During our trip to Turkey, while based in Geyikbayırı, we decided to spend a few days in Çitdibi — one of the country’s newest climbing areas, yet already a well-known destination.
The area gained widespread recognition after the Petzl Rock Trip in Turkey. Today, Çitdibi is primarily associated with its enormous wall covered in colourful tufas, long overhanging lines and routes at the higher end of the grading scale.
The area is located not far from Antalya. The drive from Geyikbayırı takes about an hour. First, the winding road descends towards Akdamlar, then climbs along another series of bends towards the village of Çitdibi. Near the end, you need to turn onto a side road that gradually becomes a dirt track and leads to the campsite, a branch of JoSiTo.
From the campsite, the approach continues on foot. Immediately after the campsite, turn left onto a trail that climbs through the pine forest to the base of the cliffs.
The rock massif is clearly visible from the road: an enormous wall rises above the forest and can be seen from a considerable distance. But the true scale of Çitdibi only becomes apparent once you are standing directly beneath the cliffs.
The central section, the Kanyon sector, is particularly impressive. The wall here is approximately 150 metres high, with an overhang of around 5–10 metres and possibly even more in places.
Routes and difficulty
Çitdibi can hardly be described as an area for beginners. Most of the routes are in the 7th and 8th grades, and many of the lines are around 40 metres long. As a result, your climbing options will be considerably more limited with a rope shorter than 80 metres.
Some routes have intermediate lowering rings, allowing climbers to rethread and continue the descent in stages.
There are currently around 60 routes in Çitdibi. Among them are two 9a lines and around thirty routes in the 8th grade.
Information about the area is available on 8a.nu, although there are quite a few duplicate route entries with different spellings of the names. When looking for a particular line, it therefore makes more sense to use the number of recorded ascents as a reference.
The area is still being developed. New routes continue to appear, and next to existing lines you can see projects that are still being bolted or worked.
Climate and season
Çitdibi is located at an elevation of approximately 1,000 metres above sea level. As a result, temperatures here are noticeably lower than in Geyikbayırı.
Most routes are protected by overhangs, so it is possible to climb here even when it rains — at least until the water starts seeping through the rock and dripping from the tufas.
Autumn and late spring are considered the best seasons. Climbing is also possible in summer, as a significant part of the walls remains in the shade for most of the day.
Late winter and early spring are less suitable. At this time of year, snow begins to melt rapidly in the mountains, leaving many of the walls wet.
There is also one practical downside: beneath Kanyon there is a lot of unpleasant fine dust. It quickly gets into everything, and even ground sheets offer little protection.
Çitdibi sectors
There are four main developed sectors in the area. Facing the cliff, from left to right, they are arranged as follows:
Çitdibi — Kanyon — Magara — Selale.
The main trail from the campsite leads directly to the Magara sector. At the base of the cliffs there is a large clearing where it is convenient to leave your gear and get ready to climb.
Magara itself is dominated by relatively short routes on steeply overhanging rock.
A little farther to the right is another terrace. It is reached using a fixed rope. This is Magara 3, where several routes have also been established.
Kanyon begins to the left of Magara. At some point in the past, a large block broke away from the main cliff, creating a small natural gorge.
Kanyon
Kanyon is the main sector of Çitdibi and is home to most of the area’s well-known hard routes.
There are almost no easy routes here. The easier options include two 6c+ routes and two 7b routes. All the other lines are harder.
The climbing style is typical of Çitdibi: overhanging terrain, tufas and long, sustained sequences. The harder routes are particularly long.
The sector also has several multi-pitch routes, with crux pitches in the 8th grade.
On a separate wall forming the left side of Kanyon, there are several considerably more accessible routes in the 5th and 6th grades.
Çitdibi sector
If you walk through the entire Kanyon sector and continue along the cliff, you will eventually reach the Çitdibi sector.
The character of the rock changes somewhat here. Instead of pronounced steep overhangs, the sector is dominated by long vertical or slightly overhanging walls.
There are several interesting routes in the 6th grade, making this sector particularly appealing to climbers who are not yet ready for the harder routes in Kanyon.
Selale
The Selale sector is located to the right of Magara. At present, there are only four routes here.
Is Çitdibi worth visiting?
- Çitdibi is a beautiful, impressive and highly interesting climbing area, but its character is obvious: most routes are intended for strong climbers. If your working grade starts at around 7c or above, it makes sense to come here for more than just a day and stay directly at the campsite.
- Mobile internet is available, although the signal is fairly weak. There is virtually no reception in Kanyon, so you need to climb higher to pick up a signal.
- It is also important to keep the area’s protected status in mind. Çitdibi is part of a national park, so pitching tents, lighting fires and setting up unauthorised camps are prohibited.
- For climbers drawn to long overhanging routes, tufas and high grades, Çitdibi can be one of the most interesting climbing areas around Antalya.
Source: alp.org.ua