Previously, I had uploaded the Ihlara–Hasan Dağı route to the FKT site. After that, I couldn’t revisit the region I used to go to every year. I wanted to design a challenging route—one that anyone could attempt. Uludağ, in the Marmara region, is the perfect place for this.
The classic summit line is beautiful, but the route we created offers the chance to experience Uludağ’s essence in its longest and most stunning sections. Starting from Fevziye village in the east and connecting to Zeyniler, the route spends nearly 70% of its distance along the summit ridge. I’m not saying this just because I drew it myself—it truly turned into an incredible route.
The route is 46 km long, with 2,420 meters of elevation gain and 2,510 meters of descent.
We hadn’t noticed while drawing the route, but the starting point begins at a fountain with flowing water. We had set 1.5 liters of water per person as mandatory gear, but you could actually complete the route without refilling. The water is far better than anything you’d buy at a gas station. After Fevziye, there’s a 6 km climb gaining about 400–450 meters. We ran this section comfortably. At the end, we turned right into a faint, almost hidden trail.
From there, we followed traces of paths. Clearly, trails existed here once, because sometimes they appeared, but mostly we had to find our own way. At 7.5 km, we reached a beautiful plateau. No summer visitors had arrived yet. There was another source of ice-cold, fresh water—our last water point before the summit ridge. We refilled and began the climb.
As expected, there was no trail. We pushed through dwarf firs, making our own way. As we climbed, patches of snow appeared, and the ridge began to resemble the back of a killer whale from afar. After completing the first long ascent, we had already gained 1,000 meters. Then came a traverse along a cliff edge, followed by our first snow crossing.
Reaching the grassy slopes near the top, we were hit by strong winds and sudden cold. We quickly changed clothes and put on rain jackets. Then came a climb that turned into near rock-scrambling. It was tough, but eventually we reached the ridge. By then, our elevation gain had reached 1,900 meters. We had finally entered the summit ridge—stretching for dozens of kilometers of pure joy.
I had seen the summit many times from the west, but approaching from the east is far more rewarding. The ridge is breathtaking. Some sections are like a “knife-edge”—not too risky, but with cliffs on both sides and spectacular views. Fog thickened, and the wind grew stronger.
As we neared the summit, the clouds briefly cleared. I had wanted to capture the glacial lakes on video, and luckily, the timing was perfect.
After the main summit, we entered familiar terrain. Though we had been running intermittently, from here we could run continuously. We moved alongside mountaineers who had summited that day until the mine area. Since our goal was to complete the entire ridge, we turned toward the smaller summit and continued along the ridge.
This was my first time reaching these sections. The descent was steeper and more technical than expected—not easy at all. By then, my water was gone, and the gels upset my stomach. I felt terrible.
Just as we left the ridge, glacial water was flowing. I knew it wasn’t safe to drink, and I had learned that the hard way before. But I drank two flasks full. Thankfully, nothing bad happened. The water revived me completely.
We then reached asphalt and connected to the reverse of the famous 30 km course. For us, the notorious “30 km wall” was a descent. It’s a brutal climb, but trust me, the descent is just as tough. After rain the previous day, the soil was weak, making the downhill extremely quad-burning.
At the finish, our time was 8 hours 21 minutes. I had thought we could finish in 6.5 hours. As a team, we estimated 6.5–7.5 hours. We knew it would be tough, but not this tough.
In the end, it was a fantastic day. My dream of creating an FKT route took its first step. Of course, others need to run it too for the route to fulfill its purpose. But I insist—this is the most beautiful route you can do in this area. I strongly encourage you to try it.
I feel lucky to have such valuable companions. There are people who came just to send us off with their love of sport. We learn from those who contribute, and we try to give back in our own way. I’m deeply grateful to be part of this.