Mark Ziese

November 28, 2012

Decision in the Dark of Ararat: The Brutal Reality of a Midnight Summit Push

Mark Ziese

November 28, 2012

Traceless gravel, biting cold, and a grueling midnight ascent. Step into the boots of a mountaineer facing the ultimate test of endurance on Ağrı Dağı.

Mark Ziese

November 23, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

We Can, We Will: Summit Day on Ağrı Dağı

Mark Ziese

November 23, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

What happens when you puncture your air mattress with a crampon at 1:30 AM before a summit push? A firsthand, humorous look at the chaotic reality of high-altitude climbing.

Mark Ziese

November 20, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Stood up on the Mountain: Climbing Ağrı Dağı in 1967 (Part 4)

Mark Ziese

November 20, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

No gear, no team, and a mountain that "scared him to death." Step back into the summer of 1967 with the remarkable true story of Ward Patterson's Ararat climb.

Mark Ziese

November 16, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

High Camp Realities: Diamox, Pee Bottles, and Summit Night Nerves

Mark Ziese

November 16, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

High Camp brings spectacular views, altitude sickness, and the dreaded "pee bottle" dilemma. Read the hilarious and tense reality of preparing for a 2:00 AM summit push.

Mark Ziese

November 14, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Chasing Noah's Ark: Climbing Ağrı Dağı in 1967 (Part 3)

Mark Ziese

November 14, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Lost in a remote Turkish border town with a broken motorcycle and no translator—discover Ward Patterson’s dramatic 1967 expedition up Mt. Ararat.

Mark Ziese

November 11, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

The Warrior’s Bow: A Reflection on Rainbows from Mt. Ararat

Mark Ziese

November 11, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

A sudden rainbow on Mt Ararat prompts an exploration into the original Hebrew meaning of Genesis 9: the warrior’s bow hung in peace.

Mark Ziese

November 8, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Ward Patterson’s Notes: Climbing Ağrı Dağı in 1967 (Part 2)

Mark Ziese

November 8, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

"Five steps. Breathe." Read the harrowing firsthand account of Ward Patterson's 1967 struggle against thin air, blistering snow, and exhaustion on Mt. Ararat.

Mark Ziese

November 5, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

The Scree Scramble and the Great Vintage Crampon Disaster

Mark Ziese

November 5, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Preparing for ice on Mt. Ararat, a thrifty DIY strapping system backfires spectacularly outside the High Camp mess tent. Read the latest expedition update.

Mark Ziese

November 2, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

A Lost Photo Appears: Climbing Ağrı Dağı in 1967 (Part 1)

Mark Ziese

November 2, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

While searching a university archive, a writer discovers forgotten photographs and a typed journal detailing a professor’s daring 1960s climb of Mount Ararat.

Mark Ziese

October 29, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

No Toilets, Thin Air, and High Stakes: High Camp Chronicles

Mark Ziese

October 29, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

"Nobody sleeps up here." From dodging horse "mines" to testing zero-degree sleeping bags over jagged rocks, here is what 14,000 feet on Mount Ararat really feels like.

Mark Ziese

October 28, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

The Meaning of Ararat: Moving to High Camp & Biblical History

Mark Ziese

October 28, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Journey from Low to High Camp while exploring the four mentions of Ararat in the Hebrew Bible. Is it a mountain, a land, or a political kingdom?

Mark Ziese

October 17, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Climb High, Sleep Low: Acclimatizing on Ağrı Dağı (Mount Ararat)

Mark Ziese

October 17, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Trudging up Biçare Ridge to High Camp, we mimic our legendary guide Celîl, dodged car-sized boulders in Satan's Gulch, and put our neon do-rags to the test.

Mark Ziese

October 15, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Squish-Squish: Surviving Rain & Acclimatization at Low Camp

Mark Ziese

October 15, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Waking up soaking wet at 11,000 feet, we dry off with hot Turkish rosehip tea and prepare for a grueling acclimatization hike up Mount Ararat.

Mark Ziese

October 11, 2012

Exploring Türkiye, Mt. Ararat

Language Lessons & Sausage: Life in the Low Camp Mess Tent

Mark Ziese

October 11, 2012

Exploring Türkiye, Mt. Ararat

While hiding from the rain in the mess tent on Ağrı Dağı, a clumsy language lesson with our Kurdish cook, Mustafa, opens a window into Kurdistan’s rich history.

Mark Ziese

October 2, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

A Vertical Life(way): Nomads on Mount Ararat

Mark Ziese

October 2, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Leaving Çevirme behind, we hike into Ağrı Dağı’s foothills and discover how the modern "vertical life" of Kurdish pastoralists mirrors the camps of Abraham.

Mark Ziese

September 29, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Çevirme: The End of the Line and the Start of the Trail

Mark Ziese

September 29, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Past the Şeyhli Marsh lies Çevirme—a village of stacked stone, red buildings, and centuries of history. Step into the slow, measured pace of a high-altitude expedition.

Mark Ziese

September 26, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

One Last Night in Doğubayazıt: The Eve of the Ararat Ascent

Mark Ziese

September 26, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Facing the pre-climb jitters in Doğubayazıt. Read about the "one lasts" before leaving civilization behind to attempt the 16,000-foot summit of Ağrı Dağı.

Mark Ziese

September 23, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Ishak Paşa Palace: A Medieval Dinosaur and Ancient Urartu

Mark Ziese

September 23, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Beyond Turkey's İshak Paşa Sarayı lies the tragic ruins of Old Beyazit and a cliffside Urartian city. Discover the deep biblical connections to Ararat.

Mark Ziese

September 19, 2012

Exploring Türkiye, Mt. Ararat

Doğubayazıt and the Silk Road: Following Marco Polo's Footsteps

Mark Ziese

September 19, 2012

Exploring Türkiye, Mt. Ararat

Standing on the E80 in Doğubayazıt, exploring the medieval history of the Silk Road through the eyes of legendary travelers Marco Polo and William of Rubruck.

Mark Ziese

September 15, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Cowboy Town: On the Frontier of the Wild Wild East in Doğubayazıt

Mark Ziese

September 15, 2012

Mt. Ararat, Exploring Türkiye

Is there a true frontier left? Watching armored vehicles, hearing the call to prayer, and scanning the dark slopes of Ağrı Dağı from a rooftop in Eastern Turkey.