This morning at breakfast there are lots of mountaineers, most of them wearing the white t-shirt of a mountain club emblazoned with the Turkish crescent. They’re in no hurry to leave : I guess their minibus will take them to a base camp today and then the serious stuff will come.

The hotel manager wants to take a photo with me, no doubt to show how well he welcomes cycle tourists !

The route is short today and I also set off quite late, at around 9am. At first there was no wind, but it picked up and started to pick up at 9.30am. But the climb doesn’t last long, and I stop often to try and get some good photos of Mount Ararat, watching for the moment when the clouds that hang over the summit become more discreet.

Then the big descent to Igdir. We’re back under 1,000m, and you can feel it in the temperature, which is 35°C in the afternoon.

Tomorrow is a day of rest and sightseeing. The day after tomorrow I try to catch a bus to Trabzon or Rize.