Day hike to Babadağ and on to Butterfly Valley

This hike really kicked my ass because of the heat and at some point, running a bit low on water. Definitely a true challenge in the summer heat!

Anyway, I started in Ölüdeniz and tried to find the dirt road the follows the cable car route. The beginning was tricky after the last few houses where I found a steep dirt road servicing the electrical towers. At some point, there's no connection to the dirt road leading up to the top. So I decided to just go up to meet the road at around km 2.4. It was steep but mostly clear due to wild hogs roaming around here. After that I followed the road all the way up. Just pay attention to the recording well because there were many forks, intersections that were tricky to keep track of. It's OK for the most part until km 9.3 or so where you'll find a cable car tower.

After this point, there was no path to go up on. So I devised a route to stay on the exposed, rocky section of the mountain. At first, it was a very steep and not so clear path but then it opens up and you're on the rocks. I had the most fun here to be honest and the views were spectacular! After staying on the rocks, you go down a bit and join the road again and then just follow it all the way up to the summit. I was not so impressed with the mountain given it's very commercialized and specially if you can just take a cable car up!! Didn't feel special but it's OK, I like putting in the work.

Then going down is quite straightforward; I took a shortcut from the road shortly after my descent (you'll see it). Then, you follow the road all the way until km 16.8 where you'll see I wasn't paying attention! So I lost some precious time. At the beginning, it was difficult to see if there was a trail there but there is! There's a big rock marked with a big red X. After some time, you'll see the paint markings color-coded yellow and red (at times, red and green). This part was actually quite pleasant to hike through, in my opinion. Between the cool shade of the pines and once in a while, being able to have open views down the valley or other mountains. It was great. However, after reaching and passing the camp site you encounter, I couldn't find the trail again and walked a goat path which eventually merged with the main trail. So no worries on this part.

The next part is annoying with having to go up roughly 120 meters and a bit over one km on an asphalt road. It was annoying with traffic but necessary for timing (there may have been a trail up and across just before the road curves. I tested it as you'll see in the recording but wasn't sure and didn't want to take chances but after the road, it seems it's connected as I saw markings. Test it yourself!). After the road experience, you are faced with having to find the trail down a very steep/rocky slope. This was a bit rough on my knees. But after a little while of steepness and avoiding thorny bushes, et al, I found old markings of the trail. This one is much older and less walked than the previous section and so, I had to constantly look out for a general idea of where I was going. So caution here.

After some time, you join the trail going to Kirme which was a godsend because I was running low on water. So there's a couple of cold (delicious!) water springs/fountains to refill! Then, after the village, you join the Lycian trail that goes all the way down to the Butterfly Valley area. I hung around at the ridge of the valley which had gorgeous views! The only thing that held me back from going all the way down to swim in cool water was time. I had timed this hike to get the the last bus back so was under pressure, unfortunately. So I stopped half-way just after going down two sets of rope. The way down was tiring but fun.

All in all, an ambitious hike that I couldn't complete for various reasons. Still had very good views on all sides and it was definitely challenging :) Bring lots of water in summer!