ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A group of mountaineers from Van province recently climbed the nearby Mount Hayal. The mountain, located in Van province, stands at nearly 2800m above sea level. Despite snow, strong winds, and freezing temperatures making the journey challenging and risky, the mountaineers were determined to reach the summit of the mountain. "We reached the peak of Mount Hayal. Despite the strong wind, we made it to here really fast. We reached the summit thanks to Vadi Doga [Sport Club]," Fazil Erener, a mountaineer, told Rudaw English. Van Sports and Nature Club Association organized the challenge. Its leader calls on people to follow suit. "Greetings. Today our journey was to Mount Hayal, in Van city in the town of Kalkali. We climbed to the top. We were a team of ten people. Vadi Doga Sport [Club] at the center of Mount Hayal," Omar Demez said. The association conducts weekly trips to tourist attractions and natural sites in Kurdish-majority areas of southeast Turkey.
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