kirklees climbing
Geyik Bayiri
Climbing in Southern Turkey
by Dave Cross
The snow covered mountains of the Bey Daglari National Park ease their toes into the turquoise waters of the
Mediterranean and tucked away in amongst them is the jewel in the crown of Turkish sport climbing. Nestled above
the high-rise sprawl of Antalya is the new winter sun venue of Geyik Bayiri. Over 200 well-bolted routes adorn its
orange and grey tufa-clad walls. The equipment is superb and the rock has a roughness beyond belief. ‘Tell me more’, I
here you say.
In 2003 the June edition of Grimper landed on our doormat. Inside mouth-watering photos of sun, tufa and tales of 30m
routes got our palms sweaty. However it took us another two years of other European diversions and the discovery of the
JoSiTo website to get us to book the necessary flights.
Geyik Bayiri has been known to European (and especially German) climbers for a while and three German climbers
(Joquiem, Silia and Tobias: hence the website name) found the climbing and Turkish way of life so appealing that they
threw their lot together and opened a climber’s campsite and refuge. Our initial concerns about language problems
(none of us spoke passable German or Turkish) were immediately dispelled after a phone call to JoSiTo and the discovery
that they spoke perfect English. Within ten minutes a taxi was organised to collect us from the airport, a little
wooden ‘bungalow’ was booked for two weeks and a hire car from a local company was pre-booked to be delivered to the
campsite the day after we arrived (£200 cheaper than Europcar!) I’m not one for stereotypes but German efficiency or what?
Two weeks later and we’re walking out of Antalya arrivals into a balmy April evening. The change in climate and sultry
blue sky was very welcome after too many months of a British winter. As we stumbled forward with our bags an ex-pat German
lady, tanned the colour of satsuma, waves a JoSiTo sign in our direction and laughs outrageously when we recognise
it. “Ha, Ha, Ha! Follow me,” she roars and leads us off to meet her Turkish husband waiting in their people carrier that
had certainly seen better days. The frau was well into her fifties and had been living in Turkey for many years. She and
her husband ran their own airport taxi service and were friends of the JoSiTo crew and charged half the price of normal
airport taxis.
It soon became apparent, as we plunged into the chaos of Antalya’s evening traffic, that driving in Turkey would be an
experience to remember. Hiring a car at the airport seems like a really good idea but trying to find Geyik Bayiri is
nearly impossible. Road signs are nearly non-existent and Turkish road maps just seemed to point out the major cities and
the odd road between them. I have yet to find a map that has the road to Geyik Bayiri on it let alone the actual village.
Defensive driving was the best approach to use. Each driver seemed to have their own version of the highway code which
they seemed to make up as they went along. Don’t be surprised to be over-taken and under-taken simultaneously even on a
single track road. And beware of the horse-drawn vehicles on Antalya’s four-lane ring road.
But this just sums up Turkey in many ways. Away from the coastal tourist resorts, Turkey is far from being a ‘developed’
country in a Western European sense. There is a large division of wealth so don’t be surprised to see people ploughing
fields with a horse or donkey whilst their country men drive Mercedes. Expect to find goats around every corner of every
road quietly munching on the greenery whilst their friendly shepherd hurls abuse and rocks at them. On a number of
occasions we even saw herds of cows grazing on the central reservation of the motorway.
After a forty minute drive that slowly brought us up from the plain, we arrived at the JoSiTo campsite in the dark and
the glow from the café bar welcomed us in. This was the hub of all activities providing coffee, beer, wine and food at all
times of the day. They served amazing breakfasts in the morning and cooked up a huge dinner for everyone to eat in the
evenings. Vegetarians were catered for and you could even buy a packed lunch for the day’s climbing. After a quick beer
we were taken to our bungalow, where the day’s travelling finally caught up with us and we collapsed onto the beds.
The view that greeted us as we emerged from our bungalow the next morning was truly breath-taking. All around, snowy
mountains surrounded us, orange limestone crags covered the hillsides, and far below was the turquoise Bay of Antalya all
being slowly warmed under a blue sky that was to die for. The urge to climb was now unbearable.
After breakfast we headed up to buy a copy of the topo at Ozturk’s place. Ozturk Kayikci and Zuleyah Geels first realised
the potential of these crags after a visit to European limestone where they realised that what they had at home was just
as good, if not better than, the crags of Spain and France. They developed the first 30 routes here and were then joined
by local equippers and climbers from other countries. Now 200 routes spread over 19 sectors await the intrepid traveller.
A good place to start is the obvious cave of Sector Magara with a good spread of grades. Surprisingly the routes here are
not in the high 8s but start from French 5a. Try Muhtar 5c+ (**) or Nirvana 6a+ (*) as good juggy warm-ups at the back of
cave. Then the tufa pumpfest of Agustos Bocegi 7a (***) and Karinca (***) 7a beckon, leading you up the imposing wall to
the left of the cave. They both have the same finish up the pumpy tufa and consequently whichever route you do second seems
easier.
The main attraction at Geyik Bayiri is Sector Sarkit which takes its name from the Turkish word for ‘colonettes’ or ‘tufa’.
And Sector ‘Tufa’ is the right name for it! If you are feeling fit try the classics of Melting Souls 7b+ and Ja Ja
City 6c+ (first pitch) which follow amazing tufa lines. Saxafon 6b+ (**) is an improbable line through the steep central
cave on tufa ‘blobs’ and Inner Smile 7b+ (**) pops out of the top left corner of this cave and heads off up the wall
above. Sector Sarkit is also home to Luc Skywalker and at 8b is the hardest route at Geyik Bayiri at the time of writing.
To the right of Sector Magara is the tall majestic Sector Anatolia that has more than its fair share of vertical walls with
tiny holds. If this is your bag try the highly recommended Hayat cok uzun 7a+ (**) or any of the routes to the right
(but choose a cool day). Also check out the steeper Kapt’n Kirk 6c+ (**) but make sure you finish to the right of the cave
below the belay. If you don’t you’ll be on Beam me up, Scotty 7c.
For a day off the beaten track, check out Sector Dragon or Sector Mevlana. At Dragon don’t miss Totos 6b (**); a great
groove then steepening tufa on good holds to the belay. After that try either Fire Spire 7a (**) or Dragonfly 7a (**) that
climb either side of the big gash up tufas. The inability to find the hidden hold at the top of Fire Spire spits off many
a pumped wannebe. At Sector Mevlana you’ll find a very quiet sector with a lovely flat grassy base but with routes that
look to be a little grubby compared with other areas. Don’t be put off, the routes are great. Try Mevlana 6c+ (**)
Bartabas 7a(**) or the intriguingly named Antalya incin 747 Nolu Ucus 7b+ (**) . What does it mean?
If the three minute drive to the crag is becoming too much for you then why not investigate the campsite crags. What
appear to be insignificant cliffs turn out to be 30m walls and caves. Try the classic Black Moon 7b+ or any of the other
32 routes. There is also a new north-facing sector near the campsite for when it gets too hot. All the information for
these crags is kept at the campsite.
To be honest there are so many good routes at Geyik Bayiri, this article could just turn into a boring list of ‘must does’.
To avoid this I’ll stop now and hope it has encouraged you to be a little more adventurous in your climbing destinations.
Go, you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy the welcome from the JoSiTo crew and let them look after you for a few days. Enjoy
spending time in a more ‘Eastern’ country that is just soaked through with history. Enjoy looking at a different culture
and how other people manage to make a living.
Other Attractions
The coast – a 45 minute drive will take you down to lovely beaches and the less-than-lovely tourist resorts.
Antalya – the main city is concrete sprawl but the old town and habour is pretty and definitely worth a detour. Have
dinner over-looking the harbour and the ancient walls.
Termessos – High in a rugged mountain valley just north of Antalya is the ruined fortress city of Termessos. They fought
off Alexander the Great here in 333 BC and the Romans accepted the Termessians as an independent ally in 70 BC. Now ravaged
by earthquakes, the city has been shaken apart. Check out the ruined theatre and the hundreds of sarcophagi tumbled down
the hillside. Amazing.
Aspendos – To the East of Antalya is this fully rebuilt Roman amphitheatre. Very imposing and definitely worth the visit.
The Chimaera – At the foot of Mount Olympos are the Chimaera; a cluster of spontaneous flames that blaze from crevices on
the rocky slopes. No-one really knows why gas is produced here but it does combust on contact with air! Very weird.
The Basics
Where is it?
Geyik Bayiri is 25km west of Antalya on the southern coast of Turkey in the Eastern Med.
Who’s it good for?
Single pitch sport climbing from French 4 to 8b, although the best routes are from 6a upwards.
When do I go?
Difficult one this. At 500m above sea level and in the mountains it can be cold when the sun isn’t shining but then
baking when it does come out. We went in April and found it hot on south-facing crags but cold when the sun went in. Avoid
the summer and hunt for the new crags in the shade when it’s too hot. The campsite also offers a discount in January and
February if it rains and stops you from climbing. From this I’d guess it’s possible to climb in winter but a bit risky.
Who flies there?
No low-cost carriers but check out the German airlines and be prepared to transfer in Germany for cheap deals. Check
out Opodo or other such flight booking sites.
Where do I stay?
Stay at the JoSiTo campsite, either camping or in a little hut. These are really comfortable and the showers are awesome.
Contact them at www.climbingcamp-antalya.com. Take a look at the photos on their site to get your mouth watering.
Which guide do I buy?
Buy the guide from Ozturk’s place below Sector Magara.
Where do I buy food?
Travel back towards Antalya and find shops on the way back in. Alternatively let JoSiTo look after you with their awesome
breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals.
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