Whilst running up and down Turkish mountains in up to 45 degrees of heat might not seem the best way to train for the Himalayas it certainly improves your fitness! With only 10 days to go before I start up the Nepalese hills for Island Peak I used a short break to pack in some additional training on steep ground.
The concentration required in the heat of recent days in Southern Turkey was significant. There are is also always real danger from sun stroke with sun this hot so diverting to the shade regularly and staying hydrated is essential!
The Lycian Way is a 509 km long distance footpath across Southern Turkey along the beautiful coastal regions from Fethiye in the West to Antalya in the East. The best site to review this amazing route is at www.lycianway.com and I was using the section around Kalkan which I have come to know reasonably well over the last 8 years of visiting the region.
As you can see from the photographs this route requires a combination of good climbing and decent skills coupled with a head for heights and determined navigation skills to follow the distinctive (but sometimes obscured) paint markers which denote the route through sometimes very dense undergrowth.
6 days of 2 - 3 hours a day left me fitter and stronger and ready for the challenge ahead which starts next week with a flight to Kathmandu.
Fun though!
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