Piste maps · Erzurum
Palandöken Ski Resort lies just 4–7 km from Erzurum city centre, on the slopes of Ejder Peak (Ejder Tepesi, 3,176 m). The official run list of Ejder 3200, the company owned by Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality, contains 50 runs (around 60 km in total): 14 blue, 10 red, 26 black. The ski area rises from 2,200 m to 3,140 m; it is served by two gondolas and 4-seater chairlifts. Eğerli (3,728 m) is the longest blue run; Ejder and Kapıkaya are FIS-homologated runs. Six runs offer night skiing, and there is also a snowpark and halfpipe. Palandöken hosted the 2011 Winter Universiade.
Palandöken Ski Resort lies just 4–7 km from Erzurum city centre, on the slopes of Ejder Peak (Ejder Tepesi, 3,176 m). The official run list of Ejder 3200, the company owned by Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality, contains 50 runs (around 60 km in total): 14 blue, 10 red, 26 black. The ski area rises from 2,200 m to 3,140 m; it is served by two gondolas and 4-seater chairlifts. Eğerli (3,728 m) is the longest blue run; Ejder and Kapıkaya are FIS-homologated runs. Six runs offer night skiing, and there is also a snowpark and halfpipe. Palandöken hosted the 2011 Winter Universiade.
Data note: Run numbers and lengths vary widely by source: Ejder 3200's run list gives 50 runs (~60 km), the same website's promotional texts 55–56 runs and 71–87 km, skiresort.info 43 km, and a development agency report (2018) 22 runs and 25 km. This page follows the official run list; colours follow the European system (blue easy, red intermediate, black difficult). Lift lengths and capacities are from skiresort.info; the Polat and Palandöken 4–5 lifts, which are not on the official list, belong to hotels.
Last updated: · Sources at the end of the page
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Palandöken, Erzurum, Türkiye
39.8533° N, 41.2775° E
Palandöken's runs descend from the summit towards the city; read the map from top to bottom:
The highest area, rising to 3,140 m, with long descents.
Lifts: Ejder lift, Gondola 2, Lift C (Kuzey)
Suited to: Intermediate and advanced
Most of the runs open for night skiing are in this area.
Lifts: Vadi lift, Lift B (Sultan Tahtı)
Suited to: Beginner to intermediate
The resort entrance; rental and ski school.
Lifts: Gondola 1, Lift A (İlk Adım), magic carpets
Suited to: Beginners, children
14 runs with S- codes.
Lifts: Hotel lift
Suited to: All levels
Snowboard and freestyle area.
Lifts: —
Suited to: Advanced, freestyle
| Lift | Type | Area | Bottom – top | Length | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gondola 1 | Gondola (4-seater) | Main square → mid station | — | 1,950 m | 1,500 people/hour |
| Gondola 2 | Gondola (4-seater) | Mid station → upper area | — | 1,127 m | 1,500 people/hour |
| Lift A (İlk Adım) | Chairlift (4-seater) | Lower area | — | 1,471 m | 2,000 people/hour |
| Lift B (Sultan Tahtı) | Chairlift (4-seater) | Middle area | — | 668 m | 1,800 people/hour |
| Lift C (Kuzey) | Chairlift (4-seater) | Upper area | — | 1,118 m | 1,800 people/hour |
| Ejder lift | Chairlift (4-seater) | Ejder summit | — | 577 m | 2,000 people/hour |
| Vadi lift | Chairlift (4-seater) | Vadi | — | 874 m | 2,000 people/hour |
| Palandöken 5 | Chairlift (4-seater) | Hotel lift | — | 889 m | 1,000 people/hour |
| Palandöken 4 | Chairlift (3-seater) | Hotel lift | — | 497 m | 900 people/hour |
| Polat 1 (Beginner) | Chairlift (2-seater) | Polat | — | 320 m | 900 people/hour |
| Polat 2 (Link) | Chairlift (2-seater) | Polat | — | 693 m | 900 people/hour |
| Polat 3 | Chairlift (2-seater) | Polat | — | 849 m | 850 people/hour |
| Palandöken T-bar | Drag lift | — | — | 644 m | 800 people/hour |
| Alt Halı | Magic carpet | Main square | — | — | — |
| Gondol Halı | Magic carpet | Gondola exit | — | — | — |
| Dedeman Halı | Magic carpet | Dedeman | — | — | — |
Lengths and capacities are from skiresort.info. Installations operated by Ejder 3200: 2 gondolas, the A, B, C, Ejder and Vadi chairlifts and 3 magic carpets; the Polat and Palandöken 4–5 lifts belong to hotels. Altitudes are not given in the sources.
Easy: 14Intermediate: 10Difficult: 26
| Run | Difficulty | Length | Start – finish | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1A · Ejder | Difficult | 700 m | — | FIS-homologated |
| 4A · Kızılgeçit | Easy | 2,371 m | — | — |
| 4D · Geyik Kaya | Intermediate | 800 m | — | — |
| 1B · Kuzey | Difficult | 2,000 m | — | Night skiing |
| 4B · Eğerli | Easy | 3,728 m | — | — |
| 2 · Kapıkaya | Difficult | 1,900 m | — | FIS-homologated |
| 5B · Çifte Sivri | Difficult | 1,000 m | — | — |
| 14 · Yusufun Dere | Difficult | 650 m | — | — |
| 4E · Şanlı Asker | Difficult | 1,800 m | — | — |
| 4C · Dadaş | Easy | 411 m | — | — |
| Run | Difficulty | Length | Start – finish | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kırkgöze | Easy | 2,833 m | — | — |
| 3 · Viranşehir | Difficult | 900 m | — | — |
| 7A · Kardelen | Intermediate | 900 m | — | Night skiing |
| 7B · Boz Yokuş | Intermediate | 900 m | — | Night skiing |
| 9 · Vadi | Intermediate | 1,300 m | — | Night skiing |
| 13A · Dereboğazı | Easy | 473 m | — | — |
| 6A · Murat Dedeman | Easy | 1,070 m | — | Night skiing |
| 8 · Boran | Intermediate | 1,300 m | — | — |
| 13D · Vilayetler | Easy | 813 m | — | — |
| 13B · Vilayetler | Difficult | 193 m | — | — |
| 13C · Vilayetler | Easy | 1,500 m | — | — |
| 6B · Gelincik | Easy | 1,986 m | — | Night skiing |
| 12B · Kırkdeğirmen | Easy | 2,146 m | — | — |
| Çarık Yırtan | Intermediate | 1,100 m | — | — |
| Run | Difficulty | Length | Start – finish | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 · Fırtına | Intermediate | 1,600 m | — | — |
| 3A | Difficult | 2,400 m | — | — |
| 3B | Difficult | 1,250 m | — | — |
| 5A | Difficult | 1,060 m | — | — |
| 5C | Difficult | 1,890 m | — | — |
| 15A | Difficult | 1,250 m | — | — |
| 15B | Difficult | 1,325 m | — | — |
| Link run | Difficult | 1,450 m | — | — |
| Run | Difficulty | Length | Start – finish | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowpark (slopestyle) | Difficult | 1,950 m | — | Night skiing |
| Halfpipe | Difficult | 255 m | — | Night skiing |
| Moguls | Difficult | 1,600 m | — | — |
| Speed Slope | Difficult | 900 m | — | — |
| Run | Difficulty | Length | Start – finish | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-35 · Sway-1 | Easy | 800 m | — | — |
| S-36 · Sway-2 | Difficult | 600 m | — | — |
| S-37 · Sway-3 | Difficult | 340 m | — | — |
| S-38 · Sway-4 | Difficult | 600 m | — | — |
| S-39 · Sway-5A | Difficult | 600 m | — | — |
| S-40 · Sway-5B | Difficult | 600 m | — | — |
| S-41 · Sway-6 | Intermediate | 1,000 m | — | — |
| S-42 · Sway-7 | Difficult | 800 m | — | — |
| S-43 · Sway-8 | Intermediate | 500 m | — | — |
| S-44 · Acemi | Easy | 350 m | — | — |
| S-45 · Olimpiyat | Easy | 550 m | — | — |
| S-46 · Kanyon | Easy | 1,160 m | — | — |
| S-47 · Zor Tepe | Difficult | 860 m | — | — |
| S-48 · Tavşanlı Yol | Intermediate | 1,700 m | — | — |
Run names, colours, lengths and starting altitudes are from Ejder 3200's official run list; the areas are grouped by starting altitude. The “FIS-homologated” information comes from the Northeast Anatolia Development Agency report.
| Level | Where to start? | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| First day | Magic carpets on the main square, Palandöken Kids | Beginner areas, Acemi (350 m) in the Sway area |
| Beginner | Lift A (İlk Adım) | Olimpiyat, Kanyon, Murat Dedeman (6A), Gelincik (6B) |
| Easy–intermediate | Gondolas | Kızılgeçit (4A), Eğerli (4B, 3,728 m), Kırkgöze |
| Intermediate | Vadi, Lift B | Vadi (9), Kardelen (7A), Boz Yokuş (7B), Boran (8) |
| Advanced | Ejder lift, Lift C | Ejder (1A), Kapıkaya (2), Kuzey (1B), Şanlı Asker (4E), 3A, 5C |
Ejder 3200's official run list includes 50 runs (around 60 km in total): 14 blue, 10 red and 26 black. Promotional texts also give different figures, such as 55–56 runs and 71–87 km.
It is 4–7 km from the city centre and about 15 km from Erzurum Airport; the drive takes about 10 minutes.
Yes. The Kuzey, Kardelen, Boz Yokuş, Vadi, Murat Dedeman and Gelincik runs as well as the snowpark and halfpipe are open for night skiing.
Although more than half of the runs are black, there are beginner areas with magic carpets on the main square, the Acemi and Olimpiyat runs in the Sway area, and blue runs such as Murat Dedeman and Gelincik; 3200 Ski Akademi offers lessons.
BeginnerLearningSkiing · KIS-001
You start skiing with a beginner lesson with an instructor, rental equipment and easy (beginner) slopes. On day one you put on your skis, glide on flat ground, learn to stop with the snowplough and ride the magic carpet; on day two you come down an easy slope under control with snowplough turns. For an adult who has never skied, this stage usually takes 2 days.
Read the guide →BeginnerLearningSnowboarding · KIS-021
You start snowboarding by finding your stance (regular or goofy), with a beginner lesson with an instructor and with rental equipment. On day one you learn to push with one foot and to side-slip on your heel edge (heelside) and your toe edge (toeside); then you change direction with the falling leaf, and usually on day 2–3 you make your first linked turns.
Read the guide →GeneralSafetyWinter Sports · KIS-081
The FIS 10 rules for conduct are the rules of behaviour set by the International Ski Federation for skiers and snowboarders: respect for others, control of speed, choice of route, overtaking, entering the piste, stopping, climbing and descending on foot, respecting signs, assistance and identification. They are not law; however, around the world they are used as a benchmark when assessing liability in skiing accidents.
Read the guide →Doğadayız social adventure holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
Doğadayız programmes run at these resorts: Erciyes, Sarıkamış, Bansko.
Erzurum2,900 m
8 runs · 3 chairlifts · Universiade runs
Konaklı Ski Resort lies south-west of Erzurum, about 20 km from the city, on the northern foothills of Karakaya Tepesi (3,167 m). The alpine skiing races of the 2011 Winter Universiade (giant slalom, super-G, slalom) were held here; the runs are FIS-homologated. Ejder 3200's official list includes 8 runs (around 11.7 km in total); the longest is Acı Su (2,555 m). At present 3 four-seater chairlifts (A, C, D) operate. Compared with Palandöken it is known for its quiet, wide runs; the Ejder 3200 ski pass is valid here too.
Piste guide →Kars2,632 m
8 runs + beginner slope · 5 chairlifts
Sarıkamış Ski Resort is in Kars, on the slopes of Cıbıltepe (Bayraktepe, 2,634 m). The runs come down through Scots pine forests and are arranged in two stages: runs from the summit down to stage 1, runs from stage 1 down to the base where the hotels are, and also two challenging runs from the summit down to Karanlıkdere. The runs are served by 5 chairlifts. Beginners start on the beginner slope in front of the hotels and on the wide beginner run of stage 1.
Piste guide →Erzincan2,970 m
9 runs · gondola + 2 chairlifts
Ergan Dağı Ski Resort is just 12 km from Erzincan city centre, on the slopes of Ergan Dağı (about 3,256 m). From Yaylabaşı a gondola takes you up to Lake Ardıçlı (Ardıçlı Gölü, 1,740 m), where the ski area begins; from there two stages of 4-seater bubble chairlifts reach 2,950–2,970 m. According to the official website, the 9 runs total 12 km; the long, uninterrupted descent from the top is Ergan's best-known feature. The resort is suitable for night skiing and hosted the Ski Mountaineering World Cup in 2017.
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