Garip Toz Karia Yolu'nda • Beşinci Gün • Dağların Kalbinde Tek Başıma Kaldım • Uzun Zor Bir Yürüyüş

During my 7-day Carian Trail adventure, I hiked completely alone along the foothills of the Beşparmak Mountains (Latmos), mostly following the routes known as the Inland Carian Trail, stretching from the Karpuzlu district of Aydın to the Kapıkırı and Gölyaka neighborhoods of Muğla. The fifth day of my adventure began in a village house in the Bağarcık neighborhood. I was woken up early and hit the trail immediately. While drinking my morning coffee at the Sanctuary of Zeus Akraios, I wanted to settle an unfinished score with Zeus. However, I don't think I quite succeeded. I struggled quite a bit to find the Bağarcık Rock Paintings, which ultimately led to the first disappointment of the day. To see the water source that the locals described as "the spring that never dries up," I left the main trail and did a grueling climb over the rocks, which brought my second disappointment. As I walked through the boulders, stony paths, and harsh terrain, I couldn't have guessed that the rest of the day would carry on just like this. When I arrived at the Stylos Monastery, I strayed from the route once again and did another tough climb over the rocks. I spent ages trying to find the Frescoes of the Virgin Mary. As it turns out, the exact spot where I finally gave up searching was where the frescoes actually were. Learning this later became my third disappointment. While going to and coming back from the monastery, I got lost multiple times, just like everyone else does here. Eventually, I found the way, and Lake Bafa appeared before me. Yet, between us stood at least five mountains (the Latmos Mountains) and an environment covered in brutal rocks. I can't even call it a path, because there was no path. I put a lot of effort into finding the section they call the King's Road; although I stumbled upon fragments of it here and there, my route kept leading me back into the bushes and boulders. That was the moment the dreaded crisis struck—I ran out of water. As the sun set and darkness began to fall, I filled my bottle from a gently flowing stream. I was exhausted, highly tense from getting lost repeatedly, and the sound of a wild boar family coming from the bushes right next to me completely threw me off balance. At that moment, I did the one thing you should never do: I picked a fight with nature and kept walking in the dark, in the middle of the mountains, over the rocks. When the night clock showed 22:10, a massive tree appeared in front of me, almost telling me to stop. Mind you, I had no strength left to continue anyway, and I was terrified. To calm my nerves, I lit a campfire, set up my tent, and made camp. Deep in the mountains, in pitch darkness, I tried to sleep with only the light of the softly burning fire and the sound of a bird I couldn't identify, accompanied by the occasional rustle of the bushes. I don't remember anything after that; I think I just passed out inside my tent. In order to capture the events of this crucial day of my life in their most natural form, I tried my best not to cut the footage I recorded, resulting in a very long video with a "slow cinema" vibe. This unforgettable day was incredibly long for me, and so is my video. Even though I couldn't reach my target destination for today—the Kapıkırı neighborhood on the shores of Lake Bafa—allow me to declare this: I am a legend, the Garip Toz Legend 😎 Video Chapters 00:00 The Day Begins in Bağarcık Neighborhood 03:05 Coffee and Settling Scores at the Sanctuary of Zeus Akraios 06:16 Cowboy Coffee Brewing Method 19:00 Bağarcık Rock Paintings 21:55 A Long Walk (10 Minutes Uncut) 32:09 The King's Road 37:55 The Spring That Never Dries Up 48:49 Saluting the Mountains 50:50 A Long Descent (15 Minutes) 1:05:26 Stylos Monastery 1:41:09 Lost in the Middle of Nowhere (12 Minutes Uncut) 1:53:25 Tears and the Legend of Garip Toz 1:54:44 A Long Walk (17 Minutes Uncut) 2:12:26 Reaching Water 2:21:05 After Encountering the Boar (Night Hike) 2:27:42 A Fire Burns on the Summit of the Mighty Mountain Music:    • TURKISH FOLK I BLUES I FREE ONE HOUR I ANA...   ⚠️ Disclaimer: What you are about to watch in this video depicts a completely personal experience and does not serve as a guide for any activity. Please do not attempt this alone.