Shortly after your arrival, you will visit one of the best freeride resorts in all of Turkey. After a good lunch you will drive to the heart of the Kackar mountains where you will find one of the longest cat skiing lines in the world, a mountain base in the heart of the Kaçkar Mountains surrounded by peaks reaching up to 3,500 meters, exceptional snow quality owing to the closeness of the Black Sea, and the care of a certificated guide. These are just some of the highlights of a catskiing trip to Turkey. Experience an unforgettable adventure across Turkey’s most snow-covered region!

Erzurum (1st day of trip) – Erzurum – is a city of more than 700,000 residents located 1,900 meters above sea level surrounded by the Palandoken mountain range reaching 3,271 (m.a.s.l.). The highest peak is located only about 10km from the city center! And speaking about the center, we have to mention the great local restaurants (Cağ Kebab is a specialty) and monuments such as the 13th century citadel fortress and the Grand Mosque

Kackar Mountains (the rest days of the camp) – With Kackar Dagi (3931 meters), the fifth highest peak in Turkey, the Kackar Mountains are the highest part of the Pontic Mountains. Our base is in the town of Olgunlar. This is where the road stops, and all we can see around us are high mountains with peaks of 3,500m.

• Mostly wide open terrains with an average slope of 25 degrees
• There are a lot of couloirs going down the valley. Some are steep and rocky, while others are wider and longer.
• Distant, sparse woodland that serves as a safety net when visibility is low

Right next to Olgunlar is the second village of Yaylarar, where we also have a guesthouse. It is here that you will find a mini market where you can buy local products, and the owner opens it to order 😉

5 nights in a twin room at the heart of Kackar Mountains.

Our guests are accommodated at the Kackar Pension in Olgunlar or at the Altiparmak Pension in Yaylarar. Both facilities of the same size and standard:

• a total of 15 double rooms are available (of which 2 with double beds and 13 with two single beds)
• Each room has its own bathroom – the shower doesn’t have a shower cabin, which is unusual for many
• Mountains surround both guesthouses
• The standard is hostel-like, however guests have given the facility a high rating overall (9.6 on booking.com and 4.6 on google maps).
• After skiing, there is a large lounge where we do briefing for the next day, watch freeride movies. There is also Wifi in the facilities (after heavy snowfall/bad weather Wifi doesn’t work) and mobile range.
• The guesthouses is maintained by a single family, and breakfasts are served buffet style, with largely farm-fresh goods such as butter, cheese, and jams. Dinners are usually made up of two courses, so everyone will leave feeling full.

2 nights in a twin room in the center of Erzurum

You will stay 2 nights (the day before departure and the day after arrival) in a high-quality hotel in the center of Erzurum.

Most often our guests are accommodated at the Grand Çatalkaya Hotel (or a hotel of similar standard). Each room has a spacious bathroom and an amazing buffet breakfast – there are more than a dozen products to choose from. Dinners, on the other hand, are eaten at two different restaurants in the city center, where the food is really great!

• Guiding by a ski guide from the Turkish Mountaineering Federation (TMF) or IVBV/IFMGA
• 5 nights in twin rooms in the middle of the Kackar Mountains in Turkey
• 2 night in a high-standard hotel in the Erzurum’s city centre
• 7 buffet breakfasts (5 in Kackar Pension, 2 in Erzurum Hotel)
• 7 two-course dinners (include 2 great dinners in Eruzurum’s restaurants)
• 1 lunch (first day) in skiresort’s restaurant and 6 lunch packages (in Kackar Mountains)
• 5 days full of cat skiing in Kackar Mountains
• 1-day skipass for freeride around Erzurum skiresorts (one of the best offpiste skiing from lift in Turkey)
• 2 hours presentation of the terrain, first aid and avalanche risks
• Transfers: airport – Eruzurm hotel, Erzurum hotel – skiresort, skiresort – Kackar Pension, Kackar Pension – Erzurum hotel, Erzurum hotel – airport
• Spare snowcat ready to go! If a snowcat breaks down, the group moves right away to a second one. No one misses a day in Powder Days!
• Snowmobile: If someone gets hurt, we are the only providers in Yaylarar with a sled and a snowmobile to get them to a hospital.
• Pieps Avalanche gear (shovel, probe, transceiver)
• Gift from Turkey SnowCats
• Unlimited Turkish tea 😉

The price not includes

• Insurance for extreme sports (freeride) including rescue helicopter action
• Avalanche backpack – is mandatory in Kackar Mountains. If you don’t have it we will rent it for you – Jetforce 25L – 10euro/per day
• Single room – 30euro/per day
• Tips
• Alcohol 😉

The Snowcat Freeride Camp in Turkey is for those who:

• Are in correct shape and fitness level, which means that they can finish three 1,000-meter-high ski rides a day in variable snow conditions.
• They easily ride on black ski slopes.  Have intermediate or advanced off-piste skiing experience, which means they can ski easily and quickly in different snow conditions in open terrain (broad terrain) with slopes of up to 35 degrees and in woodland and couloirs with slopes of up to 25 degrees without falling
• Good knowledge of avalanche safety and gears

Would you like to personalize the camp to your needs and skills? Write to us, and we’ll make you a special offer.

Day 1

• At 8:00 PM — we’ll pick you up at the airport in Erzurum and take you to the hotel in center. We will go to town for nice dinner

Day 2

• 7:30 to 8:30 — Buffet breakfast
• 9:00 to 15:00 — freeride in Konakli or Paladoken ski resorts (we choose a ski-resort based on snow conditions)
• 15:00 – lunch in the restaurant and transfer to Kackar Mountains
• 20:00 — Two-course meal in Pension
• 21:00 — Briefing for next day

Day 3-6

• 7:30 to 8:30 — Buffet breakfast
• 9:00 to 15:00 — on the first day, we do avalanche and safety training (around 2-3 hours). After that, we get on the snowcat and just like on the other days, explore our beautiful area (forest, couloirs, and, most importantly, open steep slopes with an average angle of 25-35 degrees). In case of bad weather, we have a large, sparsely forested area right next to us. We will spend most of our time riding in the valley between the Yüncüler Pass and the town of Yaylarar, which has many amazing lines.
• 18:30 — Two-course dinner
• 20:30 — Summary of the day and briefing for the next day

Day 7

• 6:00 to 7:00 — Buffet breakfast
• 7:30 to 13:00 — Last day of catskiing
• 14:00 to 18:00 — Transfer to the hotel in Erzurum
• 18:30 — Accommodation in a high-quality hotel in the city centre and a fancy dinner

Day 8 

• 7:00 to 9:00 — breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, the guests get transferred to the airport.

Please keep in mind that the guide has the right to change the route and schedule of the trip based on the weather, snow conditions, and the skills of the group.

Is it possible to book a place as a single person?

• Of course, at each camp we divide the group into two smaller ones so that the level of people and expectations are similar. You can have as well single room if need it (it cost extra – 30euro/per day)

Can I book an individual camp?

• Sure! You can book a camp at the price shown above if you gather 10 individuals. However, if you can gather a group (12 people) then each participant will receive a 10% discount! If you would like to book an individual camp with a smaller group or a customized programme, please ask us for an individual offer.

When is the best skiing season?

• The season starts from mid-December and ends end of April! The biggest snowfalls (powder) are in middle of December, January, February and first half of march – this is the best time for powder freeride. From mid of march till end of march is the best time for our best longest and steepest lines! For mix skitouring & catskiing or only skitouring (with 1-morning snowcat ride) the best period is from mid march till end of april.

When do you have to pay the deposit?

• The deposit must be paid within 7 days of registration and the remaining amount 60 days before the planned ski camp.

What is the level of experience of the participants?

• It is without question that you need to be experienced in off-piste skiing, the Kackar mountains are not the place to take your first off piste turns. We divide each group according to their level and expectations, so that everyone gets the kind of skiing they feel comfortable with, but the terrain is steep (and super fun at the same time).