Bouldering at Barek Mountain

Ankara really started feeling cold. When I woke up, the temperature outside was only 2 degrees Celcius. I said, wtf? But the plan is already made, the team was strong, and stacked, so off we went. 

Barek mountain is the new bouldering area that we just discovered in the beginning of 2024. We already had Koprukoy bouldering region below the Barek mountain. We went to Koprukoy for years, just staring at that mountain and trying to figure out if the dark spots on the mountain was just trees, or rocks? 

I think it was around last January. Emre just pulled the trigger and went to have a look at. Since there was wind tribunes at the top of the mountain, there were already well established roads which made the access easier. And you know what? The place was fabulous. Some of the best bouldering region laid at an 1.5 hour of driving distance from our home at Ankara, and yet we were the ones to complain that Ankara was some of the worst cities to live for a climber. Now, eat this!... Ankara just started to become one of the best places to live - well.. let's say for a boulderer - which is not bad since we're hungry for any type of climbing. 

I believe I can't get into the full details, but let me suffice with dropping a link to the topos that we maintain in 27 crags.

On this day, the weather was surprisingly warm because of the lack of wind, and the bright Bozkir sun. Our day started at the Masa Kaya with some warm up. Then with Fikret and Erkin, we went to another block recently established. 

Trying Dombisot 7A and Skoptoma 7B 

I suddenly fell in love with the slightly overhanging crimpy 7B that Zorbey climbed recently on this new block. The name of the route is Skoptoma. The block is not very high, and the problem is just 5-6 moves. I fell at my last try, failing to close my right hand crimp, but I feel it's not very far. So, that entered to my list of short term projects already. 

On the left corner of the rock, there is another problem - Dombosit, which is around 6c/6c+ if you do it standing, or 7A if you do it sit start. I also worked on that, but could not link the moves yet. It has an unusual move to a high sloper pocket with your right hand, from a sloper pinch on your left hand. Quite sick. 

Trying Crossing the bridge 7A+ at Prometheus

The day ended at the Prometheus sector. The weather was a lot cooler here. I must say, cold enough that it started making our fingers numb. Crossing the bridge is a relatively new problem. It's graded at 7a+, but I must say: that one felt really hard for me, or maybe I was a bit more tired in the second half of the day. 

Trying Crossing the Bridge - 7A+. Photo: Guner Donmez

I gave some tries, and could make most of the moves in isolation, but I was far from linking them in one session. My main problem was with the move that required a far left heel/toe hook, and then apply so much body tension to reach out to a far above jug with the left hand. 

This route just threw a certain kind of weakness to my face: lack of lateral body tension. Being able to hold on to small holds is something, but then being able to steer your body from those holds when your hands and feet are so far from each other, is another thing. 

I believe that kind of specific strength will never be attained working on a fingerboard. What type of training can make you stronger on that? Well.. not sure for now. But what is for sure is: trying those type of sick moves will certainly train you for that. Maybe some board climbing, or routes setup specific for this type of challenge. 

Congratulations to Fikret on Prometheus sit - 7C+

In the meanwhile, Fikret first did the standing version, and then finally the sit start version of the overhanging project on the same block where "Crossing the bridge" is at. He called the problem "Prometheus". Fikret is at another level for sure, and it was simply amazing and inspiring to watch him do that. The evening light was amazing, and I could take a few cool shots of him on the route. 

Fikret on Prometheus sit - 7C+

* Bozkir: This is what we call the region around the internal part of Turkey. In Turkish, Bozkir means a piece of land without much trees, high plains and nothing else.