In our
heads, when we thought Babadağ we
thought paragliding and as neither of us dare participate in that particular pursuit
it had never actually crossed our minds to go there. But when a friend was
extolling its virtues as a place to visit and asked us if we would like to go up
and take a look we thought yes why not.
Babadağ
(Father Mountain) towers above the beautiful Oludeniz beach and is part of the
Taurus range which runs across southern Turkey. With a principal summit at 1.969 metres it is
renowned for being the best paragliding site in Europe and one of the best in
the world. If unlike me, you dare take the plunge it must be one of the most
beautiful descents that’s for sure.
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We enjoyed the beautiful views from the cafe terrace |
It is
possible to walk to the top of Babadağ (hike would probably be a better word),
however as we are ‘Fogies’ we preferred to drive. Nowadays the road has been
greatly improved and I hear that further improvements have been made this
winter. It is very steep in places and of course there are some sheer drops
beside you at times which are a bit scary, but the road is tarmac or paving for
most of the way. The scariest part is passing the jeeps and minibuses that are
ferrying the paragliders to the top, their drivers obviously know the road very well and are extremely confident at flying past you, whilst you stop and
dither to let them go on by.
One thing is for sure, that the drive is stunningly
beautiful with increasingly astounding views the higher you rise. We kept stopping to take a
few moments to savour the beauty, only to do the same again a few hundred yards
further on as the views became better and better.
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On our way up a stop to look at the view overlooking Ovacik and the coastline |
Around
half way up the road branches off to the left, and we took this road to have a
nosey. The road does turn into more of a track and you need to drive carefully
but it is well worth the detour. There are several farms tucked away in this
valley and this is where we saw the timber köşk we loved, built into a tree, that we
put the photograph of on our facebook page a few weeks ago.
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Love this köşk |
Babadağ
is mainly composed of limestone and is notably rich in flora which includes
Acer Undulatum a species of maple which is endemic to Babadağ
where it grows at altitudes of 1,400 metres to 1,800 metres. It is also home to
forests of Cedrus libani stenocoma (Turkish Cedar),
trees which can grow very large indeed.
We visited in October just prior
to Kurban Bayrami (The Feast of the Sacrifice), and I did wonder if the goats
that we saw wandering the mountain realised how lucky they were to still be
there and if they were missing any of their friends.
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Did he know how lucky he was to still be here enjoying foraging on the mountain? |
We drove as far along the track
as we dare, whilst we could still turn around OK and stopped for a while to
look at the view – stunning. We could see acres of agricultural land cut into
the mountain and some really remote properties that obviously belonged to the
people who farmed the land. We thought it was a beautiful place to live.
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What a peaceful existence it must be living here |
Meeting the summit road again we
meandered onwards and upwards until we reached the first launch pad where we abandoned the car to have a coffee at the
café there. We watched the paragliders taking off for a while, and I have to
say it is totally beyond my comprehension how anybody could volunteer to jump
off the mountain. Once you start running down that slope there can’t be any
turning back or changing your mind!
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The launch pad for the first level - oooooooh! |
From
there we agreed to walk to the top, so we set off up the paved road and after a
fairly short but steep walk we reached a higher take off point, where we stood
and watched more brave souls preparing their gear and then taking off into the air. We were
amazed at the sheer quantity of people who were there. Braver people than us I
may add!
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Launch pad at the second level - up, up ................... |
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................. and away! |
For
years we had watched the paragliders landing on Belcekiz beach below, as we lay
sunning ourselves and had always assumed that it was a pastime for holiday
makers who were rather braver and sportier than us. We were surprised therefore,
to discover that the majority of the paragliders had come here especially to
jump from this very famous launch site.
After
watching them for a while and taking some photographs we set off to reach the
top. I am afraid we were conned by our friend who first of all said “It’s not
much further”, then when he could see us flagging – it is very steep – told us ”When
you get to that bend you are about there.” The only problem being that each
time we reached the bend in the road he said it again about the next one – about
eight times!
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Just round the next bend - Yea right! |
But we
were determined that having got this far we were going to get there so we with
plenty of grunting and groaning from the fogies we finally made it to the very
top. There we discovered a third launch site, which is apparently for experienced
solo paragliders only and no tandem launches are allowed from there as it is
too dangerous for amateurs.
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Solo paraglider waiting to take off from the top platform |
Whilst
mentioning the danger of this pursuit, it is a fact that several people have
died over the years jumping from Babadağ. But apparently the rules and regulations have been tightened
considerably over recent years and the more recent fatalities have been solo
flights not the tandem flights which the holiday makers do. The number of
flights per person, per day is restricted and is obviously seriously implemented
because you have to stop at ‘checkpoint charlie’ on the way up, to check in if
you are paragliding, and they do check your car for equipment if you say you
are not.
It was
fascinating watching the paragliders and if I am honest I am more than a little
jealous and wish I had the nerve to do it, it must be the most amazing
experience – but heights is so not my thing!
Right
at the top is the fire watchers house where he spends the summer as a look out
for any forest fires. I hope he has a freezer because it is a long way to get a
pint of milk if you run out!
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The ideal home for you if you don't like neighbours |
But
also there are the most wonderful, spectacular views. From there you can see
Fethiye, Kaya Koy, Ovacik, Oludeniz & Hisaronu and the beautiful coast line
for miles. You can see Patara beach in the distance, Kemer and the Antalya road
cutting through the mountains. We could even see Uzumlu our home village.
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Fethiye and Ovacik far far below |
Far
below you can see the paragliders making their descent and landing on the beach
below. We all love a good story and there is a tragic local legend regarding Oludeniz
and the Belcekiz beach below.
Long ago when cargo ships passed
by this area, they would stop to pick up fresh supplies of water. The captain’s
son went ashore to collect the water and there he came across a beautiful nomadic
girl called Belcekiz and they fell in love. Each time he left, she would sit on
the mountain looking out to sea waiting for his ship to return. One day as the
ship arrived a storm blew up. The son told his father where there was a bay
sheltered from the wind to sit out the storm in calmer waters. His father
however, thought it was just an excuse for his son to see his lover and ignored
his advice. During the storm the captain hit his son with an oar, knocking him
into the sea, where he drowned. The bay
where his body was washed ashore became known as Oludeniz -Dead Sea. Belcekiz when
she heard of his death threw herself off the mountain. The place where she fell
became known as Belcekiz.
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Belcekiz beach - the landing site |
For the
benefit of anyone who wishes to make this trip, there are options. If you
choose to go paragliding then transport will be provided by the company.
Although I have never done this I have heard that Sky Sports is a good company
to use, they have an excellent safety record, many years’ experience and I have
often seen them recommended on local ex pat advice pages.
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Sky Sports come recommended |
It is
possible to walk directly from Oludeniz using goat tracks and a brief part of
the Lycian way. The distance is 13 km. Alternatively you can walk along the road
which is further, but easier walking.
We loved our day on Babadağ. Thank you Brian for taking the time out to take us there.
Barry's been from the top with paraglider...I waited at the bottom, pretending to be photographer. Same as you, I prefer something more solid, as opposed to fresh air, under my feet! :) Great pics.
ReplyDeleteThank you Julia. Frankly I found walking on the road beside such a steep drop scary enough, without jumping off!
DeleteMy jealousy abounds! What an amazing post. Turkey is on the top of my list of places to go
ReplyDeleteThank you Mandy, Let us know what you think to Turkey when you get here. I bet you have a great time when you do.
ReplyDeleteMe and my husband walked to the top of Babadag in 1999. we met the fire watchers and the views were superb! we walked from the very bottom and several trucks passed us carrying passengers to the top to paraglide off. A unique experience and one we will never forget! we had tea with the fire watchers and even had a poem wrote for us about the forest fires.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely experience for you and one you have obviously never forgotten. You would certainly see some changes if you revisited now, all these years on!
DeleteI jumped in May this year a have to say one of the most amazing things I have ever done, I dont really like heights and I am not really brave , so was really pleased and proud of myself for doing it, the drive up in the mini bus was terrifying though xx
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Natalie on being brave enough to do the jump. I wish I dare. It made me smile to think you dare jump but found the trip up scary though lol! xx
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