The road to Erzurum. Photo courtesy of Nadezhda Chipeff.

Each year is a tossup come the time to decide just how much time to dedicate to winter ski holidays.

Heading to the Alps, Canada, or the United States, may seem like an extended holiday, but then again, after a while, it may also start feeling like you’re eating the same bowl of soup every day. Continue reading ‘Skiing in Turkey: Erzurum is far away from Courchevel’

Since the 1980′s Turkey’s tourism industry has grown from 1.2 million annual visits to more than 26.4 million in 2005.

The explosive growth has lead the state to continue aggressively investing in tourism infrastructure in a bid to becoming a world leader.

In doing so, along the way, it is spending considerable amountsof of capital to improve ski resorts, and its winter infrastructure to the level of Courchevel and Val d’Isere in Europe. The rate of development is quite simply appalling.

Continue reading ‘Turkey’s tourism transformation continues with ski resort modernization’

Artist's rendering of the Deepo Shopping Centre in Istanbul.

SkiRebel.com has learned that Acer Snowmec has begun work on Turkey’s first new indoor snow centre.

The Snow Park will be part of the new Deepo Shopping Centre opening in Istanbul. It will be heavily themed with an ice cavern and interlinked towers with rope bridges making for an exciting interactive snow fun centre for children and adults.

It will incorporate a 70m (230ft)-long main slope plus a 20m (66ft) beginners slope and 10m (33ft) toboggan slope. For the more adventurous there will be a 90m (295ft) ice slide which meanders from the highest level and ends in front of the glazed curtain walling to the shopping Mall. There is a smaller twin Ice Slide for the younger children from an intermediate plateau level at 30m (100ft) long again terminating in front of the glazed viewing area.

Continue reading ‘Turks to get their first snow dome’

Uludağ is currently one of Turkey's top ski resorts.

Although some North American and European resorts have gone under recently, hundreds of new ski centres have opened in Eastern Europe and in Asia over the past decade, and more are coming.

SkiRebel.com has learned that Turkish government ministers have announced plans to open up to 40 small ski centres across the mountainous east and south east of the country over the next two years.

The first ski areas are due to be built on the slopes of the Sümbül Mountain in Hakkari and on Harsi (Ovacık) Mountain in Tunceli. They are expected to be complete by the end of the year and open for the 2010-2011 season. More ski areas are reported to be under construction in Turkey’s Ardahan, Van and Ağrı provinces. Existing ski centers in Siirt, Muş and Bitlis are being upgraded as part of the programme.

Continue reading ‘Turkish government unveils plans for dozens of new ski centres’

Uludağ ski area: not exactly what most people would picture when you say 'Turkish village'.

The Turkish government seems dedicated to put its country’s best ski resort on the map.

After suffering little new investment for half a century, the Turkish resort Uludağ, located south of Istanbul in Bursa province, should see dramatic improvements in the next few years thanks to a government initiative. The hope is to see it become a rival to resorts like Davos in Switzerland.

Continue reading ‘Turning Turkey’s Uludağ ski area “into a Davos”’

North America – west of the Rockies, has finally received huge snowfalls in the past few days after a largely warm and dry January, dramatically improving conditions. Scotland has its best conditions so far this winter with virtually all runs open and Sweden has also received a big powder boost.
Natural snowfall over the past week in Viet Nam and in the United Arab Emirates has been declared a “once in a generation” occurrence in both of the normally hot countries. In Viet Nam a thin layer of snow was deposited on Mau Son Mountain and in the United Arab Emirates, the northern emirate of Ras al Khaimah reported that a three mile wide area in its Jebel Jais mountain range received four inches (10cm) of snow on Friday, “a situation so rare that the local dialect doesn’t even have a word for it.” according to media reports.
Excitement is mounting ahead of the start of the World Alpine Skiing Championships in Val d’Isere next week. But after good falls of snow in the French Alps last week, the snow gods have shifted their attention back to this season’s favourite region, the Pyrenees, in recent days with 13 powder alarms in the French Pyrenees yesterday (Tuesday, January 27th) alone. Cauterets received a huge 145cm (nearly five feet) of fresh snow in the past week.
Elsewhere in the Pyrenees another 50cm (20 inches) of snow fell across Andorra’s mountains on Monday continuing the superb season there,

We have a lot of snow this winter , it’s fantastic and I hope skiers will continue to come until the first of May,”

said Ski Andorra’s Marta Rotes.
In Eastern Europe Bulgaria received 20cm (eight inches) of fresh snow at the weekend, further improving conditions there.

In Western North America the roller coaster season continues to swing between the dry warm weather that dominated before Christmas and mid-January and has now returned to the heavy snowfall of late December. In California Mammoth mountain reported five feet (1.5m) of snow accumulating over four days and in Colorado Steamboat reports that it is “drowning in powder.”
Back in Europe and North America where snow falls in unusually heavy quantities, the avalanche risk is often high and there are normally warnings in place against venturing in to the mountains until conditions improve. Avalanche deaths in the past week have include three walkers in the mountains of Scotland and ten climbers in Turkey.

Istanbulities can now enjoy indoor skiing in the Turkish capital thanks to the opening of the Dome, a new indoor ski centre with a ski simulator.
This winter, you will find snow and opportunity to learn ski in an hour by visiting The Dome. Beginners are being welcomed to try the simulator, which charges 70 Turkish Lire per 30 minutes tuition with equipment rental are free of charge.
The Dome indoor ski centre also has a cafe, billiards room, championship simulator and other activities.