Ala Daglar, Cimbar Valley, The Power of Silence, So It’s Life. Although climbing in Turkey has only recently come into vogue, the place is becoming well developed. Paolo Stoppini and I visited the Ala Daglar, where we put up two new routes in the Cimbar Valley. We had to be content with the lower walls; higher there was far too much snow, a pity, as we would have been able to climb beautiful routes up to 800m long. The rock in the Cimbar is a sandstone that is similar to limestone, with good and varied climbing. The number of long routes is increasing each year, and there are currently several well-equipped routes. On October 3 we put up Safak, the Power of Silence (150m, 6c+) and two days later So It’s Life (330m, nine pitches. 6b+). Both routes are bolted, but some gear is required. The latter lies 30 minutes up the valley on the northwest face of Kizil Catlak.

Alberto Zucchetti, Italy