Türkiye's eastern province of Erzincan has become a center for extreme sports. It offers natural beautiful areas where activities for sports such as mountaineering, climbing, paragliding, camping and cycling can be done easily.
Erzincan is the ecotourism paradise of the region with its lakes, rivers, hot springs, mountains, plateaus and valleys. It is a very suitable province for different ecotourism activities due to its geological location in Anatolian lands and the fact that it can be experienced in four seasons.
According to experts, however, necessary landscaping and infrastructure works should be carried out more in attraction centers such as natural formations such as caves, waterfalls, etc., and sportive areas in ecotourism areas, and that local people living in the ecotourism region should be trained more on issues such as lodging, service and quality, business management and souvenir production.
Erzincan, which is generally covered with mountains and plateaus, has a wide variety of geographical landforms. It is a geographical area suitable for nature sports such as mountaineering and climbing due to the fact that most of its surface area is covered with mountains. The Karanlık Canyon, with a length of approximately 25 kilometers (15.53 miles), a depth of 1,000 meters (3,280.84 feet), a base narrowing to 1,015 meters in some parts and a slope of up to 90%, allows mountaineering and canyoning activities to be carried out. Karanlık Canyon and Acemoğlu Gorge are two of the most suitable places for rock climbing and mountaineering.
In addition, rock climbing can be done on the routes of Ardıçlı Lake, Yedigöller and Aygır Lake. For mountaineering, which includes hiking and camping, there are Esence, Dumanlı, Ağbaba, Coşan, Munzur and Ergan Mountain peaks. Through various associations, these sports are carried out professionally with various activities organized at certain times of the year.
Rafting is usually performed on the Karasu River between April and August. Rafting tracks are easy to access and these tracks are located on the Erzurum-Erzincan highway route. Erzincan hosted the Turkish Rafting Championship in 2002 and 2009. National Alternative Tourism Congress Various organizations are organized to develop rafting in the province. Especially in May, the five and six rapids are quite high. The length of the track between Yollarüstü Mutu is 40 kilometers. After May, as the water decreases, a 26-kilometer track is formed from Sansa Bağlar (Erzincan-Erzurum highway 55 kilometers) to Mutu.
It is a water sport that can be practiced with a flat-type, light and portable boat traveling with a single paddle, in both flowing and stagnant waters. In the spring months when the flow rate is high in the Euphrates River, Mercan Stream, Kömür Stream and Tuzla Stream, canoeing can be done in flowing water. At the Mertekli Regulator, Tercan Dam Lake, Erzincan Dam Lake and Keban Dam Lake, canoeing can be done in stagnant water. Especially the Karasu River enables river tourism both in the Sansa Strait and in the Kemah and Kemaliye Straits.
In addition, there are suitable trails for canyoning and water skiing sports optimists on these routes.
Erzincan is one of the important geographies where paragliding can be done due to its thermals and geographical conditions. The city, which allows paragliding to be done almost every season, is an important center hosting world paragliding championships. In 2013, 125 athletes from 41 countries participated in the world paragliding championship held in Erzincan. Keşiş and Munzur Mountains are two regions that allow this sport to be practiced.
In addition, the city is one of the important centers where the Turkish Aeronautical Association provides parachute training.
More than 60% of the land of Erzincan, which is located in the mountains on the Alpine-Himalayan fold belt, consists of mountainous areas with peaks exceeding 3,000 meters in places. This situation makes the region important in terms of mountain tourism, winter sports and alpinism.
Erzincan is a geography with significant potential in terms of winter sports. In 2013, the Ergan International Mountain Skiing Championship was inaugurated and the second edition of this event was held in February 2016. The Ergan Mountain Winter Sports and Nature Tourism Centre is a 12-kilometer-long ski center with slopes of various difficulty levels. This tourism center, where different sportive and entertainment activities other than skiing can be done, also has a new technology chairlift system.
Glacier climbing can be done by climbing the stalactites formed as a result of the freezing of Girlevik Waterfall, which is 30 kilometers away from Erzincan in winter. These stalactites formed by the freezing of the waterfall are 25-30 meters long. This waterfall, which is traditionally climbed every year, is also an important recreation area during the hot seasons.
Camping, which is an integral part of nature sports, is an activity that creates excitement and enthusiasm in people and connects its participants to itself. As in every sportive activity, there are rules to be followed in camping. In order to overcome some negative situations that may be encountered in nature, it is necessary to fulfill this activity in a professional manner.
Esence Mountain, Ergan Mountain, Yedigöller, Refahiye Dumanlı Forests and Bayırbağ Değirmenönü Mevkileri are some of the most suitable places to camp in Erzincan. Ergan Mountain is also one of the suitable places to choose for this activity with its proximity to the city center.
Trekking is a light-paced sportive walk in nature, usually in groups, to reach a point from one point to another. As an alternative tourism type, trekking appeals to more and more people every day and is becoming an economic phenomenon. Although the colorful nature of Erzincan allows this sport to be done in almost every season and everywhere, Yaylabaşı Ardıçlı Lake, Bayırbağ, Yedigöller and Aygır Lake routes are the most suitable places for trekking.
Erzincan is a geography with magnificent scenery and natural beauties for cycling lovers and has many tracks. There are associations established for the development of this sport in Erzincan and these associations organize various organizations at certain times of the year.
This nature sport, known as offroad and known for its ability to drive in difficult conditions in nature with 4x4 off-road vehicles, literally means going off road. Although Ergan Mountain and Ekşisu are two suitable places for this sport, which is carried out in difficult conditions and rough terrain, it is possible to do this sport in many regions of Erzincan.
In addition, the terrain conditions are suitable for many nature sports such as paragliding, trekking, navigation, motocross and offroad, which can be done individually and as a team.
