#4: [12-Dec-08]

#3: [18-Aug-05]

#2: [09-Sep-04]

#1: [30-Aug-04] (incomplete)

28-Sep-2025 -- I took full advantage of the beautiful sunny weather today—a gift that’s no longer a given, as summer has ended and I’ve now entered a rain-prone region. The dry steppes and highlands of western Turkey have given way to lush, almost primal forests. This became especially clear during my visit to the confluence point at 41° North and 39° East. Located 5 km off my route atop a 200-meter-high hill, reaching it meant an extra 10 km of walking. Still, I decided to go—such visits offer a sense of adventure and excitement.

My detour began in the coastal town of Görele. I first followed the Görele River, then began a steep climb up a narrow, winding road. Along the way, I met several local farmers who asked where I was headed. With my limited Turkish, I couldn’t properly explain the idea of visiting a geographical confluence point, nor could I say my destination was Trabzon, since I was heading in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, I pressed on. About 400 meters from the point, I took a small path not marked on any map but which I’d spotted on satellite imagery. It led me through incredibly steep terrain, past hazelnut orchards, straight to my goal—just 5 meters from the trail. However, I decided not to push through those final meters: the vegetation was an impenetrable thicket, and the slope dangerously steep. I don’t know why the previous visitors went through the jungle. Maybe the track didn’t exist at the time. With a four-wheel-drive, you could easily drive directly to the confluence point. Maybe you can even use your normal car if it is dry.

Afterward, I enjoyed a well-deserved lunch—a giant börek (something between a stuffed flatbread and a calzone). It was recommended by my table neighbors, a father and son who later even paid for my meal. Both work as ship engineers from Northern Cyprus and spoke English. They brought up politics, criticizing Erdoğan. For me, such conversations are merely theoretical—unfortunately, they don’t change the world.

In the afternoon, I spontaneously decided to skip my original destination and continued walking over a mountain instead. I arrived in the coastal town of Beşikdüzü after sunset, only to discover, to my dismay, that the hotel I’d planned to stay at was closed, with no alternatives in sight. Fortunately, a young man helped me find a solution: I’m spending the night at a Teachers’ Guest House—a simple hostel and gathering place for educators.

CP Visit Details:

• Distance to a road: 400 m
• Distance to a track: 5 m
• Time to reach the CP from the road: 5 minutes
• Time at the CP: 11:05 PM
• Measured height: 151 m
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 5 m
• Position accuracy: 5 m
• Topography: Mountainous, on the western slope
• Vegetation: jungle & hazelnut plantation.
• Weather: sunny, 20° C (felt temperature)
• Given Name: The Hazelnut Slope Confluence

You are very welcome to visit my blog of the long hike. If you want to see where I am currently hiking, you can find my daily update on Polarsteps.