Mountaineers commemorate Türkiye’s first climber in Mersin
MERSİN
In tribute to Türkiye’s trailblazing mountaineer Muzaffer Erol Gez, climbers have united for a commemorative ascent of the 3,524-meter Medetsiz summit in the Bolkarlar Mountains, celebrating his legacy through a dedicated mountaineering festival.
The two-day event hosted by a Mersin mountaineering club brought together over 200 climbers, nature enthusiasts and campers across Türkiye. Around 50 mountaineers successfully completed the fifth annual memorial climb and returned safely to the base camp.
Club president Fatih Sağnak emphasized the significance of the event and said, “we take pride in keeping the memory of our honorary member Muzaffer Erol Gez alive through this climb.”
The route began in Karboğazı, a site known for a historic act of resistance during Türkiye’s War of Independence, where 44 local villagers captured a battalion of occupying French soldiers.
Gez, who served on the board of directors of the Turkish Mountaineering Federation for many years, passed away on June 20, 2020.
