All Photos Copyrighted by John McIntosh, Matthew Kneisler, and Dow Pursley - 2005

Map showing Turkey in the Middle East.

Map of Turkey

42 alleged sightings of the Ark on Ararat--from the Explorers book.

Possible significance of the Ark.

Elfred Lee drawing of the Ark as reported to be seen by the Armenian George Hagopian in the early 1900's.

View of big and little Ararat from the south. By John McIntosh.

Aerial view of Mt Ararat from the west showing our originally planned climb route which we were told was approved--but later not permitted by the military.

Pre climb picture in Istanbul. Dow P with some of our gear. By John McIntosh.

Pre climb picture in Istanbul. Visiting a Christian Cafe. Pictured: D Pursley, Uchman Sungur (permit facilitator), Matthew K, and Olcay Balitatli (former Ark Research team member). Uchman was the main expedition guide for the 1982 Irwin Ararat Expedition. He also helped obtain my 1983 Ararat expedition permit. By John McIntosh.

Pre climb picture of John McIntosh in Istanbul hotel. By Matthew Kneisler.

Pre climb picture from our taxi on the way to Dogubayazit by Dow Pursley of a burning car. Reportedly destroyed by a terrorist bomb.

Pre climb picture in Istanbul with Uchman Sungur.

Pre climb group picture in Istanbul. Uchman on the left. Olcay is second from the right.

Picture of a Christian Cafe in Istanbul. By John McIntosh.

Inside the Cafe. By John McIntosh.

The next series of pictures is part of a Power Point program by John McIntosh. This picture shows some gifts given to friends in Istanbul. By John McIntosh.

Earlier picture of Istanbul. By John McIntosh.

Turkish dinner in Istanbul before the climb. Pictured: John McIntosh, Matthew Kneisler, Mrs Pursley and Dow. By John McIntosh.

Preparing to leave our hotel for the Istanbul airport. By John McIntosh.

Our plane. By John McIntosh.

Our arrival in Erzurum. Picture with our long time friend and Turkish Ararat mountaineer and researcher Yavuz Konca. By John McIntosh.

At a Turkish bus stop as we head 100 miles eastward to Mt Ararat. By John McIntosh.

Map showing Dogubayazit and Mt Ararat in Eastern Turkey. By John McIntosh.

Dogubayazit--only a few miles south of Mt Ararat. By John McIntosh.

Burning van bombed by terrorists.

The standard south face summit route and our research route up Ararat. By John McIntosh.

The Simer Hotel--a few miles south of Mt Ararat. By John McIntosh.

A painting of Ararat and the Ark in the hotel. Photo by John McIntosh.

In the hotel we meet with our mountaineering guide Halis and others.

View of Mt Ararat from the hotel. By John McIntosh.

A closer view of the summit peak. By John McIntosh.

The peak with a cloud 'hat'. By John McIntosh.

Mountaineering guides waving at us from their office in Dogubayazit. By John McIntosh.

A picture with our mountaineering guides in their office.

A painting in the office showing the south face summit route up Ararat. Bt John McIntosh.

The vehicle that takes up part way up the lower part of Ararat. By John McIntosh.

Dow Pursley and John McIntosh in the van. By Matthew Kneisler.

A small village is passed on the lower part of Ararat. By John McIntosh.

Sunset from Camp 1. By John McIntosh.

Tea time. John McIntosh, Halis, Mehmet.

Loading up the pack animals-south face of Ararat. By John McIntosh.

On the way up the south face road of Ararat in Halis's mini bus to meet the horses and other guide. Pictured: Matthew Kneisler and Dow Pursley By John McIntosh.

Dow teaches karate. He is demonstrating how to break Matthew's fingers and arm! By John McIntosh.

Matthew shows his camera to a Kurdish woman at Camp 1. By John McIntosh.

Trying to enjoy our rehydrated camp food at camp 1. By John McIntosh.

Dow relaxing in the Eureka Tent at Camp 1. By John McIntosh.

Head butting contest at our camp. By John McIntosh.

Camp 1--SW Ararat, 9,700 feet, Halis, Matthew Kneisler and Mehmet. Photo by John McIntosh.

Kurdish shepherd women washing in mountain stream-SW Ararat. Photo by Matthew Kneisler.

Boy herding cows-SW Ararat-near Camp 2. Photo by Matthew Kneisler.

At Camp 1. John McIntosh and Dow Pursley. By Matthew Kneisler.

Hiking to Camp 1. By John McIntosh.

Approaching a mountain village. By John McIntosh.

Melt water stream near camp 2-Our team of 3 is crossing this stream to climb up 'Nightmare Ridge' (NM Ridge) on the left (N side) of the picture. Photo by John McIntosh.

Professor Dow Pursley pointing toward Matthew climbing toward the NM Ridge. Photo by John McIntosh.

Looking S-SW down on Camp 2 at 11,500 feet from Nightmare Ridge. Photo by John McIntosh.

Looking south toward the Green Camp (11,000 feet-just out of sight on the left) and the town of Dogubayazit in the valley. Photo by John McIntosh.

Dow Pursley part way up Nightmare Ridge-checking his cell phone. By John McIntosh.

Looking down NM Ridge as Dow Pursley works his way up. By John McIntosh.

Looking down toward the SW at the swamp land near Ortulu Village. By John McIntosh.

Turkish mountaineers in a truck on the lower part of Ararat. By Matthew Kneisler.

Painting of Noah's ark in the Simmer Hotel. By John McIntosh.

Matthew and Dow with our 2 guides: Halis and Mehmet. Camp 2. By John McIntosh.

Dow taking a short break after leaving Camp 2.

Mountain wild flowers along the way to Nightmare Ridge. By John McIntosh.

More mountain wild flowers. By John McIntosh.

View of Camp 2 from part way up NM Ridge. By John McIntosh.

Looking down from our emergency camp on NM Ridge. Matthew had just lost his rolled up sleeping bag that rolled downhill. He had to climb down part way to retrieve it. By John McIntosh.

Continuing up the Ridge. Matthew and Dow. By John McIntosh.

Taking a break on the ascent. Matthew and Dow. Bt John McIntosh.

Matthew leaving our survival camp to report the accident and get help from rescurers. By John McIntosh.

Picture of Turkish rescuer on the south ridge of the canyon we are trapped in. He appeared after Matthew hiked down to the base camp to get help. He could not get to us that day and left. By John McIntosh.

Girls at a small shepherd camp on the south slope of Ararat. By Matthew Kneisler.

Looking at the SW face of Ararat. The slope shown is where our Camp 2 would be. It is this slope area where it is believed the Chinese explored their first cave near the top of this slope. A reported wood find has also been claimed on this slope by another research group. There is an interesting Ark like appearing object near the center of the picture--2/3 the way up the mountain. Later analysis of other pictures of this area led us to the conclusion that there was only rock there. By Matthew Kneisler.

A mountain melt water stream along the way to Camp 2. By Matthew Kneisler.

Dow and Matthew filtering water at Camp 2 at11,500 feet.

Arrival at Camp 2, 11,500 feet-S-SW face of Ararat. By John McIntosh.

Distant view of a shepherd's camp.

Picture of village girl and child. By Matthew Kneisler.

Village kids intercept John McIntosh.

Camp 2--- 11,500 feet By John McIntosh.

Camp 2 sunrise. By John McIntosh.

Sheep dog. By Matthew Kneisler.

Group picture at Camp 2. Matthew K, Dow P, Mehmet, John Mc. I first met Mehmet in 1982 when hiking to the Irwin base camp.

Our emergency Camp 3 at 13,400 feet at dbout 3/4th the way up NM Ridge. By Matthew Kneisler.

John McIntosh in his sleeping bag at the emergency camp. By Matthew Kneisler.

Small flag and scriptures Matthew displayes at the high point of our climb. By Matthew Kneisler.

After the accident, the Turkish press visits John McIntosh at the Erzurum University Hospital. By Matthew Kneisler.

Looking down NM Ridge as Matthew crosses a snow field. By Dow Pursley.

John McIntosh climbing the Ridge. By Dow Pursley.

Looking up toward the top of NM Ridge to the edge of the 15,000 foot Plateau. We attempted to cross the glacier on the left. By Dow Pursley.

Nearing the top of the Ridge. Matthew Kneisler is seen. By Dow Pursley.

John McIntosh and Matthew Kneisler at the glacier crossing point. By Dow Pursley.

John McIntosh 2/3rds the way across the glacier-sitting on the snow and ice to work on a loose crampon.

A look down part of the rock strewn glacier. By Dow Pursley.

The Turkish Blackhawk helicopter flies west of our rescue camp at 13,800 feet a day after the accident. By Dow Pursley.

Another picture of the helicopter. By Dow Pursley.

The rescue helicopter lands on a ridge north of us and about 500 feet above our camp. Two rescurers disembark. John McIntosh is in the foreground. By Dow Pursley.

A rescuer works his way across the ice north of us to reach our camp. By Dow Pursley.

Two rescuers--one carrying a collapsable sled stretcher--work their way toward John McIntosh and Dow Pursley They planned to strap John McIntosh onto the stretcher and pull him up the glacier. Before they could do this the Lord sent a strong, miracle updraft that allowed the helicopter to do a miracle hover on the edge of the cliff enabling a helicopter rescue. This was the highest helicopter rescue ever done on Ararat. By Dow Pursley.

A Turkish medic on the helicopter rips open John McIntosh's pant leg to treat the broken ankle. By Dow Pursley.

Landing at a military post John McIntosh is taken by ambulance, first to Dogubayazit near the base of the mountain-then to the University hospital in Erzurum-100 miles away.

Before the rescue-the heliocopter lands on the ridge 500 feet above our rescue camp. By Dow Pursley.

Another helicopter picture.

1989 'Ice Cave' or 'Eye of the Bird' research site. This was one of our research goals. Photo by Bob Garbe.

Tightening the load on the horse. Ouch!!! By John McIntosh.

Heading toward the S-SW face. By John McIntosh.

The research team: John Mc, Matthew K, Dow Pursley Ready to climb.

Matthew and Dow beginning the climb. By John McIntosh.

Dow crossing millions of loose volcanic rocks. By John McIntosh.

The steep ascent up Nightmare Ridge. Matthew and Dow. By John McIntosh.

Cold, cloudy, wet weather moves in during the climb. By John McIntosh.

Making an emergency overnight camp at 13,400 feet. Dow and Matthewhew. By John McIntosh.

Our emergency camp the next morning after a light snow fall. By John McIntosh.

Continuing the agonizing climb up NM Ridge. By John McIntosh.

Looking down the glacier at 14,800 feet. By John McIntosh.

John McIntosh and Dow Pursley cross the glacier at 14,800 feet. Where the snow darkens in front of John-extremely rock hard ice is encountered and problems begin. Photo by Matthew Kneisler.

Telephoto view of the s end of the 'Eye of the Bird'-a research objective. By John McIntosh.

John McIntosh at the bottom of the glacier the next morning after doing an emergency 1000 foot glisade (slide) down the glacier the day before--breaking his right ankle--camping solo overnight. The dashed line show the approximate glacier and slide routes. By Dow Pursley

Our survival Camp at the bottom of the glacier and near a 200-300 foot cliff. By John McIntosh.

Matthew and Dows emergency camp at the top of the glacier. By Matthew Kneisler.

Turkish news article of our rescue.

Distant view of our rescue camp, etc. By John McIntosh.

Matthew, Dow and Yavuz visit John in the University hospital. Why is everyone smiling!?! I was hurting!!!

An expedition poster of trips by John McIntosh.

A view of Mt Ararat from the north.

Elfred Lees painting of the "Invitation"

Another Turkish press news article of the rescue.

Turkish news article showing the helicopter crew, etc.

Turkish pess photo showing our survival camp at the bottom of the glacier and near the cliff.

Turkish press photo showing the helicopter landing on the ridge north and about 500 feet above us.