LINES · JOURNEY
KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS
Kaçkar Mountains National Park · Pontic Alps, Turkey
30 January – 7 February 2027
9 days · 6 days of ski touring · Up to 8 riders · Fully booked
Still under the radar today, likely on every freerider’s map tomorrow: a hidden corner of the Turkish Alps that won’t stay secret for long.
Price: €2,300 per person · 20% off for anyone who has travelled with me before (€1,840)
THE JOURNEY
Far from Turkey’s beaches and tourist trails, the Kaçkar Mountains rise wild, remote and snow-filled. This is a hidden freeride corner on Europe’s doorstep, in the Pontic Alps of northeastern Turkey.
We ride untouched powder, explore rarely visited valleys and stay in a mountain village surrounded by peaks above 3,000 metres. Six days of guided ski touring and splitboarding, with the route each day chosen according to snow, weather and avalanche conditions. And there is plenty to choose from: the region has more than 40 routes of varying difficulty.
The group is small: up to five riders per guide and no more than eight participants, with a lead and a tail guide.
Alongside the skiing, the journey includes, if participants wish, the Tsa Lung Foundations course and meditation sessions, timed around the days in the mountains. No previous experience of Tsa Lung or meditation is needed.
ACCOMMODATION & MEALS
A village guesthouse and a hotel in Erzurum
Village guesthouse (6 nights): a traditional stone or wooden house with a fireplace, local meals and hot showers.
Erzurum hotel (2 nights, arrival and departure): a boutique hotel with Turkish breakfast.
Two hot meals a day in the village: homemade food from organic produce. Lunch is in the mountains or back at the guesthouse. Vegetarian and keto-friendly options are available.
Wi-Fi in the village and at the hotel. Laundry at the guesthouse every two to three days.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
- 6 days of guided ski touring and splitboarding
- All transfers: airport, village and ski areas
- Private minivan transfer Erzurum ⇄ village (about 5 hours each way)
- 2 nights in a hotel in Erzurum (arrival and departure days)
- 6 nights in a traditional village guesthouse
- Breakfast and dinner every day
- Daily trail snacks: cheese, kavurma, nuts and honey
- Tsa Lung Foundations course and meditation sessions
NOT INCLUDED
- Flights and baggage
- Insurance, including medical and mountain rescue cover (required)
- Laundry at the Erzurum hotel
- Gratuities for staff
€2,300 per person; 20% off (€1,840) for anyone who has joined one of my trips before. Turkish SIM cards with mobile data can be arranged on request.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Experience
- Confident off-piste skier or snowboarder
- At least three seasons of resort riding
- At least one season of ski touring or splitboarding
Fitness
- Able to skin for 3–5 hours a day, several days in a row
Equipment
- Touring skis or splitboard, with skins
- Avalanche safety kit: transceiver, shovel and probe
- Ski crampons
LOCATION & ACCESS
Kaçkar Mountains National Park, Pontic Alps, northeastern Turkey.
Fly to Erzurum, usually via Istanbul. You can arrive at any time on the first day; the group transfer from the airport is included (20 minutes). From Erzurum, a private minivan takes the group to the village, a drive of about five hours.
Most nationalities do not need a visa for Turkey. Check the current rules for your passport on the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
GET IN TOUCH
Deep snow, ancient culture, home cooking. This journey is now fully booked. Send me a message if you would like to hear about future journeys, or ask anything you’d like to know.
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