Right after a week long stop over in Istanbul I was ready to go. Unfortunately I did not feel 100% as I woke up a few times in the night with a dry throat which I thought might be due to air con which I switched off but that didn't help as this persisted. In the morning I felt like someone had turned my dial down from 10 to 6 but undeterred thought the best thing to do was to get on the road and see how thing went.
I had do do some work in the morning which delayed my departure but did mean I received my Tajikistan visa and GBAO Permit I also needed for the Pamir Highway so set off to conquer Asia knowing my route through the Stans was now all open to me!
I first took a ferry from Sirkeci across the Bosporus to the sea front distinct of Kadikoy.
I chose this route rather then the direct crossing to Harem so at least this would cut out some of the battling on the city roads I would have to do.
The public transport in Istanbul is great a fixed price 5 tlr (about 66p) for each journey.
I also took the slow ferry rather than the fast cat as I suspected they would be more room for my bike.
It was however surprisingly fast and in no time I was deposited on Asian soil!
I was snarled up in traffic for the first 5-6 miles but soon the road opened out to a lovely sea front with a cycle lane there were a few nice hotels but I thought I could manage more than 10 miles despite my ill health.
I then cycled past the Prince Islands that sit in the sea off Istanbul and the ferry port that links them to the shore.
After this I traversed the biggest park and ride scheme I have ever seen and then the waterfront was taken over by commercial shipping so I was routed inshore and things got more difficult.
With the dock and warehouses the next hotel was about 20 miles away and I wanted to stay here as there was absolutely nowhere to camp and I wanted to try and get some decent rest to try and shake off this infection.
Going inshore though threw me into a lot of narrow streets with steep inclines which were hard to navigate and frustratingly I was doing a lot of salmoning
verb, to salmon - cycling the wrong way up a one way street
This was made especially difficult by the Turkish pastime of double parking and by the response I got from the drivers coming the opposite way it was clear that this was not the done thing like it is for example it is in Hungary. In addition many of the streets had one way stinger teeth to prevent idiots like me doing just such a thing.
So it was a frustrating few hours as I tackled the assault course laid out for me in the heat of the midday sun! At one point I was pushing my bike up a steep hill when a guy walking down gestured to me I should be cycling. Fortunately I was too tired to punch him in the mouth so an international incident was avoided.
Eventually I had the biggest climb of the day into Gebze and collapsed into the first hotel I came to which fortunately was only £13 B&B as I was in no position to negotiate. I had only covered 30 miles but the ferry gave me a 7 mile boost so I'll call that 37 for the day.
I got my head down for a couple of hours then headed out for some food after the end of fasting but just ended up with a couple of bananas and a magnum lolly washed down with a litre of orange juice and back to bed.
The next day I looked at the route I had covered yesterday and it was ridiculous going back and forth all over the place it looked like I was playing hide and seek rather then mounting a serious attempt to cycle across a continent.
Change of plan today I was going to head for the D100 main road along the coast and stick to that it ain't pretty but it is a regular gradient and moving and a relatively straight line.
This worked well as I pushed on through the ports and eventually after 70 miles over the last 2 days I came to some open space! The day was more overcast with a few spots of rain but that just suited me fine.
I carried on but then my back tyre felt soft so looks like I had picked up my first puncture. Luckily there were road works ahead so I took the opportunity to pull into a cordoned off area and started to strip my bike down. Once upside down I checked the tyre but could not see anything stuck in the tyre I then remembered that I had a gunk inner tube in and it might be worth pumping it up to see if it re-sealed. I did this and it went down over the next 5 miles but the second time seemed to do the trick as it lasted to the end of the ride. We will see in the morning.
Having escaped from Istanbul my route was to head to Duzce as I made my way east towards Georgia. The logical choice would be to then head north and ride along the Black Sea coast. However, when I looked into this the coastline consists of steep slopes dropping down to the sea so there was no option but to take a dual carriageway across the entire thousand miles with many tunnels where cycling is not allowed.
Therefore, my plan was to stay more inland and battle the mountains only dropping down to the coast as I approached the border.
I approached Sakarrya and had covered over 50 miles so was satisfied with my work today. I had a hotel logged in my phone but as I approached the turn off was looking at a huge steep road off my route into the hills. I had ridden for the last 5 miles along a lake but had not seen any hotels as I was looking and another search on the web showed none for the next 10 miles ahead as it would have been better to press on than make that climb. Reluctantly I made my way up but was reduced to pushing as the gradient rose to 15% which is a cliff face on my bike.
A couple of cars stopped offering to take my luggage but I waved them off but was thinking I do need to have a serous think about everything I am carrying. It took me 45 minutes to do the last 3 miles and I arrived at the hotel at 4 pm but I have to say I seem to be feeling a bit better and set about a whole melon I'd bought.
That didn't last was up in the night gasping for water and back to square one in the morning. I set myself the objective for the day to get to Duzce which was 50 miles away on the main road or 55 by country lanes the forecast was for thunder storms so I thought the main road was not the place to be so country lanes it was.
I got on the road by 7.30am and thought the sooner I start the sooner I finish and made good progress as I know there was a climb in the middle. Just as I calculated when I had passed half way the hills started to close in and the grey sky that had been looming all morning was sat on them. I started to climb and pulled in for a banana break at a bus stop when the rain stated. I sheltered for a bit and when it eased I hit the road again. Most of the 2,000 ft climb was ride-able but there were a few ramps where I struggled.
I knew there was a double peak and as I descended hit a gravel road that took me up again but I was able to ride all the way up then an epic gravel downhill to the valley floor.
There I picked up tarmac and cruised the final 15 mile to my destination. I was showered and out by 4 pm and picked up some throat spray from the chemist which I hope will help 3,000 ft tomorrow!
Another 50 miles covered in the direction of Singapore which on the basis of cycling each day is about on par with that I need to achieve to stay on schedule but I would like to get ahead of this if possible especially as there are bigger hills to come.
I looked at the route options for the next couple of days but the one proposed by MapsMe was 20 miles longer and with 2,000 more elevation than the main roads and was using roads that were not on my other app so might be mountain bike territory so main roads it was.
One thing I knew was that the climbs were going to get bigger so I went through all my kit and got rid of anything I didn't need. Some spare cloths hit the bin including a T -shirt, pair of leggings and a pair of socks. I ditched a spare deodorant and dental floss, my large gas canister and the sleeping mat I'd try to fix twice and last of all the half bottle of ketchup I'd been carrying since in the Netherlands!
It was raining as I set off in my new "lightweight" mode but it cleared up as I left Duzce and after 6-7 miles as I crossed under the motorway that was heading for a tunnel but the hills were approaching for me.
The rain stopped and I was soon down to just my cycling jersey as the road snaked up the hill the hard shoulder as you see was narrow and thinned to none existent at those crucial steep sections so it was hard going trying to keep as close to the edge as possible whilst the trucks edged past.
I was sweating profusely and stopped to put on my attractive Halo band to keep it out of my eyes. I saw had made 16 miles in 4 hours so could have walked faster and just to prove the point round the next corner a guy started walking up the road ahead of me and left me for dead. I finally got to the summit no photo I'm afraid wrong side of the road for a dramatic shot and then had a great long run down to Bolu it seemed to go on forever and I watched the miles increase but thinking all the time I have to make this back up and more in the next 20 miles.
Thankfully this next climb was more shallow just a long drag up the valley.
There were grey clouds closing and spots of rain but I didn't care as it was producing a good tailwind and a nice shower would cool me down so I made to the only hotel in Venicaga which is linked to a catering college by 4 pm and booked in at the bargain price of £9.33 B&B. I was asked it I wanted dinner for another £1.33 and accepted result!
I had a right laugh at dinner as I came down and the guy at reception said dinner is ready and disappeared through a door at the back. Turning round through a glazed partition I could see a dining room full of men so went in to join them. The room went quiet and everyone looked at me. There was a table at the end which had a few older better dressed men and spare seats so I walked up and joined them.
They were all a bit frosty as I said hello but then the receptionist crept in grabbed my arm and apologetically steered me out if the room. It looked like I had gatecrashed a private dinner for a company and sat down with the directors.
I was ushered through the back door into the kitchen and had a great evening eating with the students and teachers.
The next morning it was back to the uphill it was clear skies but there was the low cloud hugging the road further up so I set off to get some shade from it.
It turned out to be like chasing the gold at the end of the rainbow as I climbed the hill the cloud was burning off and there was nowhere to hide the metal barriers were going "Ping" every so often as they expanded in the sun.
Finally having started the day before after 30 miles I reached the head of the valley and could see the road falling away down the other side.
As I descended there was some clunking from the back end and the freewheel locked once which was not a good sign but then I came to my turn off and time to leave the D100 which I had followed for nearly 400 miles when I picked it up on the other side of Istanbul and head north towards the Black Sea.
This new road had a rubble strip cut into the hard shoulder which was an added hazard and really jarred you around it you ventured into it.
At 2.30pm I passed lots of heavy industry as I dropped into Karabuk which at 60 miles was my original target for the day but with 30 of those being downhill. I thought I might arrive early and looking at possible destinations for tomorrow I saw it was 70 miles to Kastamonu but 60 of those uphill so I pressed on and aimed to try and shrink that distance to 50.
I check what was up the road and found a petrol station just short of my target to put that is as my revised target to hopefully get some supplies and headed off.
I had a couple of close passes in the city so extended my traffic diverter to try and gain some space which seemed to work as I heard a diesel engine behind me and a two tone horn. I was close into the kerb so carried on but the horn went again so I turned round and gesticulated where should I be? The driver was pointing to the pavement which was full of people so I just shrugged and carried on. He eventually crawled past me with a large timber structure on his lorry that stuck out a couple of feet but I don't think driving a slow lorry with an abnormal load make that my problem!
I made it to the petrol station with a mental shopping list prepared but all they had was the basics so picked up water some juice and crisps thinking those emergency noodles looks like they are coming out as I was paying another guy turned up with some bread and I remembered I had some Nutella so got a loaf myself for breakfast.
Not far beyond with 51 miles to go tomorrow I found some open land and decided that would do. It was still baking hot so I had no enthusiasm for making or eating a hot meal so just had the crisps and some melted chocolate which I must remember not to put in the matt black panniers!
I read for a bit just in my sleeping bag liner but when the sun when down the temperature plummeted and in the morning the tent was soaked in condensation.
When I set off the temperature was soon ramping up again and I pulled in and managed to take on some more fluids.
I then pulled over to dry off the tent which would save some more weight and put on the sun tan lotion which made that bottle lighter as well!
As I proceeded my iphone was shutting down due to high temperature. So I attached it on the outside of the case with a zip tie and Velcro so it could dissipate more heat which seemed to work.
The afternoon was a real struggle with the continued false summits with a steep incline my speed down to around 4 mph and it was looking like it was going to be a long day. I started running low on water and got excited when two petrol stations appeared only for them to be closed down. I also stopped at one of the road side taps which I am dubious about but thought I could fill my empty water bottle and pass this through my water filter if required. It was away from the road but as I approached there was no water coming from the pipe in the trough was dry so much for that plan!
Fortunately after the next summit there was a fully functioning petrol station on the other side of the road. I left my bike with a shepherd and hopped over the barriers to get re hydrated and have a Magnum it would be rude not too.
Things got even better as the next summit was the last and after a short 5 mile descent with again some noises from my rear hub. I arrived in Kastamonu at 5 pm after a hard 54 miles but in time to call my sister at home as there was a family gathering on the Bank Holiday at her house so was good to catch up with some of my family.
Kastamonu is a nice city with a river running through the middle which it pretty at night
I set off the visit the castle but this is as close as I got before I gave up. Just after taking this photo a cannon went off to signify the end of fasting for Ramadan which reverberated around the city.
I did however take in the No2. attraction this hump back bridge which was further upstream
The next morning and I was on the road again having moved north towards the Black Sea here at Kastamonu I was now going to be heading more east towards Bayburt.
I was now on a high plain with mountains to the south and it was a nice first 10-15 miles in the early morning.
This was supposed to be an easy 70 miles, listen to me and easy 70 miles, as it looked downhill well losing 1,800 feet elevation over the day. In the end it was like working your way down a saw to the end with lots of ramps up and drops so was heavy going as the sun came out the and the temperature increased.
As I made my was along today's route I moved into a rice growing region full of paddy fields made me feel that I had been fast forwarded to India.
My hub was still knocking I thought of ringing the bike shop in Istanbul but I decided that whatever the problem was it would manifest itself in the end and then I would have something more finite to deal with so decided to carry on.
I hit another ram up and hit a wall, physically I mean not a crash. I pulled over at another water fountain to shelter out of the sun and eat my final peach I had brought with me which was a good break.
With just under 10 miles to go I was counting down the distance when I met these guys coming the other way.
They were on their way back from Beijing and had come the same route I was planning across the Caspian sea and warned me that they feed you three times a day on the boat and come and get you from your cabin so better not be late for any meals. We said our goodbye and I arrived in Boyabat at 5 pm I was aiming to be there by 3 but I think that might have been a bit optimistic!
It was the same again the next day as I set off from Boyabat the sun was out and the temperature rising. As I rode out of the city I past an impressively parked Phantom jet.
As I progressed into the countryside there were patches of wet tar on the road which I had to try and avoid as it held me back and then coated my wheel that then started picking up gravel as I when along.
I made the first town of Duragan but the road rolled past I was OK for provisions and looking at the route ahead there was a petrol station further up the road so I rolled by dropping down the valley as the river headed for the hills in the distance.
Unfortunately when I reached the petrol station is was another that had closed down which left me with 40 miles to go to the next major town on my map so I now had a water issue.
The river squeezed through a gorge to flow into a large reservoir beyond.
Whilst I had to climb round the peak to the left.
Then it was through a tunnel as the reservoir opened up. The tunnel was fantastically cool I could have stayed in there for the next few hours
There was a road down to the water past the tunnel and I was seriously tempted but thought I would hang fire and go later before I climbed up from the water. There was however, no other opportunity which was frustrating as I worked my way round this vast body of water as mine ran out.
Down to one bottle and the next drinking fountain didn't work but I then hit a village with a basic cafe which had a fridge containing tomatoes and water so I was able to re-stock. It was just 20 miles left to Vezirkopru so I was out of danger. Round the corner was a fountain that was flowing but the first rule of cycle touring is if you see it get it!
I was climbing in the heat and soon my water from the fridge was lukewarm and another 7 miles in a petrol station loomed up and although I had recently downed a litre of water I saw their drinks fridge and was desperate for a cold soft drink. I grabbed a litre of coke and outside sat in the shade. The station owner was taken with my Turkey jersey he patted the emblem on my chest then lead me into his office and sat me under the air conditioning where his father seemed to be watching the Turkish Judge Rinder.
I hit Vezirkopru as 5 pm and had covered just over 60 miles and was done for. I had searched on the internet but found no hotels so I thought I would have a break buy some supplies and press on. However, having stocked up for a night in the tent as I was leaving the town I passed this nice "Boutique" hotel and there was a change of plan!
When I downloaded my data I saw I had climbed nearly 8,000 ft today so no wonder I was so tired as 10,000 ft is a big day for me without adding all the luggage!
Right easy day today, how many times have I said that? It was 45 miles with a couple of big climbs then a downhill 30 miles to Amasya. It was the same old story with the sun up and the temperature rising as I headed out of town.
The first hill was not too bad but then the I could see the whole of the second which didn't help but I hunkered down and ground my way to the top and the required summit photo.
I dropped down rapidly to Havza there I needed to buy two Magnums to make essential modifications to my iphone holder. This was to try and increase the air circulation which hopefully will stop it overheating.
Heading out of Havza I picked up the main roads and shot down the 30 mile descent through tunnels to make it into Amasya by 2.30 pm so I had the rest of the day off.
I with some time to relax I maxed out the budget and found a hotel with a swimming pool. I had a dip and then chilled out for bit whilst I waited for the heat to dissipate.
4 pm and it was safe to head out but still managed to break a sweat climbing up to the tombs carved out of the hills some of my photos from Amasya are below.
I had literally not seen a beer since leaving Istanbul but walking back to the hotel spotted a fridge full of cold ones so pulled out a bottle which was put in a shading looking black bag. I took it back to me hotel and am drinking whilst I write up this blog and celebrate my first week in Asia!
The next morning I was not under any pressure as I had on paper and easy ride 47 miles mostly downhill so I took the opportunity to give my bike a clean.
Having found the hotel's hose pipe I sprayed on chain cleaner and rinsed it off on the road. I then dismantled my rear wheel to try and get at the issue with the clunking sounds but the hub seemed to be fine with no excess play or movement. I put it all back together but the noises persisted when I rode off!
The day's ride was pretty uneventful I was reunited with my old friend the D100 and together we dropped down the next valley.
There was a bit of cloud cover and a head wind which combined to keep the temperature down but on some of the downhill sections. I had to keep pedalling or I would grind to a halt but I reminded myself if there was ever a day to encounter a head wind this should be it.
At one point I hit road works but am not a fan of being in contra-flows so stayed in the closed carriageway. This choice paid off as there was just a road sweeper who gave me a wave as I we passed and an abandoned low loader otherwise I had the road to myself.
I arrived at the hotel in Erbaa by 2.30 but was unable to log onto the WiFi to upload this blog or route plan. The local attractions listed were the mosque, an apartment block and a dress shop so I had an enforced afternoon of relaxation reading my kindle.
So what is it now day 10 in Asia and looking at the route ahead there are large towns spaced at about 50 mile intervals for the next few days. Riding each day I need to cover a minimum of 45 miles and I reckoned I was at least one maybe even 2 days ahead of schedule by now. I am however at the start of a 200 mile uphill section to Bayburt at 6,000 ft so time to take things steady so 50 miles a day it would be. After that I had 140 miles downhill which was where I could make up time if I needed or wanted to.
Breakfast at the hotel was 8 am so I decided to skip this and bought some provisions of my own and was on the road by 7 am which was great as it was nice and cool. 50 miles today and a 1,000 ft of height to gain but I was making good progress.
There were no towns on route but a few petrol stations. at 30 miles I was making good time so pulled in at one and saw the restaurant had, unusual for Ramadan, people in eating so grabbed some soup for an early lunch.
Later on I had fun negotiating a landslide which had closed off my carriageway. I rode past the cones and crossed the ditch to join the rest of the traffic and as I pushed my bike up onto the side road the car coming pipped to let me know they were there " no sh*t Sherlock" I thought "a car on a road who would have imagined that!"
My early start payed off it is approaching 4 pm today so blog done together with my washing. This hotel in Resadiye has a spa, time to investigate!
It was a thermal pool and Turkish bath all included in the princely sum of £13.60 for the room fantastic and really good to stretch out my legs in the hot thermal water.
More of the same on day 11 back on the D100 and working up hill. I faced a tough headwind today which slowed my progress and upped my work rate. I picked up a hitchhiker for the first 20 miles who made the smart choice to avoid the strong winds.
After this a guy pulled over and flagged me down he thrust some biscuits in my hand and talked me through my route options. He suggesting that I drop down to the Black sea sooner than I intended and take in a famous monastery built into a rock face.
Further on another guy did a crazy U turn across the central reservation and also flagged me down and introduced me to his wife (good skills I thought she was really young) no he corrected himself my daughter. He lived nearby and wanted to feed me but I politely declined as I wanted to push on.
In the afternoon the wind decreased but then the temperature shot up as I climbed higher you could still see some snow on the mountains.
Stunning scenery as I approached Susehri which was my target for the day.
As I rounded this bend my mind was playing tricks on me as it with no horizon as a reference it looked like I was going downhill but I was working hard and only making 5 mph. I needed to stop and take a rest and as I looked down (being the operative word) the road I was definitely climbing.
Then came what looked like a hill ahead and I thought if I an already going uphill this is going to hurt! It did with just over 1 km to go I had completely run out of steam and my knee was hurting so I got off and pushed for a bit. Then when it flattened out I road to the junction it felt like I was on the top of the world but there was more to come...
Reviewing the route options overnight I had now past just north of Tokay and rather than carrying on to Bayburt and beyond (I've posted the map again below for reference) I looked at the suggestion to go north to Trabzon via the monastery at Sumela.
Using my Stava app I could not find a route that went past the monastery. This just dropped down to a town called Macka then a 15 miles 3,000 ft grind back uphill to the monastery.
Further research told me the place was closed since 2015 for renovations but was supposed to have opened a week ago but this could have overrun so that seemed like a lot of effort to get somewhere you could possibly not get into. It did look stunning though so I even considered dropping down to Trabzon then the next day taking a minibus excursion for £9 back up.
Anyway then I looked on MapsMe and it came up with a back roads route that dropped me straight into the Sumela so I thought let's go for it!
I set off again with the aim to cover 49 miles which would see me over the first climb and into the next valley. Then it was another 40 miles to Kelkit where there were some hotels and I could break the journey with, I estimated another 2 days to get to Sumela. I was back on the D100 and it was again baking hot. I passed a fantastic looking overfall/waterslide and was tempted to do some light trespassing!
Soon after over three days on the dual carriageway it was time to hit the backroads and head for the hills as I turned off to Golova.
As I approached the town I saw an obvious photo opportunity so I took it.
I was not sure what I would find for the next couple of days so I stocked up on supplies including cheese, salami and a large loaf of bread which I struggled to get in my pannier. I also bought some small cartons of fruit juice so I could have a change from just drinking water.
The road up to Golova was still a dual carriageway but beyond it soon petered out and I could see the hills in the distance.
I continued to climb but then took a left and noticed the steam was running with me so this must be the end of the climbing for the day.
I was, and at the bottom of the hill with my 49 miles in the bag by 2.30 so I stopped by the river for some lunch and a cool down.
It was too early to stop and camp for the night I thought and it was 10 miles uphill to the next village so I pressed on but climbing in the heat meant my water consumption was increasing rapidly.
I passed three springs as I climbed but was not out of water yet and was sure there would be something in the village. When I arrived, there was no spring by the road and the village was far downhill and was just a collection of a few houses. I could probably access the river but the thought of losing so much altitude was criminal. I open a bag of Haribo type sweets thinking these will be resheshing only to find it was a special lucky dip including chilli flavour which did not help to quench my thirst!
I had no option but to continue with just my 750ml water bottle left and struggled slowly up what looked to be a new road with no springs in sight. As I reached the summit a motorcyclist waved and I waved back then moments later he had done a u turn and was pulling up along side me. He asked if I was all right and I said I was running low on water with just a couple of mouthfuls left, and had he seen any springs ahead? He said no but he had some spare and gave me 500 ml which was great.
I was still short thought I'd tried at the next village which had been bypassed by the new road and meant a near impossible push up a dirt track to reach. There was no shop or fountain but as I reached the end of the village some guys outside a house waved as I approached so I stopped asked them for some water. They could not have been more kind they filled two of my bottles and also asked if I needed any food.
I said I was OK waved them goodbye and as I dropped out of the village passed a spring but thought I have enough to get through the night and so continued. Round the corner I found a huge flat area which I discovered was part of the old road which had been cut off. I made my way to the back and set up camp.
At the rear was a stream and whilst I now had a couple of litres of water I know how much liquid I consumed when I finished riding each day so set up my filter.
The fine gravel was difficult to drive tent pegs into and the wind got up as grey clouds appeared. The tent set off so I loaded my bags in to keep it down and then put rocks around it and drove my trowel into the embankment to give me an anchor point!
I had pushed on so far in search of water covering 64 miles against a target of 49 that I had only 30 miles then next day to get to my proposed stop over at Kelkit which I made by 12.30 so I decided to continue for another 15 miles to Kose and see if I could find a hotel there.
I got to Kose at about 2.30pm which turned out to be a small town with one small hotel above a shop on the main street which I didn't fancy. So I resolved to to be camping again restocked and carried on.
I thought another 15 miles would be a good target but the gradient increased which pegged me back to snail pace and I fell just short. As I was dropping down I was looking at the narrow pass ahead and thinking there doesn't look like many camping spots there when I saw the sign for a spring and a perfect spot with even a bench and table.
Climb climb climb again!
With fresh legs I tackled the first climb from my camp site and took a celebratory summit photo.
During the descent the route turned into a dirt track but there were still some springs along the way so I was not concerned about water but even though it was heavy, I resolved not to let my supplies get as depleted as a couple of days ago.
The next climb was a killer! On the dirt track it was difficult to maintain traction. I had to keep criss crossing the road as it was too steep to go straight up. Many times I would spin the back wheel or the front would lose traction and skid from under me and I was left pushing up to the next spot I could remount with my speedo recording 0.0 mph.
I dropped off the second climb and was soon into the third but I passed through the village of Yagmurdere which was on my map so I had hopes of some supplies. I was in luck there was a shop there and I bought a Magnum,a litre of Coke and two really big heavy apples. I literally staggered over to some benches in the shade and started on the Coke when a gentleman came over shook me by the hand and ushered me over to have a cup of chai (tea) in a nearby cafe.
The last climb was brutal!
The signs said 5% but that was a joke and must have been what they had left in the van. I was criss crossing again using all the road and was suitably jubilant when I reached the top!
On the decent I came across a snow bank and took this photo after which a snowball just missed me. I never worked out which of them threw it! I suspect it was Grandma.
At this point two young Belgian cyclist arrived climbing up the other way and we had a chat. They were on their way to New Zealand and looked like they had just packed for the day. They had a rucksack each which was on the back of their bikes amazing what some people will limit themselves to and got me thinking again what I could ditch. The said they had been to the monastery at Sumela and it was still closed and not worth the effort of cycling up to which was good to know.
I had a 7 mile descent to recover but as I took a left and started my fourth climb of the day I was struggling and stopped and a really nice spring/bothy to eat one of my heavy apples which would lighten the load.
It was tempting to stay there as it had a wood burning stove but I pressed on however the thunderstorm that was brewing in the last valley caught up with me and I was hit with hailstones and a stiff headwind. I had set myself 6 pm to finish, it was 5.15 I had done only 33 miles but the towel was thrown in. I climbed up an embankment found a reasonably flattish patch of ground and dug in. Some days everything is on your side and others like today they are not.
Right fourth and hopefully my final day in the mountains. I had 15 miles left to get to Sumela but still some climbing to be done so it was back on the road and heading uphill.
I looked back over the summit and seemed to be on top of the world.
Back up and past more snow dropping into the next valley and all too soon I was going up again.
Near the top of the next climb I stopped for a rest at a spring and applied my sun tan lotions as the clouds had broken up.
Dropping into a village called Taskopa Yaylasi I was doubtful there would be a shop but I was obviously getting into tourist country as there were many plus two hotels and a restaurant! I bought a couple of fruit juices which I drank round the table from the shop owner and set off again.
I rode passed some kids sledging on the remains of the winter snow you can see in the photo below as I made my way up what I thought would be my final climb.
At the summit there was no sign of the Black Sea but I was running out of peaks so it must be down there under those low clouds.
I dropped into another village called Kurtdere Yaylasi and had a refuel with another litre of coke (I shake it to get rid of the gas so I can drink it quickly), a couple of chocolate bars and a bag of crisps.
The shop owner also brought me out a cup of chai and I consumed them all under the watchful gaze of two children like an exhibit. I failed to engage with them but as I left the girl said goodbye!
I climbed out of the back of the village which was very steep but I managed to get out of view before I started pushing! I crested the summit and the road dropped down across and back up the other side!
My heart sank surely this must be the last one but then suddenly as I crossed the river at the bottom I looked right and saw this yippee!
Time for the big downhill! I hit tarmac which I felt like kissing but it didn't last for long as the surface had obviously taken a battering over the winter so it was a white knuckle ride down to the monastery see below the last stretch pick your line carefully and don't fall in the river!
After three hard days I had made it and the view of the Sumela Monastery site in the distance was breathtaking.
There are a few more photos I took as I dropped down the gorge in the slideshow below.
It was a shame the monastery was not yet open for visitors, it looked from my research like it was an amazing place which is built further into the rock with a cave church behind and further details can be found by following the link below.
After this I did battle with the minibuses which are the only way to get to the top then navigated the huge park and ride which is as far as cars can come then past a three mile tailback of traffic. It was still a public holiday being the end of Ramadan and I definitely made the right decision to drop in this way rather than fight my way uphill through that lot.
I stopped at Macka for some lunch using one of the photos below I had taken in Istanbul. I thought that it was only the second proper lunch in two weeks and there was a lot more relaxed atmosphere now Ramadan was over the restaurants were open.
I then jumped on the main road to fire off the last 20 miles to the coast. This was a long way from the gravel of this morning but I was now dropping into the low cloud that I had seen at 8,000 ft earlier in the day and in that fine rain that wets you through.
I finally got my first sight of the Black Sea as I negotiated the inner ring road of Trabzon and past the docks.
This was elevated above the city and a tight squeeze with heavy traffic but I was soon in the bustle of it all and toasting the end of my mountain experience.
Hard work but good training for The Stans where I need to double that effort and cope with altitude sickness as get up to 16,000 ft.
I am again ahead of schedule so as well as updating this blog I had a make and mend day off the bike. First was a trip to the barbers to mend my look with a haircut and shave, no waxing today but he did stick some scissors up my nose which was a bit dicey.
After that I went shopping and and set to work on some repairs.
I back washed my water filter.....
Wait a minute wrong way round!
I back washed my water filter
Also with the rattling the the inserts had come out of one of my rear panniers and been lost in the mountains.
Unable to get replacements I enlarged the rack using some lengths of hose and zip ties that I had bought locally. I did the other side as well on the basis that if one had failed then it is likely it will also happen to the other.
The issue I had with the rear hub which led me to push over the last week to give me some time in hand in case I needed a new wheel building seems to have cleared up. I had many big descents over the past few days and not a squeak out of the rear hub so fingers crossed that whatever was catching in there is now free.
I also glued the padding in my helmet that has was coming loose.
Cleaning my spare water bottle I discovered how the increase in pressure from descending with it empty yesterday had distorted it.
Finally I mended me with a one hour deep tissue massage at the hotel which which was OK with not too many knots in my muscles so all is well.
I worked out I have about 125 miles to go to get into Georgia and to the nearest town which with no hills I could probably do in two full days. However, that would leave me reaching the border late in the day where I could be delayed and then struggle with getting money change or picking up a sim card etc. I was not pushed for time so therefore decided to do two 50 miles rides which would get me to the border mid morning on the third day.
I started to get ready in the morning of the 8th June but then thought, it's Saturday, I'm ahead of schedule so let's have a proper day off so extended my booking and took a stroll around the city.
It seemed to be wedding central today with cars decked with flowers and receptions in some hotels. I guess with this being the first weekend since the end of Ramadan there must be some pent up demand.
Right plans were made three days on the road and then I have booked into a nice hotel at a Georgian Black Sea resort for a couple of days R&R before I start the next leg to Baku.
I jumped on the main road which hugged the coast but had also looked at feasible alternatives especially to avoid two out of the three tunnels today but as I said at the start of this section with the land rising steeply from the sea the options were limited however one of my detours did give me a nice break on the seafront.
It was raining first thing but brightened up through the day I'm not sure if it was this or being next to the sea but the humidity shot up as I approached Rize. This humidity gave me a bit of saddle rash which I will need to be careful to control but at least a reasonable early finish today will give me more chance to recover. Time to break out the Nivea cream.
Sorry no saddle rash pictures available.
I was back on the highway the next day for my last full day in Turkey with the aim to get to Hopa which was 10 miles from the border and then cross over in the morning. It was a hot muggy day with limited visibility it looked like it had been raining as there was some surface water which was evaporating which added to the humidity.
The coastline consisted of steep mountain faces making an impenetrable wall on my left which was punctuated occasionally by river valleys which give access inland.
There were lots of small lumber yards on the road which were making use of the vast forests in the region and some tea plants. There were three from one company I passed in the last two days.
I was ahead of schedule so stopped for a leisurely lunch with a last Turkish pide lovely!
I rolled into Hopa and to the hotel I had selected but when they told me the price was 200 lira, about £27 I was appalled as I've never paid anything starting with a two since leaving Istanbul.
I refused and went to the scruffier two star hotel next door.
The price was 250 this was not going well! I tried to negotiate and thought I was making progress when the guy wrote down his minimum price he would accept. He held it up 250, that's not negotiation in my book!
The next hotel was nicer and again 250 lira but seems like a more expensive place. I did think about riding back up the road and eating humble pie but decided my dignity was worth the extra £7 so I booked in.
I headed out in the evening but all of the "bars" had scantily clad women hanging around their entrances. This was definitely you arcutiple border town so I didn't venture in and just grabbed a pizza and off to bed.
Right time to leave Turkey I had a leisurely breakfast as I was close to the border about 30 miles up the coast. I hit the highway again with a succession of tunnels punctuating the route and there were no other options but to use them.
One long tunnel was closed and a contra flow set up on the other carriageway, with my policy of trying to avoid contra flows I thought how fun it would be to ride down a closed dark tunnel for a mile.
As I approached it i saw it was properly closed with concrete blocks and chains so that was the end of that idea. On the other side I saw this closure was in fact due to a massive landslide not some minor roadworks so I would have been riding into a long dead end.
Between tunnels I spotted the Georgian flag in the distance and the end of Turkey was in sight!
I dropped into the border and a joined the queue for passport control which was slowly growing and moving forward. The progress was slowed by people walking to the booth to complain.
I can take their point, if I was a Turkish taxpayer who had paid for this shiny new facility I to would expect more than two of the seven lanes to be open!
Anyway, after about 45 minutes I was through waved past customs and into Georgia my exact month in Turkey came to and end.
I saw the beach which had been sadly lacking on the Turkish side of the Black Sea coast and looking forward to getting there and a couple of days break.
