Artabel Lakes Nature Park takes on a truly unique appearance at the beginning of every summer in Turkey's northeastern Gümüşhane with its peaceful cascading streams, waterfalls and 22 glacial lakes.
The park, also called "the summit where light meets water," is located in high geography, at an altitude of 3,331 meters (10,928 feet).
Artabel offers fascinating beauty to its visitors, especially in the summer months, with its glacial lakes surrounded by cliff peaks, endemic plants and creatures, old migration routes, trenches, tombs and its rich flora, fauna and unique scenery.
The first and most crowded nature walk of the year in Artabel Lakes Nature Park was carried out in partnership with the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports and Gümüşhane Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports Club (GÜDAK).
During the event, trekkers had the opportunity to see more than 10 large and small glacial lakes along a 9-kilometer (5.6-mile) path accompanied by representatives from the Scouting Federation and the Sports Federation along the way.
Some 81 trekkers reached the Esentepe plateau by car and then arrived at the great lake at an altitude of 2,720 meters amid hail and rain.
After resting there for a while, the adventurous group followed the artillery road and reached Ahtabur Lake at an altitude of 2,980 meters, which has a tragic history of soldiers being drowned and martyred there during the Ottoman-Russian war.
The moments when the hikers climbed on large ice sheets were noteworthy. Even though it is nearly the end of June, there were still giant masses of snow and the lakes also boast large chunks of ice, all of which offered an adrenaline-filled day for the trekkers.
