than 3 weeks prior to the departure without any further notice. If bookings are made within 4 weeks of departure, payment in full is required on confirmation of the booking.

3. If your balance is not paid at the specified time (unless previously arranged with us in writing) we reserve the right to cancel your booking.

4. If you cancel your booking, your deposit will not be refunded. However, provided you notify us of your cancellation maximum 4 weeks before departure, your deposit may be transferred to another tour listed in our website for the next year. The written notification should be done no later than 4 weeks prior to the departure date. Otherwise any direction of deposits for any other services will not be accepted. Any permit fees or advance costs like "no show" for the hotel reservations and air ticket penalties, will be deducted from the refunds.

5. Should you cancel your booking after you have paid for the holiday in full and less than 4 weeks before departure the following charges are applicable (calculated on the day written notification is received by us and expressed as a percentage of the total tour price):

More than 4 weeks prior to departure: Deposit only
Between 4 to 2 weeks before departure: 50%
Less than 2 weeks before departure: 100%

6. Anatolian Adventures keeps the right to cancel your holiday / tour service for any reason with written notification no later than 6 weeks prior to the departure date. Should we cancel your holiday, your deposit and any other payments made will be refunded in full. However, if our cancellation is due to 'force majeure' any reasonable expenses we have incurred will be deducted from your refund. (War, civil or political unrest is usually known as force majeure). All refunds and compensation are strictly limited to monies paid to us and we are not liable for any expenses you have incurred as a result of this booking. Anatolian Adventures keeps the right to make the refunds due to force majeure within 8 weeks after the cancellation with written notification.

7. We reserve the right to alter prices quoted in this web site in the event of external factors beyond our control, e.g. changes in exchange rate or government action etc. Should any price increase exceed 10% of the total cost, you are free to cancel your booking and will obtain a full refund of all monies paid, excluding the permit fees and/or advance costs. Every effort will be made to avoid any increases to the prices shown in this web site.

8. Although we are trying to arrange your hotel rooms according to your requests, bed type and smoking preferences are not guaranteed.

9. The tour leader or local ground operator who represents Anatolian Adventures has overriding authority on our tours. By signing our booking form, you agree to do this. If you commit any illegal act on a tour with us or if in the opinion of the tour leader or ground operator your behavior is detrimental to the safety and welfare of the group as a whole, you may be asked to leave the tour without any right to refund.

10. Any complaints with regard to our tours must be immediately brought to the attention of the tour leader, ground operators or hotelier so that the necessary action to rectify the matter can be taken. However, if by the end of the tour you still feel you have a valid complaint you must notify the company in writing, within 7 days of the end of your tour with Anatolian Adventures.

11. Most of the services we provide are adventure holidays organized mostly in developing countries or regions where lower standards of infrastructure and efficiency often prevail. We can accept your booking, understanding that you are aware of the risks involved in this kind of travel. Anatolian Adventures cannot be held responsible, unless as a direct result of negligence, of any mishap to you or your property. Route and hotel changes may be necessary and will always be at the discretion of the trek leaders and Anatolian Adventures. They do not constitute an alteration of your holiday and will not be compensated.

12. It is essential that you obtain suitable holiday insurance before joining one of our tours. This must cover you fully against repatriation costs should you become too ill to continue with the tour and must, above all, cover the evacuation of yourself from remote regions, should the need arise. Therefore, we recommend you to use an insurance package with a good coverage.

13. You are responsible for ensuring all necessary travel documents are in order. Many countries require passports to be valid for at least six months after entry and some do demand special documents for the visa procedures.

14. The responsibility of any airlines used is limited to the carriage of passengers and baggage in accordance with the conditions of their carriage.

15. On signing the booking form you show your willingness to accept our terms and conditions. On accepting your booking, we agree to carry out our obligations to you as defined in our web site.