 Poster: A snowHead
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03-13 January 2022
Got the opportunity to accompany Jonny Richards (no relation), Editor-At-Large for Fall Line Skiing Magazine on a trip to Turkey taking in
Ovit Mountain Backcounty
https://www.ovitmountain.com/
Then with these guys to whichever resorts are best, most likely Palandoken, Erciyes, Sarikamis
https://www.skiturkish.com/en/
So far
Bus
National Express
Cardiff - Stansted return
£40 (plus £10 for ski bag)
Flight
Pegaus Airlines
Stansted - Trabzon ; Erzurum - Stansted
£158 (Free carriage on the way out; £30 on the way back)
I'd booked 20kg checked luggage each way for an additional cost. Won't do that again.
Insurance
BMC, 11 days
£94
No PCR or LFT needed for entry in to Turkey as long as you're fully vaccinated
Pre-ordered PCR for return code for £20
Expert Medicals
Ovit has 59cm forecast
https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Ovit-Mountain/6day/mid
Will try to update as we go 
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 29-01-22 16:55; edited 3 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Result!!!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sounds great 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks Mike. Can't wait for your next report.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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DAY 1
Uneventful and slick bus journey to Stansted.
Pegasus great.
Bag came in at 18.7 kg and they waived the ski carriage.
Had three seats to myself on both legs of the journey.
No way to charge phone during flight so if you have documents digitally on phone make sure you have battery power for getting through passport control.
Stayed at Air Suite Hotel, Trabzon for the night
2 bedroom apartment
£15
100 yards from arrivals area
DAY 2
Ovit sent a driver to the hotel this morning to bring us up to the mountains (£65 rt)
Then snowcat for the last 8km to the lodge.
Brand new lodge (2nd season of operation)
Spacious, comfortable
Great guest rooms
Hasn’t stopped snowing since we arrived
35cm and counting (10pm)
No sign of stopping but blowing a Gale
Will be interesting to see if there’s any play tomorrow
EDIT
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYlC2C2qtLL/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYn6YkLDmAc/
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sat 15-01-22 10:09; edited 2 times in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sounds fantastic!
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DAY 3
Always listen to your guide.
After a wild night and snow loading up to 1m in places, we woke to clear skies and barely a breath of wind.
The three of us set off at 7am skinning above the hotel, accompanied by two dogs.
Gentle track and gentle pace (we started at 2640m) and as the sun crested the peaks we were in place to ski back to the hotel for breakfast.
Light, fast, stable and deep.
After breakfast we went back to the same zone but this time we were ferried up by snowmobile. Pretty wild at times.
Skiing was still great.
Long lunch then went out to catch sunset up high.
Glorious
Cracking first day.
EDIT
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYqwXR2jfcu/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYttCr3KUow/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYwDBckKrCj/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY1h9BkDfo6/
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 24-01-22 10:14; edited 3 times in total
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| Quote: |
| Glorious. Cracking first day |
Photos? (Otherwise we won't believe you're there  )
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Didn’t bring my computer with me
So will have to wait until my return
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
Didn’t bring my computer with me
So will have to wait until my return |
No phone???
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
Didn’t bring my computer with me
So will have to wait until my return |
No phone??? |
RAW files which need editing
Video which definitely needs editing
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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DAY 4
Started the day with a tour again.
Quicker on the up because the skin track was consolidated.
Climbed to a vantage point where you could see the Black Sea then 800m of vert in boot top powder back to a late breakfast.
The afternoon was spent doing snow sled shuttles of some north facing slopes for around 250m a lap.
Sun was out all day, the snow was fast & smooth.
Cracking second day
EDIT
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY3EM4QDoJ5/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY53ePzKaxD/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY9CyE4jP6q/
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Mon 24-01-22 10:13; edited 1 time in total
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Uhhhhh highly envious!  Can't wait for the photos.
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You know it makes sense.
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DAY 5
Pre-dawn sled assisted ski tour to the cirque lining the south facing slopes above the hotel.
Lasha, our Georgian guide, Jonny and myself touring above the drop off zone.
Çaka, the owner and sled driver, and Armi, videographer, filming us by drone on the up & down.
Amazing light and fantastic turns.
800m vert on our first run.
Then a second sled shuttle to the staging area from which Jonny and I toured up to the area we hit yesterday.
Spot of late breakfast then another 800m vert run back to the hotel.
Magic.
Long, relaxing lunch then we had 4 sled laps (no touring) of approx 350m vertical in the ‘Lakeside’ area.
Interesting, varied turns through rock gullies and natural half pipes down to the frozen lake.
One of the best days skiing I’ve had.
Cracking third and final day at Ovit Mountain.
EDIT
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY_3YHdD1RU/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZCl7KhjKN8/
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Mon 24-01-22 10:17; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Chock guzel ( sp)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Great, interesting thread. Thanks Mike
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Please scroll back through this thread.
I've added links to images and video from my Instagram account for the relevant days.
Will continue to add links and continue the TR as and when I process the images and video.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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DAY 6
PUNTO TO PALANDOKEN
We were very sad to leave Ovit Mountain (@ovitofficial) but new adventures awaited us further east at the mountain resort of Palandoken (@ejder3200) overlooking the city of Erzurum
The Prinoth snowcat (@prinoth_snowgroomers) took us on the snow covered road back to the highway, where we met our transfer to Palandoken
Not quite what we were expecting for the 2.5 hr drive, a Fiat Punto!
3 grown men; 2 ‘coffin’ ski/snowboard bags; and a couple of duffles & backpacks were finally squashed into place and we were on our way
For a while at least
About 40 mins into the journey we got a flat tyre which our driver had to change roadside on a mountain pass
Thank goodness it was sunny and dry
The rest of the trip was uneventful as we watched the snow covered landscape whiz by our windows
We arrived at our base for the remainder of our visit, the Palan Otel (@otelpalan), at lunchtime and met up with the wonderful Erdem of @skiturkish who’d planned our itinerary for the coming days
The peak of Palandoken loomed large over the base area and we couldn’t wait to hit the slopes
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZE2R8Vjr95/
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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DAY 7
PALANDOKEN - DAY TO NIGHT
After a wonderful buffet lunch at the Palan Otel (@otelpalan) and a quick change into our gear, Erdem of @skiturkish, Jonny (@gawsworthhall) & I headed to the Palandoken (@ejder3200) base area to meet up with Mesut, a former ski racer now working in Mountain Operations, who would give us a quick tour of the mountain
We did a few laps of the frontside of the mountain before heading off the back of the gondola to ski the 12km run which offers the best views of the area
After Mesut clocked off, Jonny & I continued to lap the gondola watching the sun set on the mountain and the extensive & varied night skiing operations firing up
The groomed runs were in great shape with a combination of wind blown powder and unpisted artificial snow
And as the videos show, it was deserted
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZHvftnjHIo/
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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DAY 8
SARIKAMIS
107th MARCH FOR THE MARTYRS OF THE BATTLE OF SARIKAMIS
A pre-dawn start to the day as Erdem (@skiturkish) had organised for us to join a convoy of buses traveling from Erzurum to the eastern town of Sarikamis to commemorate the martyrs of the World War I Battle of Sarikamis
The 1914 battle against Russia’s Caucasus Army claimed the lives of nearly 90,000 Ottoman Turkish soldiers due to bitter cold
The 4.5km memorial route was patrolled by soldiers from the Turkish Army in full winter dress, watching over the 50,000 in attendance
This annual commemoration is very important to the people of this region
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZKYqasD_Ba/
IN THE TREES
After watching the March For The Martyrs we headed out of town to the picturesque Sarikamis Ski Resort (@kayakmerkezisarikamis)
Located high above the town and the surrounding plains, the resort is set amongst a pine forest with tree lined pistes and extensive off-piste gladed areas
After the alpine grandeur of Palandoken it was great to be back in the trees
The terrain and layout of the resort reminded me of Rusutsu Resort (@rusutsuresort_official) on Hokkaido, Japan
The snow wasn’t dissimilar either
All natural snow on piste, dry boot top powder in the trees
The resort skis much bigger than it looks on the piste map and represents one of, if not THE, best value in skiing
110 Turkish Lira for the day, which at the moment equates to just over £7 / under 10 euros
Sarikamis would be a great choice for families and/or mixed ability groups with high quality ski-in ski-out accommodation at very reasonable prices and terrain to suit all ability levels
And if it snows, which it does regularly, the hooded lifts provide cover on the way up and the tree lined runs aid visibility on the way down
Erdem (@skiturkish) introduced us to Bora Kanber, General Manager of @sarikamiskayiresortotel built in the past two years which would be the perfect base for an extended stay at the resort
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZMI5m7DhUr/
KARS
IN GOOD COMPANY
After a fantastic day at Sarikamis (@kayakmerkezisarikamis), Erdem (@skiturkish) enlisted the services of Ahmet to take us to the city of Kars for dinner
On Ahmet’s recommendation we dined at Pushkin Restaurant & Cafe (@karspushkinrestaurant) sitting in the shadow of Kars Castle
On the menu for the evening, the specialty of the house, Roast Goose
Delicious
We couldn’t stay for the Traditional Turkish Music & Dancing floor show as we had to get back to Palandoken before the falling snow made the roads too dangerous
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZO6w2sDtdD/
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mike, as usual your optimistic reports make me salivate
Two questions:
I take a family, and we don’t like packing and repacking. Would you recommend one of these places for a whole week, with blues reds and the odd black? Or are they small, 2-3 days only?
And, are they European style pistes where insurance don’t like you going even 5m to one side, or are they more North American style areas, where anyone can go anywhere “inbounds”?
Thanks!
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For anyone picking up this thread and unsure... think day-passes for under £7 (thanks to £ being so good vv Turkish Lira). Yes, you read that right - lunch and ski all day (on high speed lifts in places like Sarikamis and Palandoken) for under a tenner.
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@Mike Pow, sounds a brilliant trip, very envious reading this in snow-starved Serre Chevalier #bootontheotherfootnow
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Orange200 wrote: |
Mike, as usual your optimistic reports make me salivate
Two questions:
I take a family, and we don’t like packing and repacking. Would you recommend one of these places for a whole week, with blues reds and the odd black? Or are they small, 2-3 days only?
And, are they European style pistes where insurance don’t like you going even 5m to one side, or are they more North American style areas, where anyone can go anywhere “inbounds”?
Thanks! |
Palandoken is the larger of the two areas
We skied there for 4 days when the snow wasn't stellar and I really enjoyed it. The top lift wasn't open either.
If you don't mind repeating runs then there's plenty to keep you occupied for a week.
If you can see it, ski it. Loads of off-piste right off the lifts.
Great area to learn how to ski off-piste.
Sarikamis is smaller, but skis really big. If you like / can ski trees and you're in a storm cycle you could ski untracked powder for a week.
And great area to learn to ski trees.
Best bet would be to have 3-4 days in both.
Hope that helps.
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| Weathercam wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, sounds a brilliant trip, very envious reading this in snow-starved Serre Chevalier #bootontheotherfootnow |
Thanks
It was excellent
Can't wait to return. So many resorts.
Would make a tremendous road trip.
Fingers crossed for snow for you.
Heading to Avoriaz tomorrow. Storm rolling in on Monday.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
| ....Heading to Avoriaz tomorrow. Storm rolling in on Monday..... |
Windy yes, but not too much in the way of snow 10cm tops ?
Mind you that would constitute a major snowfall down here the way it's been so far this season
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Weathercam wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
| ....Heading to Avoriaz tomorrow. Storm rolling in on Monday..... |
Windy yes, but not too much in the way of snow 10cm tops ?
Mind you that would constitute a major snowfall down here the way it's been so far this season |
+10 cm is always preferable to -10 cm
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Are you also going to ski in neighbor resort Konakli?
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You know it makes sense.
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MikePow and I were booked to ski Konakli, but did not make it as the resort was closed due to high winds. We tried on x2 days, but our luck was out... having said that Palandoken was running and skiing well, and the night skiing is superb. The best anywhere outside of Japan's north island in my view.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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DAY 9
PALANDOKEN
FADE TO GREY
Between 5-10cm of wind blown new snow across the resort, but high winds and almost zero visibility saw us calling it a day just after 1pm
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZRB5qXjDBA/?utm_medium=copy_link
ERZURUM
CITY SCENES
Erdem (@skiturkish), Jonny (@gawsworthhall) and I took the 10-minute hotel shuttle ride into the city to visit the Congress of Erzurum where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of the Turkish Republic, laid the foundations for the republic
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZUV-31DSfd/?utm_medium=copy_link
ERZURUM
CAG KEBAP AT KOC KEBAP
Erdem (@skiturkish), Jonny (@gawsworthhall) and I took the 10-minute hotel shuttle to Erzurum to try the speciality of the area, Cag Kebab
Mouth-watering marinated lamb meat on a rotating spit
Thicker than the better-known doner, this delicacy is cooked on a horizontal spit, thus retaining much more of its juice and flavour
They even let me butcher the lamb
Literally
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZWTn0mAxZt/?utm_medium=copy_link
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Poster: A snowHead
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DAY 10
PALANDOKEN
IT’S NOT MUCH, BUT IT’S HOME
We had planned to visit the second resort in the @ejder3200 ski area, Konakli, but high winds kept it closed for the second day
So we explored the abandoned building above the gondola top station at Palandoken instead
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZ0g9Vs84J/?utm_medium=copy_link
PALANDOKEN
INBOUNDS AVALANCHE
After exploring the abandoned building we went looking for powder underneath the gondola at Palandoken (@ejder3200)
We traversed across to one of the main gullies and found our powder, but Jonny (@gawsworthhall) also triggered a small avalanche which took him for a 100m ride
Thankfully it wasn’t deep and it didn’t cause him any harm but it was a wake up call that the snow hadn’t bonded to the old sun & wind affected layer
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcSKJ4Drtz/?utm_medium=copy_link
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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DAY 12
TURKEY
AND THAT’S A WRAP
What a fantastic first visit to the Anatolia region of eastern Turkey
Fantastic snow conditions; impressive terrain and scenery; the warmest of welcomes; fabulous food; and interesting experiences on and off mountain
Many thanks to Jonny Richards, Editor-at-Large for Fall-Line Skiing Magazine (@falllinemag), for the invite
To the crew at Ovit Mountain (@ovitofficial) for pulling out all the stops during our stay
And to Erdem at @skiturkish for organising such a diverse itinerary at Palandoken (@ejder3200) and Sarikamis (@kayakmerkezisarikamis)
I can’t recommend a winter holiday to Turkey highly enough
To quote Arnold, “I’ll Be Back”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZtO5GjjXX7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Fantastic report as always Mike.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Many thanks
Much appreciated
It's a tremendous destination
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| russ_e wrote: |
| Fantastic report as always Mike. |
+1
Tempted to go for a golf trip, but the hotels are all-you-can-eat. Far too dangerous for me!
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Ha ha
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Late to it but really great and interesting report. As always @Mike Pow,
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Layne wrote: |
| Late to it but really great and interesting report. As always @Mike Pow, |
Many thanks
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Super job!
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FAQ
