Wed 03rd July 2024
Ardahan to Berta Köprüsü Bridge, Tukiye
..Good morning..
6AM, the alarm goes off. I’ve stayed in a hotel in Ardahan, a small town about 60km west of the Armenian and 50km south of the Georgian border. The town is at an altitude of 1800m above sea level, sitting on a big open plateau, surrounded by more mountains. The altitude explains why the scenery has changed from the more barren and dry looking lowlands of Turkiye to this lush and green plateau. It is spring in the mountains. Lots of flowers are out and today’s cool temperature will make cycling a lot easier.
After a leisurely breakfast, looking at some social media post, finalising today's route and packing, I am setting off around 0830 with a quick stop at the bakery to get some lunch.
It should be a ‘cyclist’s dream day’ today! Less than 900 meters of climbing and more than 2200 meters of descending down to Okcular Creek reservoir. Great!
Google maps tells me, there are no hostels or hotels in the area and I will have to spend the next night in the tent.
I am now only two days away from Hopa on the Black Sea, where my niece Lilian should be waiting for me on her touring bike and then we will be cycling about 600 km together from Hopa to Tibilisi in Georgia via some lovely and hilly mountain roads.
..Start of the 'working day'..
After a few kilometers on the flat, I approach the mountain road up to Cam Gecidi (2470m above sea level). There’s something fascinating about looking up a winding mountain road thinking in a couple of hours I’ll be right up there! But there is also the trepidation of getting those wheels rolling, the trepidation of having to work hard for those couple of hours before getting that elevated feeling of achievement at the top!
It is a slow grind up the hill! The speed is in the low single digits. Why did I ever think it was hard to climb mountain passes on my 8kg carbon bike? It is nothing compared to doing the same on a fully loaded 50kg trekking bike…
However, the gentle temperature in the mid-20s, the encouraging hooting of cars and trucks going pass, lots of water and the pastries keep my wheels turning!
And there is also the anticipation of one of the longest downhills I have ever cycled.
The offer of a cigarette by a lonely, young shepherd halfway up the mountain, I had to refuse though...
Finally, after just over two hours I have managed the ascent. Let’s celebrate… and out of the panniers come some cheese, half a cucumber, bread, and a kefir drink…
It is fresh at 2470m above sea level. The euphoria does not last long and instead the rain jacket comes out to give me some physical comfort.
..Living the dream..
But soon, I am full of bliss again, there is a descent of over 2200m to be enjoyed with little uphill in between, and off I go!
What a change of scenery! Whilst the top of the pass was on another high-altitude plateau, I am now starting to descend into this narrow looking valley, leaving the meadows with its spring flowers and shepherds behind, cycling through swooping hairpin bends into the woods further down! Exhilarating!
I need to stop to get my watery eyes dry (tears of joy??) when a truck driver who is parked up a few meters away calls me over and invites me to share his lunch!
He is asking me did I hear the weather warnings about the mountainous area we were in which I didn’t! After about 30 minutes, he says he better gets his truck down the steep part of the mountain road before heavy rainfall will replace the current sunshine.
He offered me a lift as this trailer is empty. He is on his last leg of his 22-day long tour which took him from his hometown on the Black Sea to the north of Sweden, delivering nuts for the army. Then he drove to Germany to pick up goods for McDonalds (not sure was it food or equipment) which he had to deliver in Georgia. Now he only had 600 km left to get home before taking a 10-day holiday with his family.
Sezgin Bulent Ertas (Insta: thermo_king_52) is a very proud self-driver. His truck is sparkling clean - inside and out and for the foto, he strategically stands in front of his right side front wing which was partially taken out by a Kazak truck driver in Georgia.
..Changing mountain weather..
Within 5 minutes from saying our good-byes the heavens opened. To my luck, there was an abandoned building on the side of the mountain road with a pretty large, covered area which provided shelter for me. Within a very few minutes, the water was running down the road like a stream, small waterfalls were gushing over the embankment of the road and lightning and thunder followed in quick succession.
Somewhat I am thinking I should have taken up Sezgin's offer when he drove pass me...
90 minutes later, the weather has calmed down and I decided to carry on. The dark looking clouds have passed, and the sun appeared again, innocently shining on to the road, making it steam due to the evaporation of the surface water.
The bliss of another 20 kilometres downhill riding is awaiting me!
Because of the rapid descent, I can feel how the temperature gets hotter and hotter by the minute. A burdening feeling – does entering hell feels like this? I hope I will never end up there…
..Final push..
The road is winding itself through this narrow gorge next to the Okcular Creek which eventually opens to a reservoir. I cycle for 5km along the reservoir, right into a headwind. Almost forgotten is the 30 km long downhill. In my mind and legs, it is all about that annoying headwind now…
Never mind, the stunning views make up for it and it’s 630 PM. By the Berta Köprüsü bridge I find a disused Restaurant with a big beer garden which still has a running water tap – an ideal place to camp for the night!
After a pasta dinner with the other half of the cucumber, some exercises to limber up my trapped nerve in the back, the zip of my tent comes down.
The day's stats - distance 90 kilometers, 882m climbing, 2278m descending,and I must have lost some body weight...
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