Climbers conquer Mount Ağrı’s icy slopes in 3-day summer climb

AĞRI

Mount Ağrı, Türkiye’s highest peak at 5,137 meters, is continuing to attract mountaineers from across the country and abroad in August who embark on a grueling three-day climb through its icy slopes.

Located in the Doğubayazıt district of the eastern province of Ağrı, the mountain is famed for its perpetual snow and glaciers, offering climbers a wintry challenge even in the height of summer.

Groups of mountaineers are brought to the starting points at Çevirme and Elle hamlets by local guides. Their equipment, loaded onto horses, accompanies them as they begin a strenuous trek toward the first camp at 3,200 meters.

After resting overnight in tents to acclimatize, climbers ascend to the 4,200-meter camp on the second day, navigating rugged trails. From there, the most demanding stage begins at midnight, when climbers don winter gear and crampons to traverse ice and snow, battling biting winds before reaching the summit.

Guide Barzani Ceylan, assisting climbers for more than two decades, highlighted the infrastructure. “We provide logistics, food, accommodation and mountaineering equipment. Camps at 3,200 and 4,200 meters make the climb more accessible.”

While foreign climbers form the majority, locals also cherish the ascent. İsmail Uludağ from the western province of Denizli noted pride in the mountain’s popularity but urged more Turkish climbers to join.

First-time summiteer Hilmi Erdoğan Yayla described the descent as tougher than the climb, adding, “One feels like crying from pride at the peak.”