Heading for the summits

Everything is going well. Life is good, they're having unforgettable moments. "Everything's fine, apart from the fact that Lous nearly died climbing Mount Ararat," Julen tells me when I ask him if they've been ill or injureds so far during their bike ride across Turkey. They've had many adventures, but this one really seems to stand out. And it had nothing to do with cycling! It hardened them. They've come closer to heaven, and from the smiles they give me during our Facetime chat, I think Julen has exaggerated Lous' near-death experience a little.

Cyclists and the mountains

Mount Ararat, Turkey's highest peak, rises to 5137 metres and towers over the Swiss equivalent, Pointe Dufour, by a good 500 metres. Cyclists like Lous and Julen generally prefer to bypass such obstacles and leave them to mountaineers like Uta, a professional climber, whom our two companions meet on a rest day at Van. After talking to her, they spontaneously decide to attempt the climb and hire the services of a mountain guide. They don't want to miss out on such a great opportunity! After all, they are open-minded and grateful for the opportunity to take up the challenge. "We're cool, we adapt our plans as necessary", Lous tells me. That's how a day off turned into a high-mountain expedition to the far east of Turkey.

A farewell and new goals

Lous and Julen wanted to travel to Iran but, given the watchtowers and fences at the border, they had to give up driving along the ancient Silk Road. The borders of this pandemic world are closed. But the summit of Mount Ararat was open to them. Direction the summits and the infinite sky. Before starting, they prepared with their guide Nejdet to Doğubeyazıt. Excited at the prospect of this adventure, they shop, pack, and rent mountain boots, gloves and crampons, then load the horses. On a beautiful August day, our Dutchwoman and Basque began to climb the volcano on which Noah's Ark is said to have washed up after the Flood. This expedition will captivate them and give them unforgettable moments.

Arriving at the first camp, at an altitude of 3200 metres, they were greeted with Çay, biscuits, a cooking tent and a game of Yatzy. It's an atmosphere that feels like a holiday in the sun, with a good book to hand. The altitude is no problem for anyone, they can carry on.

At the second camp, 1,000 metres higher, the oxygen is getting scarce, and the soft light green of the landscape gives way to arid scree. The trio slowed down a little to acclimatise. The sight they see at the base camp is a sight to behold: many expeditions have left their rubbish lying around. This is the downside of the popularity of expeditions of this kind. The highest peaks in the world fascinate, inspire, separate and unite. Lous and Julen are the only Western Europeans at the camp, where they spend a short night.

Insomnia in the moonlight

The departure is scheduled for 3am, which is relatively late. Most expeditions start earlier, but Nejdet thinks Lous and Julen will go quickly. However, the adventure is slowly starting to take a less pleasant turn... Already, the short night during which they hardly slept has drained their strength. Before the final stage began under pale moonlight, they struggled to find sleep with the altitude, the cold and the uneven ground under the tent.

The path is difficult. "At first, I wanted to go faster," Lous, who loves sporting challenges, tells me. But this time it didn't work out so well for him: "Ten minutes later, I started to feel sick." That was the beginning of the ordeal. Dizziness, a feeling of pressure on the lungs, cold fingers and a nasty wind made every step extremely difficult. The small expedition continued its ascent slowly but surely. They reached the snow line, where the wind died down. The first rays of sunlight appeared and the imposing shadow of Mount Ararat loomed over the landscape. They've made it!

"We climbed to the top, but I suffered," Lous confides to me. Halfway between torment and bliss, they admire the panorama. Nejdet is proud of our two adventurers. He's never made such a rapid ascent with a group before. The euphoria doesn't last long. We'll have to descend again. 3000 metres in the snow, among rocks and scree, on steep slopes, and at the mercy of the sun's rays.

Once at the bottom, their legs shaking and aching, Lous and Julen bid farewell to the "fiery mountain". That's what Çiyayê Agirî, the Kurdish name for Mount Ararat, means. Although it last erupted in 1840, it has never left anyone cold. It is a national symbol for the Armenians of Turkey. Although the political situation between the two nations is complicated, everyone is equal when it comes to the mountain. "After the descent, we found it hard to walk for two days," Julen tells me. The pain eventually passed. However, this expedition will remain engraved in their memories. Lous and Julen continue their journey through a country as splendid as it is complex. They crossed it from west to east, through thick and thin.

A turning point

This adventure is behind them; and they have reached a turning point now. Their journey is taking them gently north, along the border between Armenia and Georgia, on the shores of the Black Sea, where Western tourists are not uncommon. "We attract much less attention; people are used to tourists here," says Julen. At the time of our interview, they were resting in Trabzon and thinking about new projects. "The idea is to go along the coast towards Bursa," explains Lous. "Then we might continue on to Greece or Bulgaria."

Our conversation goes back a few weeks. Since then, they've travelled a long way. Find out more about their adventures in the next episode.