Way-marking makes it easy to follow the route. Paths are way-marked in red and white stripes to our own standard. On most routes there are also yellow and green signposts at the junction of the route with metalled roads. Some routes are not waymarked - you have to rely on the book, maps, GPS points and cairns. These are: Kaçkar trails; Çoruh Trails; Evliya Çelebi Way; Abraham Path. The first two are too high and the season is too short to waymark the trails.
The Turkish Standard: We have adopted techniques from the Israelis and the French. We now use screw-topped bottles full of paint, squeeze it onto the brush, then brush it onto the rocks – a cleaner and more efficient method. We use marks parallel with the line of the route – and visible from a distance, not on top of rocks. Bends are marked by a curved line, no-go paths with a red cross, and junctions or places of interest with a double mark. We think this is the easiest waymarking to follow.
Way-marking Sponsors: Garanti Bank sponsored the original way-marking for the Lycian Way and have since renewed the signposts. Steve Ziff, Christine Dobler Gross andand Laurence Kobler and the governor of Isparta sponsored the waymarking in 2010.
No route maintenance or waymarking is done or paid for by the Turkish government. Very few tour operators or pensions along the routes help with waymarking. Financing maintenance is a big expense. If you want to sponsor the way-marking, please contact Kate.
Volunteer groups
Waymarking is often renewed by volunteers. The Lycian way was re-marked in 2005 and 2009; the St Paul Trail in 2010. In addition. Genctur organize groups of volunteers who work on rebuilding damaged paths or repairing buildings to use as accommodation.
We do some work on way-marking each year. Groups of volunteers accompanied by a guide work in teams of 3-4 to clear paths and re-mark the trail. If you want to join a volunteer group working on the trails, please e-mail Kate and ask to be put on the volunteer mailing list.
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