Karagöl’s Black Mirror and the Meydan Yayla Start for Medetsizeasytravelpost #Bolkar #Karagol #Mede
#easytravelpost Karagöl in the Bolkar range sits at ~2,650 m below Medetsiz (3,524 m), reached from Ulukışla→Çiftehan→Maden→Meydan Yayla (2,400 m). I drove to Çiftehan, rented a 4WD with three others (1,200 TL/car split), and climbed the Maden road—sedans high-center on meltwater ruts even in July, so don’t trust a rental compact here. From Meydan it’s 45 min walk to Karagöl, a wind-scoured tarn ringed by saxifrage and Yörük tent traces; the reflection of Medetsiz shatters if you blink.
I camped at Karagöl (free, no facility, carry TL cash for the Çiftehan market), summited Medetsiz at 4:30 a.m. via the SW couloir—3.5 hrs up, crampon not needed by late July but boots yes. Bolkar weather flips: 25°C at Meydan noon, hail at 15:00. I carried 3 L, a 0°C bag, hard shell, and a power bank; the phone died in cold anyway.
Mistake: I skipped the Çiftehan gendarmerie check-in once and a patrol jeep caught me at Meydan—not a fine, but a 20-minute lecture; log your route. Another: I photographed the Yörük camp without nodding first; the herder waved me over for tea, but ask first. Would you camp Karagöl for the pre-dawn summit, or day-push from Meydan and sleep at the 2,000 m pansiyon?