Khan Tengri Expedition: What the Dranaz Pass Teaches Us About Reliable Equipment

Zsolt Kővári's Khan Tengri expedition has reached another significant milestone. Over the past days he crossed the Dranaz Geçidi pass in Turkey, which marked the highest point of the journey so far.

Setting out from Budapest, Zsolt has already covered more than 2,000 kilometers by bicycle. The current stage runs through the mountainous regions of northern Turkey, where the environment, the weather, and the terrain present a completely different challenge from the earlier parts of the route.

The Dranaz pass lies at about 1,365 meters in the Küre Mountains. This densely forested range runs along the Black Sea coast across northern Turkey, forming a natural dividing line between the drier inner-Anatolian plateaus and the humid Black Sea region.

Although 1,365 meters is not in itself an extreme alpine altitude, the character of the area still made it one of the first truly serious mountain tests of the expedition. Zsolt approached the mountains from the south, from the inner-Anatolian side, then — after long climbs and switchbacks — began descending north toward the Black Sea.

The landscape changes dramatically at this point. The more open, drier plateaus are gradually replaced by dense pine forests, deep valleys, and humid mountain roads. Because of the proximity of the Black Sea, rapid weather changes are common in the area, which can be especially demanding during a cycling expedition.

In recent days Zsolt repeatedly travelled in distinctly difficult conditions:

• in persistent cold rain,
• in dense fog,
• in strong crosswinds,
• and amid a significant drop in temperature.

The wet, slippery switchbacks and the hours-long climbs are not only a serious physical challenge but also demand constant mental concentration. On a stretch like this clothing easily soaks through, and the cooling can considerably slow recovery. At such times it is not only fitness that matters, but also how reliable the equipment is and how consciously a person can adapt to changing conditions.

These conditions place serious load not only on the person but also on the equipment. Cold, moisture, continuous use, and temperature change all affect the condition of any technical device over the long term.

The fall-protection equipment used in work at height often operates in similar conditions. The gear of a professional working on a scaffold, a roof structure, or an industrial facility is just as exposed to:

• rain,
• humid air,
• UV radiation,
• cooling,
• and continuous mechanical load.

In many cases the greatest risk is not spectacular damage, but the gradual effects that over time can influence the safe usability of protective equipment. Material fatigue, moisture, or weather load are often not immediately visible from the outside.

This is why it is especially important that the condition of fall-protection equipment be inspected regularly, and treated not merely as a requirement but as a genuine safety matter.

Zsolt Kővári's journey is currently still at the first major mountain stages of the expedition. In the coming months far more serious high-mountain environments and more extreme conditions await him among the mountains of Central Asia. The Dranaz pass, however, has already shown clearly that on an undertaking like this — alongside endurance — preparation, conscious decisions, and reliable equipment all play a decisive role.