Valla Canyon

The Valla canyon cuts through the Küre mountains for about twelve kilometres with walls that reach around eight hundred metres, which puts it among the deepest gorges in the world by that measure and makes it the headline feature of the national park. What most visitors do is drive to the terrace at Pınarbaşı and look: a platform, part of it glass-floored, projecting over the rim with the gorge dropping away below and the river a thin line at the bottom. That takes an hour including the walk. The full descent through the canyon is an entirely different proposition - a multi-day expedition involving swimming, abseiling, cold water, rope work and no exit once committed, undertaken only with experienced guides and proper equipment, and people have died attempting it unprepared. Flash flooding is the specific danger; rain anywhere in the catchment raises the river fast. Horma canyon nearby offers a walkway route for those who want a gorge without the risk.

What you actually see

• The rim terrace - the glass-floored platform over the drop.
• The gorge - eight-hundred-metre walls and the river below.
• The Küre forest - beech and fir on the plateau above.
• The scale - one of the deepest canyons in the world.

When to go

June to September for the viewpoint and settled weather. The descent has a narrow safe window and is guide-only; never enter in unsettled conditions.

Honest expectations

The canyon floor is a serious technical expedition, not a hike - deaths have occurred among unprepared parties, and flash flooding is the main hazard. The viewpoint itself is safe and takes an hour.

Nearby

Horma canyon and its walkway are close at Pınarbaşı; the Küre Mountains national park surrounds both.