Istanbul to Tbilisi – Battling weather, elevation and dogs

Just came home after cycling from Istanbul to Tbilisi. Compared to my previous trip from the Netherlands to Istanbul, this was a much bigger challenge.

First of all, the weather in Turkey was very cold for April. Although it did provide stunning landscapes, I was quite underpacked. It was freezing most nights, which resulted in camping much less than I wanted to.

Also, compared to Europe, Turkey was next level when it came to elevation gain. Where the Alps previously seemed like a huge challenge (1.500m elev gain), I was now exceeding this almost daily.

Getting chased at least 10 times a day by huge Anatolian Shephards was fun as well. I completely overcame any fear of dogs I used to have. While riding on the bigger D roads in Turkey, the amount of dogs I encountered was much lower.

After all, it was an awesome adventure. Feel free to ask any questions!