Ask a Guide: Why Turkey is the connoisseurs choice...

Ask a Guide: why Turkey is the connoisseurs choice…

Turkey isn't the first place most people think of when planning a ski touring holiday. For many, it's a destination associated with sunshine and beach resorts, rather than powder snow and big ski descents.

But head to the country's remote northeast, where the Kaçkar Mountains rise sharply above the Black Sea, and you'll discover an entirely different side of Turkey. Here, reliable snowfall, vast north-facing bowls and traditional tiny, mountain villages combine to create one of the most unique ski touring experiences anywhere in the world.

For Mountain Tracks guide Andrey, however, it's not just the skiing that keeps him coming back.

"What makes it so special is the vibe of the village. It's a summer village, so in winter it's completely abandoned. The rooftops are covered with more than a metre of snow, and competent skiers can literally ski between houses’.

Arriving in Yaylalar, our base for the tour, feels like stepping back in time. Apart from a handful of guesthouses catering for ski tourers, the village falls almost silent for the winter. The only sounds are the occasional pickup truck, the crunch of skis on snow and the call to prayer echoing from the mosque several times a day. Most locals only return in summer to escape the stifling heat of the cities.

A different kind of ski touring

Unlike many classic Alpine tours, the Kaçkars aren't about linking mountain huts or collecting famous summits. Instead, each day starts and finishes at the same family-run guesthouse, allowing guides to choose the best objectives based on the group's ability, the weather and the snow conditions.

"The whole philosophy of the trip is to ski quality snow and quality descents in quality terrain. We may only scale one summit, so it’s not about bagging peaks."

Each day typically involves between 1,000 and 1,300 metres of ascent, linking together broad bowls and neighbouring valleys. Some routes loop back to the village, while others finish further afield, where a pickup truck is waiting to collect the group.

For Andrey, that flexibility is one of the highlights of guiding here.

"As a guide, I like to involve people in the day planning. We sit around the map together, decide where we're going tomorrow, pick an area, and then choose the most beautiful line that suits the group's ability, fitness and the conditions."

More mountains, fewer people

One of the Kaçkars' greatest luxuries is space.

While many well-known ski touring destinations have become busier over the years, it's still possible here to spend an entire day seeing only one or two other groups.

"It's the opposite of crowded. You might see a couple of groups in the same mountain bowl, but you definitely have the whole slope to yourself."

The terrain itself is surprisingly alpine. Broad, north-facing bowls dominate the landscape, interspersed with perfectly spaced pine forests that come into their own after fresh snowfall. The emphasis is on enjoyable ski touring and high-quality descents, not steep couloirs or technical mountaineering objectives.

Life in the village

Each morning begins with a traditional Turkish breakfast spread - bread, vegetables, honey, a selection of local cheeses - before stepping outside and either skinning directly from the door or taking a short drive to a neighbouring valley.

In the evenings, groups gather around the wood-burning stove, reliving the day's skiing and deciding where to head next. The lodge, it's facilities and bedrooms, are simple, don't expect a hot tub and sauna!

Why Turkey?

Andrey has guided across Central Asia and the Caucasus, but believes the Kaçkars occupy a unique place among the world's ski touring destinations.

 “In Turkey, touring is still a novelty. It's still for the purist. It's back to the roots."

The greatest appeal of the Kaçkars is the sense of discovery they offer. This is a mountain range where you can spend the day touring through dramatic, untouched terrain without the crowds, infrastructure and familiar rhythms of the Alps. It feels less like visiting another ski destination and more like exploring somewhere that is still uncharted.