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Turkish mountaineers have discovered a handwritten note left by Italian climbers in 1972 during an ascent in the Kackar Mountains along Türkiye’s eastern Black Sea coast.
The note was found by members of the CAMADAN Mountaineering and Winter Sports Specialized Club, led by President Metin Colak, together with climbers Hakan Demirci, Adem Sahin, Musa Kesimal and Ercument Gumus. The team carried out a climbing expedition approximately one and a half months ago to Atalani Peak, which rises to 3,428 meters in the heart of the Kackar range.
During the ascent, the climbers noticed a “summit cairn,” a stone structure traditionally built by mountaineers. Inside an overturned tin can placed beneath stones, they found a plastic-wrapped note reading:
“20-8-72, Spedizione CAI Pordenone Italy, Quota 3510, Enzo Laconca, Giovanni Martin.”
Further research revealed that the note was left by members of the Club Alpino Italiano, Italy’s national alpine club. Contact established through social media later confirmed that the 1972 expedition included Alleris Pizzur, Sisto Degan, Enzo Laconca, Gianni Martin and Ezio Migotto.
Colak said the discovery was unexpected, noting that the area is not widely known among climbers. He described the note as a message from the past, emphasizing that none of the current climbers were alive as it was left more than five decades ago.
The team said they shared photographs of the note and the tin can with the Italian mountaineering club by email and received a response within two to three weeks. Italian side described the discovery as highly significant and expressed interest in making it public.
They added that the exchange was warmly received and communication between the two groups is going well.
The club reported that earlier records indicate a Czechoslovak team climbed in the area in 1969, underscoring the Kackar Mountains’ long history of international expeditions.
The tin can and note are now being preserved and are planned to be displayed in a mountaineering museum the club hopes to establish in the Eastern Black Sea region.
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