Tahtali - Third and final leg of paragliding contest

Saturday, 21 December 2013 19:24
Written by Portal Editor

Tahtali - We went back home for a short while, uploaded the latest on XC paragliding competition Turkey second phase to Alaturka website and hit the road on Thursday night. The next target of XC paragliding competition Turkey was Tekirova near Kemer in Antalya region.

The organizer, in cooperation with the Director of Olympos Cableway Company, had chosen Tahtalı Mountain (elv. 2365 meters) as the take off location.

We dropped by the hotel the pilots stayed in Tekirova. This early Friday morning, a coach picked us all up without delays and took us to the base station of cableway. We had anxiously observed the cloud screen covering the peak. Unlike Karaman and Beyşehir, no specific take off point, where pilots could decide to take off in accordance with the direction of dominant winds, had been determined.

We wondered if take off would be possible at the peak at all. Special permission was obtained for xc contest but there is no safe take off runway at Tahtalı as yet. However, the organizer of contest plans to build a take off runway on Tahtalı Mountain in 2010 – 2011, which will make it possible to organize single and tandem flights. Thus it will be possible to enjoy the breathtaking atmosphere and glide away like birds at 2365 meters altitude and land on the shores of Tekirova.

Despite the dense fog, the field of vision we had through the cable car window revealed a sweeping panorama. Sporadic views of parts of shore line, superb coves and gulets lazing about over the blue waters were just some of what we could observe. Tahtalı Mountain has an impressive 2.365 meter elevation and provides a 360 degree view of Uyluk Hill near Finike and Gömbe. One can even spot Kemer and Antalya region at the horizon.

Once we reached the peak, the view was disconcerting for we had traveled through a dense and cold front of clouds. The clouds at the Tahtali cleared just below the peak. Of course, the pilots were visibly disappointed because flying through clouds entail great, and I mean extreme risks which even the most experienced flyer takes seriously. Fatal consequences could arise in the event of failure of satellite navigation and sometimes, even the compasses are no help at all. As a result of the situation, our first day at Tahtalı Mountain was spent literally in accordance with the principle of “wait and drink tea”. As there was no change in the situation about midday, the pilots decided to have a go the next day. We were to start off at early hours the next morning.

Remaining of the day was spent on a short excursion to Adrasan to discover the opportunities for swimming and suitable beaches. Adrasan is a charming place with its dark colored beaches, turquoise colored sea and tranquil settings. There are almost no tourists! We wonder if this place was just as serene in mid season.

Our excursion continued towards Olympos and Çıralı and we had a rest at the location of Chimera flames. We must warn you that the stairs leading up are very steep and some may find it difficult to climb. However, once you are there, the eerie view of flames sprouting out of the ground at dusk are well worth the effort. We considered ourselves lucky because there were almost no tourists. So we were able to relax and take photographs.

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Paragliding Take-Off in Omis - Paragliding Festival 2016