Chalamar Luxury Escapes tells us about their Heli Skiing adventures in Turkey.
“I have been incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to ski some of the best mountains in the world, but I have to say that Turkey will always be one of my absolute favourite spots, not only because of the amazing terrain but equally as much for the organization, the guides and the pilots. An incredible experience run with total professionalism”
Jansci Hadik, Photographer
The joy of shredding deep, soft, dry snow….
In the Kaçkar Mountains of Turkey, guests are guaranteed 7,000 meters (nearly 23,000 feet or the summit of Denali down to sea level) a day. As the photos show, the skiing is in fact mostly above the treeline. The snow conditions allow groups to ski fast giant slalom style turns and cruisy perfect turns for the whole week. Plus, the professional guides and super efficient helicopter service allowed them leave of any worry. The whole experience once on board the helicopter in the morning is tailor made perfectly to give you and your friends the best experience possible.
“A fantastic mix of culture and skiing” Guido Perrini, Film maker.
There are three things that make this heli-skiing experience different from the rest.
Firstly, being in a culturally vibrant and foreign place like northeastern Turkey profoundly adds to the week’s fun.
Trying new foods and seeing cultural sights after a day in the mountains makes the experience just that much more extraordinary. Let yourself be pushed out of your comfort zone with the feeling that damn, I’m really far from home. Getting this sort of perspective on a ski trip is unique, yet abundant, here.
Second, the absolute lack of logistics to deal with is a rarity with any ski experience.
Waking up at the hotel and getting picked at the adjacent helipad is too easy. The incredible hospitality and great communication between the guides, the interpreter, and the hotel staff made it so that when groups get back from skiing, there’s no need to worry about anything. The team’s great knowledge of the mountains and the conditions that even more stress is taken off the guests’ shoulders. Not having to labour over where to go and how to get there allows our guests to relax and focus on the skiing, which always proves quite exhausting (in the best way possible).
Lastly, the best part of the trip for most of our guests is the amount of vertical skied each day.
Doing 5+ helicopter served runs is a true challenge physically and while you must be prepared, this is an experience to cherish. It’s important to be physically fit because this trip pushes even the most experienced skiers but training camps set up in Verbier and Zermatt with European Snowsport early in the winter will be just the ticket to tune the legs, mind and soul for this adventure. Have a read about Off-piste instructing with ES here.
Groups here get the opportunity to branch out, find the best balance between relaxation and really pushing themselves, and get to travel to a faraway place for one of the most unique experiences of a lifetime.
Millie at Chalamar Luxury Escapes https://www.chalamar.com/adventures can organise all the logistics and help you realise your dream heli ski vacation.
What’s included in your adventure;
Price of the classic package is 7’250.00 Euros per person.
· 7 days of heli-skiing
· 30,500 vertical meters of skiing
· Maximum 4 groups of 4 people
· Each group is accompanied by a guide
· Transfers: Trabzon Airport – Ayder – Trabzon Airport *
· Accommodation: 8 nights in a double room with full board.
· Safety equipment: Airbag, Avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe.
*Transfers arranged to fit in with scheduled flights with orientation evening Saturday in Ayder.
For your pre-heliski fitness and technique, contact us at European Snowsport about our powder ski training.