Heading to ski Erciyes (more or less pronounced Er-jyes) in Türkiye was a no-brainer for us. Having visited the region previously on a late summer trip several years ago, we knew that even if the snow & ski experience turned out to be rubbish, the cultural & food experience would more than make up for it. Turns out the skiing was great fun & with massive potential to be even better. Plus the combined hospitality, food, service & cultural experience was as expected - nothing short of exceptional.

When it snows at Erciyes you can expect empty pistes with fabulous grooming, plus vast low-angle off-piste freeride terrain where the only tracks being made will likely be by you! Doesn’t get better than that.

First thing in the morning, the Hacilar sector (pronounced Haj-e-lar) provides a fabulous 850m of skiable vertical from the modern Lifos gondola & Hitit 6-seater chair. Glorious views toward Kayseri in front and the peak of Erciyes Daği behind make for spectacular riding when the sun is out. Fun descents of over 5km (on or off-piste) are easy to do on slopes that are low angle enough to be avalanche safe even in the most treacherous of conditions. On piste the slopes 1 and 1b combined are perfect for letting rip.

Mid-morning we recommend indulging in a warming drink of salep. A sweetened, traditional beverage, it is made with milk and salep powder (from the ground tubers of orchids) then topped with cinnamon. It will simultaneously warm, sooth and fill your belly.

Beyond Hacilar sector, there are wonderful beginner to advanced pistes across the resort. The majority of novices begin their skiing journey at the Tekir gate, riding the conveyors and gondola. An impressive mosque located across the road provides one of the more unusual skiing backdrops I have ever experienced.

Experienced ski tourers can climb the 3,917m summit and ride the backcountry terrain back into the resort. A series of interesting alpine bowls & couloirs off the Ottoman lift provide all sorts of freeride shenanigans for those willing to explore a little.

With 4 main base areas (‘gates’) but easily accessible accommodation at only two of them, we stayed in amongst a cluster of new hotels across the road from Develi at Hotel DAS 3917. A full-service hotel, DAS 3917 sets a high standard for accommodation, service, facilities, and dining. Watching the chefs making börek by spinning the delicate pastry above their heads was one of an endless array of culinary delights. When the mountain was shut down due to a ferocious blizzard that dumped nearly a metre of cold, dry snow on the mountain, the hotel was an absolute haven. Having slightly injured my back I availed myself of the massage service and hammam facilities. Suffice to say I was all good to go for the bluebird powder day after the storm. A massive endorsement indeed.

On weekends there is a spirited après ski scene at the various lift bases, but particularly at Develi. Alcohol is quite costly, but such is life!

There is an amusing risk-averse resort management here and throughout the country's ski areas. In a sport replete with risk, laugh out loud moments included requests over the resort's loudspeaker system pleading to guests, "Do not cause unexpected accidents". Says it all really.

Getting to the mountain is straight forward from Kayseri airport via a magnificent dual carriageway road. Flights to Kayseri are all via Istanbul. We took an early morning flight from Istanbul and were in the resort hotel well before lunch. Your hotel or tour operator can arrange transport from the airport, or one can just get a taxi once you land. Prices are clearly listed at the taxi rank to ensure you are not taken advantage of!

Worth knowing is that Erciyes is a treeless lone peak dominating the landscape and exposed to everything that nature can throw at it. The proportion of rocky to snow-covered terrain is certainly dependent on the strength and direction of the wind. It is not unusual for the lifts to not run during the worst winter storms, but that’s ok because you probably won’t be able to see anything anyway. Lift infrastructure was apparently designed by an Austrian firm and as such is generally modern and well sited. However the lacklustre speed of the linking lifts between the Hisarcik (pronounced He-sar-jik) and Hacilar (pronounced Haj-e-lar) sectors is baffling and makes for quite a long, chilly ride during mid-winter. Another question mark hangs over the utilisation of the Ottoman chair. As the highest lifted point and provider of access to the best off-piste and steep terrain, it is unfortunate that the lift only runs intermittently. As freeride skier numbers slowly increase in the resort, we expect the Ottoman lift to run more regularly. If it is not running and snow conditions look good, break out the skins and explore it anyway.

Ski lift tickets are sold on a per ride basis. Relatively cheap by western European standards, working out which one to purchase (i.e. how many rides) will largely depend on the length of you stay.

If a visit to ski Erciyes is your first time in Türkiye, we recommend combining the skiing with a few days in Istanbul at the start of the trip, and then a few days in Cappadocia exploring Goreme and surrounds at the end of the trip. Bring skins to explore beyond the ski lifts and burn off all the calories you will ingest eating in this fabulous country.

The people of Türkiye have suffered greatly as a result of the massive earthquakes during last February. Tourism is one way we can assist in improving the country’s economic circumstances to help rebuild the victims’ lives. Ski Türkiye.

See what we think about the full pros & cons of the ski resort on the Erciyes overview page.

One "right day" is all it takes to be sold on Erciyes, and I was lucky enough to experience it. Fresh, dry powder with very few off-piste skiers made for an excellent day full of clean, shin to thigh-deep lines.

While waiting for this day there is so much to explore including (but not limited to): Hamam's (Turkish bath - get a bubble scrub!), Cappadocia, Kayseri, and options on offer at superb hotels conveniently located opposite the resort.

Skiing Turkey requires knowledge and contacts for transport, flexibility and understanding of options at or around resorts. The food, tradition and culture experiences are amazing. One small example is "Salep", a hot milk drink with cinnamon thickened with flour made from orchid tubers. One BIG example is the natural and human influenced environment of Cappadocia in winter. It's impossible to describe or capture in a photograph. Having been to Turkey before (but not in winter) I really enjoyed the whole experience, the bonus was some powder skiing.