Ascent of Besparmak (Pendadhaktylos or Five Fingers Mountain) - elevation 740m (2428 ft)
The easiest ascent (of about 300m or 1000ft) is via a gully accessed from the saddle on the forestry
track seen at the bottom left, which climbs up from near the Kyrenia Animal Rescue Centre. The
ascent gully is in shadow and leads up to the West Ridge End at 560m (1850 ft). The Ridge then dips
before a steady scramble to the First Finger, and then the summit is finally reached at the Third
Finger after several hours of struggle. Ascent from the East Ridge on the right is a serious and long
rock climb.
The walk up through scrub terrain from the saddle to the West Ridge gully, which is the prominent
'V' to the right, then a rock scramble up to the West Ridge End at 560m (1850 ft)
Barry Hurst at the summit of the West Ridge End in February sunshine
A short descent of the next gully before the route climbs a very hairy and exposed set of rock
ledges back up onto the West Ridge. Move with great caution just here!
The West Ridge continues on up to the First Finger, the knife-edged route placing you close to the
220m (700 ft) drop down the cliffs to the right.
Client Alan Evans approaching the summit of the First Finger
After achieving the final summit Finger, it's best to retrace your steps to reach the larger open and
less steep slopes of the North Side, where there is a multiple choice of routes for relatively easy
descent through the trees to the forestry track which encircles Besparmak.
The North Side from a distance, showing the easier descent slopes in the middle. The five 'fingers' can
easily be counted, the First Finger on the right, with the West Ridge End and the ascent gully start at
the lower right.
The huge 220m (700 ft) cliffs of the South Face
This panorama of Besparmak, from the West Ridge End on the left, to a point below the First Finger
on the right, just doesn't do justice to the massive scale of the cliffs.