Cat Skiing Freeride Kaçkar Mountains
8-day Catski & Resort Off-piste Packages in Northeast Türkiye
Overview
One of the longest cat skiing lines in the world, a base in the heart of the Kaçkar Mountains surrounded by peaks reaching up to 3,500 metres, exceptional snow quality owing to the closeness of the Black Sea, and the care of IFMGA and TMF ski guides. These are just some of the highlights of a catskiing trip to Türkiye. Experience an unforgettable adventure across Turkey’s most snow-covered region!
Cat skiing packages are available from December to April, and tours have a maximum of 12 skiers/snowboarders. Week-long tours run on varying dates and include 4 or 5-days of cat skiing and 1 or 2-days resort freeriding, but all start & finish in the city of Erzurum. All meals, transfers & transport are included from the moment you are met at the airport. You will be blown away by the fabulous Turkish cuisine and a final farewell gala dinner on the last night which is spent in the fascinating city of Erzurum.
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Location & Transfers
For cat-skiing, the lodge & base are located in the Kaçkar Mountains in the village of Olgunlar in north-eastern Türkiye. The closest major city & airport is Erzurum, around 4hr drive away. Each tour will start and finish in a hotel in Erzurum. All ground transport from/to Erzurum airport, the local hotel & the cat-ski lodge is included in the package. Erzurum Airport (ERZ) can be reached by domestic flight from Istanbul (IST). Direct flights to Istanbul are from most major European, Nth American & Middle-eastern airports.
Ski Terrain, Vertical & Itinerary
With the fifth highest peak in the country (Kaçkar Dagi 3,931meters), the Kaçkar Mountains are the highest part of the Pontic Mountains in eastern Türkiye. The home base for the cat-skiing part of the tour is in the very heart of these mountains, in the small village of Olgunlar, situated at 2,140m altitude. This is where the road stops, the fun begins, and all one can see around are high mountains with peaks up to 3,500m. The ski terrain here has everything, but tours will mostly utilise the huge amounts of wide-open alpine bowls with an average slope of 25 degrees, allowing for good avalanche safety. For greater challenges when the snow is stable, there are a lot of couloirs going down into the valley. Some are steep, narrow and rocky, while others are wider and longer. Well-spaced woodland serves as a safety net when visibility is low.
Depending on the tour program chosen, one or two days will also be spent exploring the off-piste terrain at Konakli Ski Resort and/or Palandöken Ski Resort (combined as Ejder 3000) near Erzurum. These ski areas provide some excellent inbounds & lift-accessed sidecountry freeride terrain in a high alpine setting.
To view the full programs, see the Itinerary tab.
Snow Quality
The season lasts from end of December to end of April. The highest, cold, dry snowfall (powder) is until end of March. In April, the snow becomes more stable and allows descents of the steepest slopes. It's also a great time to combine freeriding and ski-touring
Lodging & Meals
Lodging on each tour is split between 2 or 3 nights in a quality hotel in Erzurum, and 4 or 5 nights at the cat-skiing base in Olgunlar.
During winter, the village of Olgunlar has only one building remaining open: your guesthouse, Kaçkar Pansiyon, located at the 'end of the road' surrounded by peaks over 3,500m. In contrast, the neighbouring village of Yaylarar, where the group will frequently finish their freeride, has a grocery shop and roughly 50 residents in winter. The tour includes 4 or 5 nights in a double room at the Kackar Pension, a charming place with numerous double/twin rooms. Each room has an en-suite bathroom, but the shower doesn’t have a shower 'cabin', which may be unusual for some. 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). Afternoons are spent in the hotel lounge. There is WIFI, but the signal isn’t very strong, so it doesn’t always work. Most of the time, you have to go out to a nearby hill to talk on the phone. The guesthouse is maintained by a local 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. Lunch is usually taken picnic style in the field and includes large meat or vegetarian sandwiches. This is Türkiye - no one goes hungry!
You can't buy alcohol at the pension, but guests can order different types of alcoholic drinks and the owner of the pension will bring it up from the larger nearby town.
First and last night will be spent in Erzurum at the Grand Çatalkaya Hotel (or other hotel of similar standard), a high-quality hotel in the heart of Erzurum, where they provide delicious and varied cuisine. A gala farewell dinner is included in the tour price.
Snowcats & Guides
Turkey Snowcats operates two new Pistenbully snowcats with cabins for 15 people (only 12 guests per tour though). One is used for the day's tour, whilst the second is a backup snowcat, which is prudent given the remote nature of the location.
Snowmobiles are on hand to assist in any emergencies or breakdowns that may occur.
All guides have expert local knowledge & are qualified with the TMF (Turkish Mountaineering Federation) or IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations). Guide to clients ratio is 1:6
Ski Ability & Equipment
It is without question that you need to be experienced in off-piste skiing to participate in this tour. The Kaçkar mountains are not the place to take your first turns off the pre-prepared piste. The correct shape and fitness level means that you:
• can finish three 1,000-meter-vertical descent ski rides a day in variable snow conditions.
• can enjoy a dramatic and trouble-free ride on prepared and groomed black-track slopes, which may include areas that are both steep and narrow.
• have intermediate or advanced off-piste skiing experience and can ski easily and quickly in different snow conditions in open terrain (broad terrain) & woodland with slopes of up to 25 degrees and couloirs with slopes of up to 35 degrees without falling.
Good knowledge of how to use your avalanche safety equipment is essential.
Each group will be divided according to their level and expectations, so that everyone gets the kind of skiing they feel comfortable with. You need to bring all of your own ski and snowboard equipment.
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