TAC Students in the Mountains for the “Republic Day Climb”
We were excited about climbing the majestic Taurus mountain as a tribute to Republic Day, simulating the national fervor of Turkey transforming from a fledgling independent state to a republic. This fervor was signalled by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on October 28, 1923, the eve of this most important national day, October 29th.
On the morning of October 29th, at 06.30, while it was still dark, we left by bus with our school banner and the measures we have taken to protect ourselves against the cold of the mountains. After a breakfast stop in Soğucak Plateau near Mersin, we joined the Mersin Zirve Mountaineering Club members and headed towards the Yıldız Mountains. We watched as the four seasons unfolded before our eyes, one after the other, until we reached the summit of the mountain. We watched the areas where all the colors of autumn were combined in a single tree. As we hiked toward a higher altitude, we felt the cold more deeply, although we were motivated to think about the congratulatory ceremony to be held, the anthems to be sung, and the banners to be opened at the summit. After leaving our vehicles in a convenient spot, we headed for the summit, organized in one line. We aimed to ascend to an altitude of 3150 meters from 2300 meters. As we got closer to the summit, we were greeted by rain and then, a heavy snowfall. These conditions, where the range of vision could only be 1 meter, brought to mind the hardships of life in the 1920s, despite which the Turkish republic was founded. It made us very proud of our ambition to celebrate this important day at the culmination of this strenuous climb to the summit.
We, as TAC students and our teachers, Mr. Hasan Turgut and Mr. Oğuz Tatar, experienced Republic Day in a spirit of celebration on behalf of our school. With the belief that we should go on similar hikes as a remembrance of various special days, we thank the organizers.