Mount Aratat & the Wonders of Turkey Expedition Dispatch
July 25, 2012 – Mount Ararat High Camp
We arrived at high camp in the early afternoon. Chet, Duygu and I walked slowly together and Mehmet came behind with our horses and equipment.
Our objective from high camp - we are
3200 vertical feet from the summit
As we climbed higher, Little Ararat, 1,200m (4,000ft.), the sixth tallest peak in Turkey, became visible to the east.
As soon as we arrived at the high camp, we all went to our dining tent to enjoy a cup of tea. Our plan is to take an early dinner - Mehmet is preparing it now, at 5:00pm, then we will go to bed early.
We will wake up before 1:00am and will try to begin our climb just after 2:00am. With luck and after several hours of climbing we will see the sunrise over eastern Turkey, Iran and Armenia from high on Mount Ararat.
We met a remarkable Austrian adventurer named Gerhard Winkler at High Camp and learned that he will also be attempting to summit tomorrow. I last saw Gary on Everest in the spring of 2006. That was the season that Gary, who has Type 1 diabetes, rode his bike and walked from the Dead Sea to Mount Everest and reached the summit of Everest. Chet, Gary and I had a great time sharing stories and reminiscing over tea at high camp this afternoon; it will be great to share a summit morning with him.
Well, we are going to sleep now. We have just decided to try to start climbing at 1:30am.
Little Ararat – also known as Mount Sis or Lesser Ararat
Duygu relaxing with a cup of tea at high camp
Getting organized at high camp
Gerhart Winkler and Chet sharing stories in our dining tent at high camp