The eastern third of the approx. 1000 km long Pontus Mountains, with an impressive geological diversity and summit heights of almost 4000 meters, represent a traditional destination for outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. While the towering Kackar Mountains have long been an insider tip for Israeli trekkers, In the last ten years many Europeans and not least the Turks themselves have discovered the advantages of the mountain range known as the Little Himalayas.

Only a narrow strip of coast separates the Black Sea from the steep slopes of the Eastern Pontic Mountains. Abundant rainfall from autumn to early summer is the basis of an almost unreal green mountain landscape on the north side facing the Black Sea. While a large number of small to medium-sized wild rivers flow from the main chain through deep gorges and steep scree beds to the north, the Coruh, the largest river in the region, flows around the Kackar Mountains in the south and only breaks through at the Georgian border with the Black Sea. Rising from the low-precipitation and continentally shaped Anatolian high plateau, the vegetation on the Coruh is much barren, the weather is often cooler, but drier than on the coast.

In contrast to the Mediterranean Taurus, where rivers near the coast also invite you to flee from winter from December to March with moderate temperatures and often ideal water levels, kayakers should not visit the eastern Pontus before May. If you arrive too early, continuous rain and flooding are almost guaranteed. From May onwards, levels can be expected to fall, and sometimes not until June on the Coruh. Many rivers can be navigated until the height of summer.

In the far west of the Eastern Pontic Mountains lie over the Aksu with Giresun secured descriptions. In the spring a very powerful flow with great difficulties, even in the open stages, later the gorge stretches become navigable and offer technical white water. Several sections above Dereli offer white water between the third and fifth degrees.

Little is known about the following Black Sea feeders to Trabzon. The rivers often run in inaccessible gorges and usually have to be explored when the water levels are in summer. The one that flows into Trabzon is easily visible from the street Macka. With its rubble-rich river bed, it is reminiscent of North Tyrolean torrents, the difficulties in spring lie in the force of the water, but hardly exceed the fourth degree.

Project Kakar from ROCKS & WATER production on Vimeo.

Numerous smaller rivers break through steep gorges between Trabzon and Rize. For example, B. the Solakli in summer steep white water on several sections. The Iyi Dere is easily accessible via the connecting road to Ispir. In addition to several open gravel bed stages, steep cataracts have to be mastered along a long-standing diversion. The Iyi Dere is the fastest accessible river from the Coruh on the Black Sea side.

Between Rize and the Georgian border near Hopa, the Firtina near Camlihemsin stands out. Blue-green water and an almost subtropical green valley form the setting for one of the most beautiful brooks in the region.

While on the northern flank of the main mountain range, relatively short river areas quickly flow towards the sea Cork in the south of Haldizen Daglari and Kackar Daglari for almost 300 kilometers its waters through a geologically fascinating environment. It flows as a calm river from the Bayburt plain and turns to the northeast at Ispir. Trekking paddlers can start their trip near Bayburt. Those looking for wilder water start in Ispir. However, several dams have been under construction since 2010. In 2011 you could paddle at least 20 kilometers above Yusufeli to about the Berta estuary (about 50 kilometers).

For about 100 kilometers, carefree balancing water changes in the wide gravel bed with huge cataracts. The Coruh is always accompanied by the valley road, and numerous tributaries continuously increase the amount of water. The most famous tributary is the Barhal near the provincial town of Yusufeli. Its blue-green waters alone offer two more daily stages. Paddlers who feel more at home on the steep alpine creeks than on Finstermünzer or Colorado will prefer Barhal or Tortum to the brown maelstrom of the Coruh.

For lovers of top-class balancing water, however, the Coruh is without a doubt the king of the rivers.

All photos of Coruh, Barhal and Tortum were kindly provided by me Tim Burne made available. The Kackar video was courtesy of Peter Snizek(www.rocksandwater.com) found the way to this page.

More about the rivers in the Pontus Mountains
Once to Coruh and back - under this motto we toured the most beautiful paddling areas in Turkey in spring 2004. A completely overloaded Toyota station wagon served as a trustworthy vehicle. Via the Balkans and Western Turkey we went to the Mediterranean coast, from there to Cappadocia and the Black Sea. Despite continuous rain and flooding (paddling in the Pontus in April is not a very good idea), we were able to cover almost a dozen routes between Giresun and Trabzon. The whole story is available by clicking on the picture.