
The unpaved road to the summit of Mount Yama
Turkey, europe
15.8 km
2,673 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Wanna conquer a seriously cool peak in Turkey? I'm talking about Mount Yama (Yama Dağı), straddling the border of Malatya and Sivas. This bad boy tops out at a whopping 2,673 meters (8,769 feet)!
The road up? It's a dirt track, but usually well-maintained. Think wide enough to pass, but definitely STEEP! Your reward at the summit? A super cool NATO radar installation, unmistakable with its huge 'soccer ball' sphere. Good news – the road's generally open year-round!
The real fun starts in Köylüköyü. From there, you've got a 15.8-kilometer climb ahead of you, gaining a massive 1,168 meters in elevation. That translates to an average gradient of 7.39%, so get ready for a workout. The views alone are worth the effort!
Road Details
- Country
- Turkey
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 15.8 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,673 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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