TURKEY may 2018

[ratrace]

been back in the uk 5 hours and u what pic already

well bad news WIFE, DAUGHTER and my GRANDSON 1ST

So wait

but new knife

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...494338923913522.123226.100000122571528&type=3

 

[ratrace]

1st Day to camp site near border

Over looking the D915 rated as one of the worlds most dangerous roads.(its on the left of the pic)

Meet Chris who looks after us and a mister fix man

only three vehicles went in the end

1st part to the Turkish border was all tarmc so boring trip to the camp site

setting up at Sakar hills camp site.

the nice bit was it was run by a english guy

border is only a few miles away

our neighour

me cooking on one of the stoves, chicken with green stuff i forgot the rice again

There is always some one looking for a free meal.

 

[ratrace]

Day 2
Enter Turkey, it took a couple of hours, the disco 2 is a new addition to Chris family, the insurance is still in the previous owners name and the registration number is now different. as insurance goes with the vehicle and the registration number changes if it is sold in to a new region, i know it is insane but that is Bulgaria.
My D1 took about 1 hour to sort out the insurance as i don't have a green card for Turkey, cost me about £80 for three months

More tarmac today as we head deep into turkey
a couple of off road beasts spotted at a land rover workshop in istanbul, while picking up a new hose for D2
My rear brakes started to play up a bit so will check them at the next overnight stop

Cossing in to Asia

After a long day crossing in to Turkey and fighting our way through miles and miles of traffic a well earned rest at a hotel
top hose replace on the D2 and Brake pads sorted out on the rear of mine

 

[clivehorridge]

Good to see you’re safe and well in Turkey, Mike

That road is hell, I’ve spent way too many hours of my life sitting in that 40km car-park...

 

[ratrace]

Day 3

Ready for day 3 and time to get a move on.

A lunch break at a road side services.

Chris wife while stocking up in ilgas came across this, i have absolutly no idea what it is but it looked important.

A little river crossing to our first wid camp

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[ratrace]

day 4

Rise and shine it's a great morning

just time for a quick brew before we hit the trails.

2000m there is still snow up here

nearly ran over this

Nice private car park i wonder why no one else is here?

Local traffic

this guy gets about

end of a perfect day with another wild camp

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[ratrace]

day 5

Always Time for a brew in the morning.

slow top up with fresh water.

This guy called by for breakfast at the camp then followed it up with a drink at his favorite watering hole.
And he is big

A quick check over of the vehicles before hitting the highway.

I think this is probably the biggest flag i have ever seen.

can someone tell me why 82kmh is the speed limit for cars in Turkey ???

The sea at the front of the hotel and the start of the D915 made it

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[ratrace]

this is the route we took on our trip to turkey and part the way back as well

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AGtSy650pFrile2w3zbFBPqyP7kNuGaU&usp=sharing

 

[clivehorridge]

this is the route we took on our trip to turkey and part the way back as well

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AGtSy650pFrile2w3zbFBPqyP7kNuGaU&usp=sharing

Mmm, linky no worky for me, it brought up where I live

Nice posts Mike, glad you’re ok mate

 

[ratrace]

Day 6
A quick stop for supplies before heading in to the mountains on the D915 to Bayburt road

boring bit of road

Starting to get a bit more interesting

A sign of things to come

This is how stuff gets to you if you live the other side of the valley,

Really starting to get there now

Chris wife wanted flowers !!!! those flowers up there!!!!

so he climbed up and got them

The mountain spring bar

After all that climbing some refreshment was required,

The line acoss the mountain is a road that we will drive later

And i promise its a long way down

More and more spectacular

can you see the d2

Nearly at the head of the vally and the really dangerous bit

the bridge over the river to the most spectacular section of the D915 and there are Bikes coming down

two Russian couples on BMW's and as Chris wife is Ukrainian / Russian it was time for lunch and swap tales of our adventures.

TO BE CONTINUED​

 

[ratrace]

Part 2 of day 6
After Talking to our new Russian Friends, we are told we can't get through the hard part

even at the bottom of the cliff there are rocks from a large rock slide at the top, also there is still a lot of snow out on the top that blocks the road.

so we have to go back to the last village where there is another trail that is now the main route to Bayburt and has been opened.

another avalanche but

The avalanche has been cleared.

but there is a sign to Bayburt

This road looks like we need to do it on next years trip.

This route is not as dangerous but we still don't want to meet a truck coming the other way.

The line of snow on the right is the top of the D915 and is totally blocked.

we were never going to get through that snow.

Out on to the top at over 2000m.

crossing back on to the D915

This is the end of the old section of the D915 that we had wanted to do.

going forward we get stopped by this, the ground in the middle is a muddy bog that didn't apear to have a bottom.

so we go back and take another road, which is dead easy
what is that coming towards us !!!!!!!!

it's the local bus service

The first of the live stock has been moved up to the high medows.

Bayburt and a very nice Hotel for the night.

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[froggy Steve]

great trip report, stunning scenery !

 

[AndyCook]

Looks great ,and I bet not that many UK overlanders visit

 

[clivehorridge]

Day 3

Ready for day 3 and time to get a move on.

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A lunch break at a road side services.

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Chris wife while stocking up in ilgas came across this, i have absolutly no idea what it is but it looked important.

View attachment 145484

A little river crossing to our first wid camp

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View attachment 145486

View attachment 145487

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I’m told this is at a place (small town) called Kastamonu, and its a monument to the prominent leaders who were in power during the Ottoman Empire.

ILGAZ is the company that sponsored the construction of the monument....

 

[ratrace]

Day 7
Ready for the off after a good breakfast at our Hotel.

First a visit to Bayburt castle. Or what is left of it

Then a visit to Aydintepe underground city a sanctury against persicution from Romans.

Back up the D915 then off towards uzun Gol in search of a sight of the D915.

Can you see it max, oh a small fix on the No. plate.

its over there

well just down there

just across the snow

Is it down there ???

Can you see it??? D915

yep that is it, if look behind that section of the road you will another trail which we had to go back to

Even in this remote corner of the world there is satellite TV

They get big snow up here

it gives you a better idea of just how big it is up here when you spot the Disco.

even a small village has its own mosque most likely also has loud speakers on as well

On top of the world it is soooooo big up here at 2,500m

no way through here. And it does get deeper

bit of a long way down

are we really going down there!!!!!!

The photo does not do it justice, the road in the center is narrow steep and slopes towards the edge and there is nothing to stop you going over

There is a very VERY long drop from this road

town where we are staying tonight

Uzun Gol from our Hotel

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[froggy Steve]

wow! Looks fantastic, great pictures, thanks for sharing

 

[clivehorridge]

A really worthwhile trip Mike, it’s quite a road that one, I don’t think you’ll be forgetting that in a hurry !

 

[Iwan]

Thanks for sharing the pictures Mike! Looks a great trip