Turkey: Erciyes Ski Resort

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Top Elevation

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Vertical Drop

Lifts

Early Dec

to Late Apr

About the Mountain

WHY SKI HERE?

Turkey may not be an obvious place to ski, but visiting Mount Erciyes will make you wonder why more people haven’t found this hidden gem. While Erciyes Ski Resort offers excellent lift-serviced runs on scenic, treeless slopes, it’s the more unique activities on offer that make the region stand out, like snow kiting and ski mountaineering. The adventurous can climb to the summit of Mount Erciyes (12,850 ft) and ski down, or select another nearby peak, like Monte Hasan (10,700 ft) or Mount Medetsiz (9,850 ft).

“Mount Erciyes, an extinct volcano, sits on the surrounding desert plain as though dropped directly from the French Alps.”

- Phil Hatcher-Moore

Erciyes is only 45 minutes from one of the most unique landscapes on the planet, in Cappadocia. ‘Fairy chimneys’ formed from wind-sculpted volcanic ash and lava spring up from the ground, forming other-worldly terrain. The best way to see these incredible rock formations is from the sky in a hot air balloon or at the Goreme Open Air Museum, neither of which shut down in the winter. So while many tourists consider winter off-season for Cappadocia, you can enjoy the snowy wonderland to yourself. Just be sure to book a cave hotel with a hammam for your stay. There’s nothing quite like ending a brisk winter day by soaking in a steam room before retiring to your cozy cave suite.