This tour, in which you’ll get the chance of exploring the whole Eastern Black Sea Region, we’ll reach out to Sümela Monastery, Uzungöl, Firtina Valley, Ayder Plateau, Çat Plateau, Mountain Kaçkar, Upper and Lower Kavran Plateaus, Avusor Valley, Laz Valleys, Hacızeni, Peryatak, Dobaye, Taslik Plateaus, the Big Sea, Small Sea and Black Sea Lakes, Palovit Waterfall and Elevit Plateau.  The humid and mild climate on the north of the mountains has increased the variety of the plants seen in the Black Sea Region and has turned the area into a nature wonder where you may see every tone of green.    

Location: Rize- Trabzon
Transportation: Intercity transportation may be provided by plane or buses.  The transfers in the tour are provided by minibuses.;
Accommodation:   6 nights pension accommodated.  You may choose from 2 pensions.  Istanbul Pension ( is an old, wooden inn similar to a typical plateau house) or Kuspuni Pension ( is a luxurious, wooden pension which has separate bathrooms in the rooms.) 
Activity: Hiking and a cultural tour.   
Activity time: Starts on Sunday, ends on Saturday. 
Degree: It’s an easy tour.  Some short walks, which last in about 3.5-4 hours, are arranged to the plateaus and lakes. 
Equipment: Please provide the personal equipment like a smaller rucksack, a pair of jogging shoes, an extra pair of shoes, raincoat, water bottle, lantern, sunglasses and lotion, hat, beret. 
Number of joiners: Minimum of 2, maximum of 15 tour members.;
Tour Dates:  Arranged every week from the beginning of June until mid-September.     
Fee: FB.

( Kuspuni Pension- New, wooden pension, separate bathrooms are found in the rooms.) 

Accommodation, transfers, meals, guidance and insurance are all included.

What is not included in the fee are intercity transportation, alcoholic drinks, meals during transportation and VAT.

TOUR

1^st Day- Sunday: Upon meeting at the Trabzon Airport, we depart for the Ayder Plateau (1200 m).  You may spend the day resting, bathing in the thermal spring or sightseeing as soon as we’re finished with check-in at the pensions.

2^nd Day- Monday: Today we’re heading off for the first walk.  We stroll in the Laz Plateaus, following the Avusor Valley.  Hacizeni, Peryatak, Dobaye and Taslik plateaus (1800-2500m) are rather close to each other and lie on the slope of Mountain Kemerli Kaçkar.  If the group has enough strength and the time is sufficient, we may also climb up to the Avusor Lake (2600 m.)

3^rd Day- Tuesday:  Today’s destination is the Çeymakçur Plateau (1800 m), which is one of the few plateaus have preserved the traditional view of the region.  There is a road reaching out to the plateau but there is no evident change in the architecture of the houses.  They are constructed with stone and wood.

4^th Day- Wednesday:  Our program for today involves the visits to Lower and Upper Kavran Plateaus, Büyük Deniz, Küçük Deniz and Karadeniz Lakes.  5 years ago, there has been an avalanche and thus, lots of people have lost their lives in the Lower Kavran Plateau (1800 m).  Upper Kavran Plateau (2200 m), on the other hand, is one of the biggest plateaus in the region.  We’ll ascend with our vehicle up to this point.  After a short, photo brake at Kavran Plateau, we’ll walk up to the point where the lakes are located.  Büyük Deniz and Küçük Deniz Lakes (3100 m) are very close to each other.  Since the Büyük Deniz Lake is pretty deep and nourished by the melted snow water, it’s rather cold.  However the Küçük Deniz Lake is shallow and warm, enabling our tour members to swim in it.  Therefore we strongly recommend that you bring your bathing suits and towels.  We’ll look down on to the Karadeniz Lake and return to the pension.  

5^th Day-Thursday:  Free day.  Any tour may be arranged according to the requests.  If you wish, you may attend to the guide’s program or may spend the day at Ayder Plateau. 

6^th Day- Friday:  We’ll set out with our vehicles, proceeding towards Zil Castle, Palovit Waterfall, Çat (1300 m) and Elevit (1800 m) Plateaus consequently.  Zil Castle (Kale-i Zir) means the lower castle in Arabic and used to be a protection and break point on the trade roads.  It was constructed between the 14^th and 15^th century.  It consists of ramparts and the inner castle.  The Palovit Waterfall is 10 m high and has an imposing appearance.   The Çat Valley has preserved its wild life better when compared to the other regions.  The possibility of coming across to some wild animals like a falcon, an eagle or a deer is pretty high.  With the lunch break given at the Çat Village, you’ll probably get the chance of tasting Cüneyt’s delicious traditional food made of plateau cheese and butter.  The Elevit Plateau located in the upper region of Çat is a rather large and urbanized plateau.

7^th Day- Saturday:  After breakfast, we head off towards the Sümela Monastery and Uzungöl located within the borders of the city of Trabzon.  The monastery was engraved secretly in a mountain’s body, in the year 406, at the first times of Christianity.  Its place was found by two priests, who had dreams about the monastery.  Some changes were done in the Byzantine king Justinianus’ time.  The monastery, which was reconstructed in 6^th century, was restored in the year 1360.  The Rumanian Pontus king 3^rd Alexis was crowned in this building which is still used now.  There were 72 rooms in the monastery, on which there are four floors and two terraces are found.  On each floor were found 8 rooms which were decorated with frescos.  Very few of those frescos could remain until today.  The water coming from the pool that is found in the backyard is considered sacred.  Although a road for vehicles was constructed on the steep slope after 1980, we prefer to climb up the 200-m-long footpath with the ones who are conditioned enough.  The ones who have constructed this monastery have carried all the necessary equipment up using this footpath.   This would help you understand what they have felt at the time.  After our visit to the Sümela Monastery is over, we set off for Uzungöl.  This lake, which seems like it has hidden in the upper region of the Of Town, is being protected.  We’ll wander around the lake for a while and transfer to the Trabzon Airport afterwards.

DEEPNATURE notes: We have prepared a program which involves the interesting and colorful cultural structure of the Black Sea Region, its sympathetic and cheerful people, vivacious traditional dances, delicious cuisine, plateaus that are scattered in the mountains and enjoyable festivals.  The difference of this program is that you get to explore the places listed and the culture mentioned very well.  There are some other programs which transfer the travelers from one hotel to the other for the whole week and don’t even spend an hour in a plateau, where we can’t get to see everything by the end of a day.  You’ll get to know new people during our walks in the natural parks and see how congenial and good- natured they are in such a wild-structured-region.  Wonderful things are waiting for you in this paradise where the green and blue unite.  By the way, don’t forget to bring candies and chocolates to distribute to the kids in the plateau; you’ll feel peaceful and happy as you see their eyes shining. 

Located in the southeast of Black Sea, Small Caucasus, Pontus Alps or with a better-known name Mountain Kaçkar is worth seeing with its amazingly rich nature, different species of animals and the appealing culture, daily life and native people.  You’ll not be able to forget about the blue lakes and the green plateaus scattered through the mountains.  The Eastern Black Sea Region with Turkey’s only subtropical rain and fog forest habitats, ecosystems, 2500 various plants, 250 species of birds, rare wild life, alpine meadows, glacier lakes, rivers, magnificent national parks and the 3937-m-Kaçkar Peak is declared one of the 200 natural places in the world which should be intensely protected.  

ABOUT THE PENSION-ACCOMMODATED TOURS

1- Can you inform us about the guides? How many guides are there in a tour?
Your guides are the people from the tour region.  They are professional, young, dynamic local guides who know about the culture and the region itself very well.   They are the most requested guides in the region.  Since they know about the culture of the region very well, they are well known and loved by the local people.  Our guides are also experienced in camping, mountaineering, walking and first aid skills.  This means that you are safe.  Normally the qualities of a guide are always underestimated.  However, a guide is the most important factor that helps the tour end successfully.  A guide is supposed to know all the short cuts that may be used incase of emergency or alternative programs according to the weather conditions.  There are usually only one guide in the pension- accommodated tours. 

2- What are the weather conditions like?
In the last years, the amount of the rain received in the region has considerably decreased.  You should bring a sun lotion with a high protection factor to protect yourself from the sun when it’s hot.   

3-     How are the intercity transportations arranged?
Intercity transportation choice is up to you.  Because our tours consist of 15 people and we can’t provide the buses for only 15 people.   Besides, there are some tour members who would like to join the group later or stay a little more.  Your guide meets you as you get off the bus.  Your meeting point is Rize- Ardesen.  If you choose to use buses for intercity transportation, we provide all the organizations needed and pick up your tickets.  We can also pick up the plane tickets if the costs are paid in advance.  If you’re to use air transportation, the appropriate transfer for departure is Istanbul-Trabzon and for return Trabzon-Istanbul.  If you’re coming with a plane, you must be in Ardesen on Sunday, at 12 pm.  We recommend that you come by bus and leave by plane.  The transfers during the tours are provided by  Ford transit vehicles, which can take 15 people.

4-     Shall we bring medicines?;
The tour guides have all the first aid materials and medicines that are needed on the mountain.   But if you have some other medicines that you should continuously take, then you should bring them yourself.

5-     What is the food like?
The breakfasts and dinners are provided by the pension and the lunches are mostly in the form of portable rations or provided in a restaurant if there is one.  You’ll have the chance of experiencing the traditional foods by dinner.   We guarantee that you won’t starve.

6-     I have heard that the walks are very difficult.  Do we need experience?
Tur tours don’t require experience.  The walks last in about 3-4 hours and the tracks are pretty easy. 

7-     Do we have the chance of taking pictures?
Of course you do.  You can take pictures during the walk but you shouldn’t stay behind photographing.  Your guides are going to stop over at the places that are worth taking pictures.  We recommend you to bring extra films with you because you’re going to see such exquisite views. 

8-     What type of clothing shall I bring?
Raincoat, a pair of stroll shoes and sleepers, 1 woolen undershirt, 3 t-shirts, 2 pairs of trousers, 1 thin tracksuit to be worn in bed, a sweater or pullover, a polar jacket (or something similar), a jacket, a pair of shorts, bathing suit, beret, 4 pairs of socks, hat, towel and personal equipment (toothbrush, toothpaste, sun lotion, soap, etc…) will be enough for the tour.  But since this is a pension-accommodated tour, you may bring more clothes.  Please choose the clothes you feel comfortable wearing.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Eastern Black Sea Plateaus

1-   How much money shall we bring?
In the Ayder Plateau where we’re going to stay, there are some shops and a thermal spring.  The cost for the entrance of the thermal spring is 2 millions.   We think that 50-60 millions ($ 40-50) will be enough for the tour, unless you’re planning to do some shopping. 

2-    What will the communication be like during the tour?
There are telephones in the Ayder Plateau and the pensions where we will stay.

3-       Is there a shower in the pension we will stay?
Istanbul and Fora Pensions have shared bathrooms.  However, the thermal spring which is very close to the pensions are preferred.  Kuspuni Pension has separate bathrooms in its rooms

4-       How many people stay in a room?
2 people may stay in the rooms of Istanbul Pension.  There are rooms for 2-3-4 people in the other pensions. 

 IN BLACK SEA REGION TOURS

Culture:   The Eastern Black Sea Region is the meeting point of various ethnic cultures.  It has a variety of Lazlar, Gürcüler, Armenians and Greeks of Turkish nationality.  This region gives you the chance of having a tranquil and quiet vacation besides experiencing its different culture and feeling the serenity with every tone of green.  The trio of sea-sand-sun changes into the trio of mountain-forest-plateau.  This vacation, which goes right into the heart of the spirited people and lively cultures, may be a turning point in your lives. 

Airport: All arrivals and departures are arranged for the Trabzon Airport.  Only for the Kaçkar Trans tour, the arrival is to the Erzurum Airport. 

Age:   The appropriate ages for the joiners are 06-80.  This age interval narrows a little in the tent-accommodated tours.  It’s obligatory to be 100 % healthy and conditioned in some of the tours.  

Health:  If you’re planning to climb up to an altitude of 3000 m or more, you should definitely be conditioned and have no health problems.  We recommend you to have a check-up before joining the tour. 

Experience:  We don’t look for experience except for the tour to Mountain Agri.  Our aim is to serve the people who join the tours for the first time. 

Number of Groups:  To become a closed tour, there should be a group of at least 5 people.  If you’re attending the tour with other Turkish customers, you may as well come alone.  For adaptation and comfort, the maximum number of joiners in a tour is 15.  In our Black Sea Region tours, we are capable of giving a certain date when it is decided upon. 

Health and accident insurance:  Because of the dynamics of the tours in nature, our tours always carry some risks.  We haven’t come across to an unlucky incident up to now, but this doesn’t mean that we won’t ever experience an accident.  Therefore all the joiners should have their personal accident and health insurance.  We’re not responsible for the extra fees that come out in such cases.

Expenses:  Our tours are TP, which means that you’ll not have to pay extra money.  However, if you’re going to do some shopping or have some extra expenses like alcohol, you’ll need about $ 20 per day.

Your Baggage:  In our tent-accommodated tours, everybody has the right of bringing one rucksack.  The belongings that are more than one bag are going to be taken on condition to be given back by the end of the tour.  Please consider the fact that you might as well carry the bags yourself in some special occasions, so please try not to fill them excessively. 

Guides:  Our guides are very professional in their areas.  They can speak English well.  They are chefs at the same time in the camping tours.  They have the right of being the tour leader without any democratic voting and are responsible of changing the schedule and rules when necessary and determining about the peak climb.   They are local guides who are grown up in the tour region so that they know about the culture, people and traditions of the region very well. 

Food:   All the food on the mountains and in the camp is given according to the conditions of the mountain and your calorie need.  The food on the mountains is

mess-tin and heated.  They are quite filling and satisfactory.  Lunches are more like portable rations.  In the pension-accommodated tours, the breakfast and dinner are provided by the hotel. 

The Hotels and pensions:  3-starred touristic hotels in the center of the city and pensions that are wooden and have a shared bathroom.  Mostly 2 people share a room but in many pensions, 3-4 people may have to stay in the same room.  It’s also possible to find more luxurious pensions in Aydar Plateau, in which the rooms have separate bathrooms.  There is no European standard in the hotels or pensions.  You may get disappointed if you’re imaging of luxury.  We’re trying to organize our tours with the best institutions of the region. 

Camping equipments:  Waterproof tents that aren’t affected by wind are used in our camps.  They can shelter 3 people easily and when there is enough space, only 2 people may share a tent.  The sleeping bags are very comfortable and resistant against –20 degrees.  All the camping equipments are of the best brands and highly secure. 

Clothing and personal equipment:  We recommend waterproof and wind resistant gore-tex or muadili clothes in our tours.  Please provide the personal equipment like a raincoat, small rucksack, water bottle, lantern, jackknife, stroll boots, beret and a pair of gloves.   You’ll also need an ice pickaxe, crampon, security belt and headlamp for the Mountain Agri tour. 

What is included in the fee:  Accommodation, meals (in some tours, there may be days in which the lunches are not included in the fee), guidance and all transfers within the tour. 

What is not included in the fee:  Personal expenses, expenses of a room or a tent in which you stay alone, in some tours the lunches, airport transfers, intercity transportation, extra expenses that develop because of the reasons we aren’t responsible of, alcoholic drinks, private tours, health and accident insurance. 

Since our tours are always in nature and dependent on walking, we can’t present you a detailed schedule.  The time is completely dependent on the size and structure of the group, weather and road conditions.  

We are capable of creating a new schedule for you incase of a problem.  For instance, if the road is closed on the day in which we have planned to visit The Elevit Plateau, we can quickly change the program and present an alternative solution. 

In the Black Sea Region, we may arrange some special botanic, photographical, cultural, historical and natural tours for the groups on the required dates and times.