Palandoken: Home of the longest, steepest slopes in the world

Mt. Palandoken has an altitude of 3,185m, and is south of Erzurum, one of the highest and coldest cities of Turkey, with a harsh terrestrial climate and is covered with snow 150 days a year, with an average annual snowfall of 2- 3m. This center has a good number of suitable skiing slopes for Alpine skiing, ski touring, cross-country and heli-skiing.

The ski resort is 5km from the city center, and 10 minutes from the airport. During the winter season, there are public buses from the ski resort to the city center.

The skiing area is at an altitude of 2,200-3,176m. The slopes here are among the longest and steepest in the world, each one up to 12 km, giving a total length of around 28 km. With the altitude difference of 1,000 meters between the start and finish line, Palandoken has two registered tracks for competitions of Slalom and grand Slalom. (Ejder Track and Kapikaya Track). There are five ski lifts, one T-bar, two baby lifts and a gondola lift. The dominant wind direction is southerly and westerly. Due to the climate, the quality of the snow is ‘powdery ‘ all through the season.

There are 4-and 5-star hotels with restaurants, and ski instruction and equipment rental services are available. Qualified skiing instructors and equipment for hire are available. The center has first aid facilities and a rural clinic. The slopes and mechanical equipment are supervised by experts.

There is an ongoing project to increase the tourism potential since the area has the necessary potential and qualities to be a major international resort. It is estimated that 32,000 people could ski per day, and it could be the venue of international competitions and even the Winter Olympics.