Black Hell Pass Article and Photographs by Cemal Gülas Karacehennembogazi River seized first a man carrying stones and then two women collecting wood and refused to give them back. The Atlas team went to the canyon on this river, four kilometers long as the crow flies and previously unentered, and traced the interesting stories told in the region. |
| The lush green forests and cascading waters of the river basin of the Karacehennembogazi Çayi (Black-hell-pass River) are more reminiscent of heaven than hell. The canyon is not visible until you reach the village of Karadonu. To reach the canyon entrance it is necessary to follow the broad, calmly flowing river to the left of the village... However, because of going off to explore places featuring in interesting regional tales and the turbid river water the Atlas team didn't enter the river for a few days. |
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In Kastamonu's sub-province, Küre, the mountains are covered in a rich layer of forest. However, the sub-province is not only rich in forest but also in minerals. The copper pyrite beds of Küre have been worked since ancient times. The ore taken from earth dug out by giant machines is sent to the Black Sea port of Inebolu after local processing. A cable railway built to transport the mineral is not used because of the great expense. Instead the job is done by lorry. |
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| In the canyon starting near Karadonu village the Karacehennembogazi Çayi, which rises in the Küre mountains and is fed by various tributaries, has patiently carved the limestone blocks over thousands of years forming pools, small lakes and waterfalls. Some of the pools are very deep. Tree trunks are piled up at the bottom of the small lakes. Entering the canyon the Atlas team chose to let themselves down directly into pools with less than a 2m drop without using technical equipment. Time was saved by only carrying technical equipment and not other items such as sleeping bags and tents. In some sections the team made their descent by winding nylon rope around stones without driving in a bolt. |
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Under certain circumstances such as flooding effluent from the copper mines spills over into the valley. Tree trunks become partly submerged in acidic mud. The villagers say they are unable to grow beans in the area of the river after it has been polluted by effluent. |
From time to time effluent from the copper works turn the river bed into a kind of hell. |
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The Küre mountains which suffer a harsh winter have the appearance of plateaux in places and slope down to the west. They are covered in a dense layer of forest. |
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In the Günay village region at the onset of snow wild boar hunters appear. It is easier to follow the tracks of the boars, said to cause extensive damage to summer crops, in the snow. |
The villagers awaiting spring are often caught unawares by snow. Unable to use motor vehicles food is carried to the villages on buffalo-drawn sleighs... |
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The map showed a canyon near Küre in the province of Kastamonu, formed by a river named Karacehennembogazi which rises near the village of Karadonu and pours into the Black Sea. The river flows under the Küre-Inebolu road. On its bank is another village, Ersizlerdere, "the creek of no males." Were they all swallowed up by the river of black hell?
On its bank is another village, Ersizlerdere, "the creek of no males." Were they all swallowed up by the river of black hell? On the point of leaving, a change of plan: My father calls to say my grandfather is ill and has asked for me. I fly to his side and the 90 year old white haired man draws his last breath on my chest. My heart is heavy as we head for Kastamonu. The engine is humming and my head throbbing. Towards morning we arrive in rain-soaked Küre, exhausted with bloodshot eyes, intending to have some soup and head for Karacehennembogazi without delay. Instead we accept the invitation of a mining engineer (and Atlas reader), Yavuz Gençoglu, to be shown around the local copper mines, which in one way or another provide employment for the majority of the sub-province's inhabitants. From thousands of meters of underground tunnels 20,000 tons of copper are extracted although the target figure is 250,000 tons per annum. In the mine a strange smell permeates the atmosphere. According to our guide this comes from the sediment carried by underground water washing the minerals. We also learn that wild mint grows in abundance on the surface below which copper is found.
When we emerge into daylight it is noon and after 24 hours without sleep we find a camp site at Emin's restaurant in Ersizlerdere, near the canyon's mouth, and apologizing for our inability to speak let alone drink tea, set up the tent and sink into sleep.
Just after dawn Emin opens up the restaurant for us and tells local tales as we eat. In front of us is a cliff, Ipsine Kayasi, with a hollow known as Golden Well. He also mentions Doganlar Kalesi, the falcons' castle, a system of tunnels in a mountain top on the Karadonu road. Our appetite for the canyon is duly whetted. Entering the well is like lowering oneself into the jaws of a giant snake. The river is turbid and swollen with rain water. To enter this furiously flowing torrent spiked with spear-like pine branches carried from the forest would be folly. We decide to explore the region in the hope that dry days will restore the river to its normal level. The muhtar of the Ipsine district of Ersizlerdere shows us to the rock. From the top the view is spectacular. The village of the brave, Ersizlerdere, can be seen clearly. All the males of the village went off to fight in the War of Liberation but not one returned. Golden Well had obviously attracted its share of treasure hunters. Not an undug patch of ground remains in its vicinity. Entering the well is like lowering oneself into the jaws of a giant snake. The tunnel begins to narrow and suddenly opens into a little chamber. All the exits are blocked; the result of treasure hunters' fanatical digging. A work of nature formed over thousands of years destroyed by human greed.
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At the sudden onset of snow the Atlas team set up camp near Karadonu village. |
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It is uncertain where the tunnels and steps of Doganlar Kalesi lead to or come from as the tunnels are partly blocked with stones and earth... |
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The result of such labor must have led somewhere but over the years some of the tunnels have become blocked by fragments brought by shepherds and falcons.
On the fourth day the river's level has lowered and the water become clearer. The sun also makes an appearance. The time has come for us to see the canyon starting at Karadonu village and ending at Ersizlerdere, which, to this day no-one has set foot in. The tunnels are beautifully hollowed with spirally cut steps. The trees in the gardens of Karadonu village are interconnected with lines of tape like a prank of mischievous children. We discover that their function is to protect chickens from raiding falcons and other birds of prey. When we ask if it is possible to reach Ersizlerdere via the canyon the answer is an emphatic NO, but understanding our determination we are given a chilling request. Two women from the village had gone to collect wood brought by the flood and had fallen into the river and been swept away. Should we come across their bodies...
Before us is the lush green pass of black hell which swallowed up two people a few days ago. In the canyon the current is strong and waterfalls cascade down the rock face. Plants are suspended from the walls rising on either side. After half an hour the canyon starts to narrow and trees carried by the flood pile up in front of us.
The water forms deep pools in the limestone rock. Under every pile of tree trunks and branches we search for the women of Karadonu.
To save time we lower ourselves into pools with less than a 2m drop without using technical equipment and in places instead of driving in a bolt wind our nylon rope round rocks to secure the descent. As we approach Ipsine Kayasi the waterfalls start to get bigger and we enter a narrow trap. Four hours after leaving Karadonu we leave behind the narrow section of the canyon. At the foot of Ipsine Kayasi is a spring known to villagers who descend from Ersizlerdere to carry back stones for building. Years ago one of these men fell in the river and drowned. The river also refused to give up his body. We climb out of the water at Ersizlerdere. Four hours after leaving Karadonu we leave behind the narrow section of the canyon. The next morning we start exploring the second lap of the river. Below the village of Çulha the fast flowing waters take on the appearance of hell for the first time, polluted by effluent from the copper mines and rendered lifeless. The banks are lined with a thick tarnished layer of sediment, denying plants the right to exist. The recent flood has caused the works' effluent catchment pool to burst killing off the whole river. The muhtar of nearby Yörecik is preoccupied with this matter but his letters have not reached the addressee. Karacehennembogazi is a bright paradise undeserving of its name but for human interference.
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