Days 01–03April 22–24, 2021

Into the Taurus

Day 01Two of us↓
Day 02Needle and plaster↓
Day 03One of us↓

Yura, taking a break15:40

Trailhead → Göynük · ≈59 kmRoute · 0%

Thursday · April 22

Day 01

Antalya to the mountains

In the morning I went to meet Yura. He’d spent the night in his tent just outside the city, and from there we set off together.

Yura with a large backpack climbing a rocky path between pines — Yura, a few steps ahead17:30

01 · Pines

Straight up, into the forest.

The trail leaves Antalya and climbs at once into the pine forests of the Taurus. Within a few hours the city was gone and there were only dirt roads, needles underfoot and mountains on every side.

I walked the first day in a pair of new sandals. By the evening I already had blisters.

Yura on a forest dirt road among tall pines — Yura on the forest road18:12

Pine forest in the foreground and a range of mountains in evening light — First real view18:12

Jagged mountain ridges under a pale evening sky above a forested valley — The ridges ahead18:57

Taurus Mountains · relief from elevation data, height ×2.2Scroll · 0%

The Taurus Mountains

Straight up from the sea.

The trail leaves Antalya and climbs at once into pine forest and grey limestone.

Day 01 · April 22

Two of us.

Yura and I set off from the edge of the city, in new sandals.

Day 02 · April 23

Scree and blisters.

Long climbs, long descents, and the first plasters.

Day 03 · April 24

Towards Göynük.

Running shoes on. Yura chose the coast road; I kept walking.

0metres

Friday · April 23

Day 02

Deeper into the Taurus

The second day was all mountains: long climbs on scree, long descents, and a backpack that seemed to get heavier every hour.

Morning light over a chain of mountains behind a pine tree — Morning07:07

02 · The routine

Needle at night, plaster in the morning.

The blisters from the first day never had a chance to heal. That became the ritual for the whole trail. Every evening I took my shoes off, pierced the blisters and went to sleep. Every morning I taped them up with plasters and walked on.

Every day there were more of them. The first steps in the morning hurt the most. Then, slowly, the pain fades, and it gets easier.

every evening: needle. every morning: plaster.

Andrii in a cap and glasses, wearing a large backpack, among pines and rocks — Me, day two10:38

Yura on a narrow path across a steep scree slope — Yura on the scree15:21

Yura resting on a rock above a deep forested valley — Yura, taking a break15:40

Close-up selfie of Andrii in a black cap with backpack straps — Still smiling15:41

Saturday · April 24

Day 03

Towards Göynük

On the third day I gave up on the sandals and put on my running shoes. I walked the rest of the trail in them.

A dirt road winding down a valley towards grey limestone mountains under cloud — Down the valley11:58

03 · Running shoes

Too late for my feet.

The sandals didn’t come back on until the trail was over. The running shoes were better, but the damage was done: my feet were already rubbed raw, and from then on the shoes only made it worse, day after day.

04 · The split

Yura chose the coast road.

After three days together, Yura decided that walking like this all the way would be too hard for him. He would hitchhike along the Mediterranean coast instead.

I kept going on the trail. From here on, I was walking the Lycian Way on my own.

Together3 days

On the trail≈59 km

Footwearsandals → runners

Andrii in a sleeveless black T-shirt with sunglasses hooked on it, in a pine forest — Day three15:26