Detour #174: Danger on the D915 Derabasi Turns, Turkey
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It’s said to be one of the most dangerous roads in the world, and certainly the most treacherous in Turkey. As a result of its reputation few tourists travel the D915 from the Black Sea coast across the Pontic mountains to Bayburt.
In fact few tourists visit the region full stop – apart from Middle Eastern travellers who come, not for the Black Sea beaches, but the for the novelty of rain.
Sure enough leaving Trabzon early in the morning the windscreen wipers of my Mazda CX-60 are doing double time as I track the coastline even further east. Already some 700 miles from Istanbul, and well into Asia Minor, this part of Turkey has its own microclimate as cool sea air sweeps in and hits the mountains. Unpredictable is the word, with the chances of experiencing fog, rain, sleet, snow and hail in the space of a few hours quite high.
For now, though it’s just rain, with aquaplane-inducing puddles not deterring local heroes in assorted ancient Renaults and Dacias, but causing me to be cautious. As I turn south things improve and high above the Pontic peaks the sky is clear.
Terraced tea plantations cling to the hillsides and the D915 begins its climb as a decent asphalt road, winding through villages whose homes are precipitously propped against the steep slopes. The route is just wide enough for two vehicles, the switchbacks spacious enough to negotiate in a smooth steering arc, even in a big car like the CX-60.
I’m beginning to wonder what the fuss is about when, halfway round a left-hand turn, the road disappears. In its place is a rocky track cut into the mountainside. Dare to look to the right and there are breathtaking views into the valley below, but that’s best left for passengers. Better still, take a little Pit Stop at the tea shop and take a look at what lies ahead – the Derebasi Turns.
Gaining over 1,000 feet of altitude in three miles through the precarious positioning of 13 hairpin bends it’s a busy experience behind the wheel. Some turns are so sharp that, unless you’ve got your angle of attack exactly right, you face the prospect of turning them into three-pointers. The Mazda’s 360-degree camera system significantly reduces the risk of reversing over the edge.
That aside, the route isn’t as hazardous as expected, although that might be because Mazda staff had already reconnoitred the road and removed as many sizeable and sharp rocks as they could. Getting a puncture is probably the biggest danger, along with encountering oncoming traffic as the only way to pass each other would be for one to pull far over mid-turn as close to the abyss as possible.
The weather, too, could render this mountain pass impassable – in fact it is closed for six months of the year from autumn to spring. Not long after I reach the summit clouds sweep in, totally obscuring the valley below. Driving up in reduced visibility would definitely be a considerable challenge.
The descent into Bayburt couldn’t be more different. Not only is the landscape dramatically transformed into an open alpine vista, the road becomes wide and super-smooth, like the very best mountain passes of Europe.
Tyres squealing through the turns the CX-60 acquits itself pretty well, but this is now a road that would suit an MX-5 Miata even better – although quite how it would have got there is another matter.