TURKEY

GUIDED SKI & SPLITBOARD EXPEDITION

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For too long Turkey was just a waypoint. As the “crossroads of the world” and with Turkish Airlines as the primary carrier servicing our Kyrgyzstan and Georgia destinations, we’ve connected through Istanbul more times than we can count. The handful of times we’ve laid over in the city have always been super memorable and motivation to stay and explore the country’s mountains. Not an oft-talked about range, the Pontic Mountains are huge (twice the length of the Pyrenees), stretching for 1,000km along the southern shore of the Black Sea. And knowing what happens when storms collect moisture off the Black Sea and unleash on neighboring ranges in Georgia, we’ve always had a good feeling about precipitation potential. The tipping point—when we knew Turkey HAD to be added to our lineup—was learning about a small village in the Kaçkar Mountains (a subrange in the Pontics) called Petran, where for centuries they’ve been building and riding toboggan or Snurfer-like boards called Petranboards. The story captured our imagination, and confirmed our suspicions regarding not just snowpack, but also the rich culture found in these mountain villages.

And so the Kaçkars became the focus. Petran itself was researched, contacts were made, and a trip there may very likely come into existence in the future. But based on feedback from one of our guides who has heli-guided on the north side of the range, the valleys there are deep and long, and would make daily access quite challenging if not flying. So, in trying to nail down the best possible base for ski touring, our attention turned to the other side of the Kaçkar crest—to the villages of Yaylalar and Olgunlar. Olgunlar in particular stood out due to its location at the literal end of the road, offering endless touring options right from the front door of a family-run, year-round lodge called Kaçkar Pansiyon. Unfortunately, following our first stay at Kaçkar Pansiyon in 2025, the Turkish Government revoked their license citing (arguably unwarranted) concerns over the risk of avalanches impacting the village. In fact, the last avalanche to reach the village was in 1993, causing damage to only a few barns. In any case, our partners were left scrambling but were able to quickly pivot for 2026, renovating a house just a few kilometers down valley. These days, the location of their new guesthouse—between Yaylalar and Olgunlar—is the new end of the road. Access to all of the amazing riding above both villages is still directly from the front door.

AVAILABILITY & REQUIREMENTS

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AVAILABILITY

Max 6 - FULL

EXPERIENCE

Participants must be advanced to expert level skiers or snowboarders, with at least 1 year touring experience. Participation does not require any formal avalanche safety certification or glacier travel or ski mountaineering experience.

GEAR

Powder skis (at least 108mm underfoot) are recommended and splitboards are required for snowboarders. Participants must additionally be prepared with essential touring and avalanche safety gear. Depending on conditions, technical gear (crampons, axe, etc) may also be required. We will distribute a mandatory gear list closer to the expedition start date.

PHYSICAL FITNESS

Participants must be in excellent physical condition, and comfortable touring for long distances carrying their own backcountry packs.

VISAS

Turkey offers a visa exemption up to 90 days for many nationalities. Scroll to the bottom of the page here for country-specific visa information.

2027 DATES

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MARCH 1-8

6 DAYS RIDING/8 DAYS TOTAL

DETAILS

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Your journey to the tiny alpine village of Yaylalar will begin in Istanbul—one of our all-time favorite cities in the world. If you haven’t been, you’d be remiss not to spend a day or two exploring the city on the front or tail end of the trip, or both. In fact, arriving Istanbul at least one day early will likely be necessary as the domestic flight you’ll need to catch to Erzurum, where the trip officially begins, departs early in the morning.

Filling days in Istanbul is easy, whether it’s ticking off must-see sights like the Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Galata Tower, and famous bazaars (the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar), or simply wandering the cobblestone streets of the centuries-old (now vibrant and trendy) neighborhoods that make up Beyoğlu. We also have a great hotel and couple of must-hit restaurant recommendations for those interested!

Erzurum, your final destination by air, is just a transit location. Our driver will meet everyone at the airport, and from there it’s a 5-hour drive north into the Kaçkars and eventually up the Hevek Valley, where the villages of Yaylalar and Olgunlar sit at ~2,100m. From Erzurum, the road descends off a high plateau and then winds through river valleys which are under development as part of a massive hydroelectric project. The scale of the project is immense, and as we near the redeveloped town of Yusufeli (the old town is now under water), much of the drive is in kilometers-long tunnels, one after the other.

Turning into the Hevek Valley, we’ll transition onto what is basically a single lane road. The higher we climb the deeper the snowpack gets. Steep walls, avalanche paths and pillows become the sights out of the Sprinter windows. It’s common not to see another vehicle on that particular 30km stretch of road, and good thing as there isn’t much room to pass!

Home for the week is a modest but cozy family-run guesthouse in Yaylalar. Cihat and his father, Ismail—both born and raised in the valley—are generous hosts and do an excellent job keeping their guests happy and well-fed. Breakfasts are European-style (meat, cheese, cucumbers, olives, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, jam, honey, bread, etc) with a hot option (french fries, hot dogs, or french toast). Dinners range from stews to kofta (Turkish meatballs) to pastas to fish. Rooms are double-occupancy with shared bathrooms, and there’s a dining room and communal room where we can game and game plan for each day’s tour.

The village sits just below treeline, and most of the tours begin from the front door and head further into the alpine. Reaching Olgunlar is possible via a short tour up the main valley, called Hastav. From there, there are multiple options to duck into hanging valleys to the south which provide E to N to W-facing terrain with +1,000m descents possible. The head of the Hastav Valley is quite far but holds some impressive terrain, and is home to the highest and most dramatic peak in the Pontics, Kaçkar Daği (3,937m/12,917ft). Immediately north from Olgunlar is another monstrous valley, called Dibe, which also holds big terrain. For storm days or days when conditions aren’t favorable in the alpine, the lower elevations around Yaylalar are forested and offer some incredible tree riding.

Hearing the daily call to prayer while touring above these isolated villages is an experience you’ll never forget. The sound echoes through the mountains multiple times a day from the village minarets, as if to remind you what an awesome part of the world you’re in. After 7 nights/6 full days skiing we’ll transfer back to Erzurum for flights back to Istanbul, where it’s encouraged that you stay another night to close out the trip in style.

GUIDES

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Our 2027 Turkey expedition will be led by AMGA Splitboard Guide Max Bond with support from AMGA Ski Guide Timm Phillips. Meet our guides.

BOOKINGS

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USD $3,450/PERSON

6 DAYS RIDING/8 DAYS TOTAL

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ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE REQUIREMENTS

Participants will need to arrive in Istanbul (airport code IST) in time to catch Turkish Airlines’ domestic flight to Erzurum (airport code ERZ) departing on March 1 at 9:20am. For most, that will mean arriving in Istanbul at least one day early. If arriving on February 28 (or earlier), we highly recommend spending your extra night(s) in the heart of the city, as it’s amazing! The transfer time between IST and the city is ~50 minutes by taxi or Uber. Your return to Istanbul on March 8 will be via Turkish Airline’s ERZ-IST flight arriving IST at 2:30pm. Depending on your final destination, you may find connecting flights departing later that afternoon/evening; otherwise you’ll get to spend another awesome night in Istanbul!

PRICE INCLUDES

40 Tribes Lead and Tail Guide; Private transfers between the Erzurum Airport and Yaylalar; 7 nights accommodation in Yaylalar, all meals included; 6 days of epic guided skiing/splitboarding!

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

International airfare and baggage fees; Domestic airfare and baggage fees (IST-ERZ-IST); Transfers or accommodation in Istanbul; Medical/evacuation insurance; Alcohol; Tips for guides.

BOOKING POLICY

A 20% deposit is required to secure your spot, with the remainder due 4 months prior to the expedition start date. Our cancellation/refund policies can be found here.