Palandöken Mountain (or shortly Palandöken) is a high
tectonic mountain in
Erzurum Province,
Turkey. The summit is at a distance of only from
Erzurum city center, which itself extends at an elevation of .
Skiing
On the road from Erzurum to the summit, the Palandöken
ski resort is located at the mountain village called Başköy, high, and the distance between the station and the city is .
The ski trail is the longest in Turkey. Because of the quality of the snow (a fine-grained light powder), steepness of the slopes and the length of the trail, Palandoken is known as the best mountain in Turkey for skilled skiers. The toughest run is on the backside of the mountain, known as the ''Ejder'' (
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
for "Dragon") trail. Due to fog and risk of avalanche, the Ejder lifts and trails are sometimes closed. The skiing season may begin in November and last as long as until June. In 2008-2010 more lifts have been opened, now there are 8 in all, and the trails have been improved.
There are four hotels on the mountain: Polat Renaissance hotel, Dedeman hotel, Dedeman Ski Lodge, Palan Hotel and Xanadu Snow White. Because of the center's close proximity to Erzurum, visitors can also stay in hotels in Erzurum, where the range of hotel standards is wider.
A new ski resort has been constructed at the mountain village Konaklı, about from the city.
2011 Winter Universiade
In 2011, Erzurum hosted the
25th Winter Universiade. The
alpine skiing
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...
competition took place at the newly constructed Konaklı Ski Resort, while the
freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is a skiing discipline comprising aerials, Mogul Skiing, moguls, Ski Cross, cross, Half-pipe skiing, half-pipe, slopestyle and big air as part of the Freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics. It can consist of a ...
and
snowboarding
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympi ...
competitions was held at the Palandöken Ski Resort.
Sports venues
– Erzurum 2011 Winter Universiade website.
References
External links
Palandöken Travel Notes
25th Universiade Erzurum 2011
Erzurum
Mountains of Turkey
Ski areas and resorts in Turkey
Landforms of Erzurum Province
{{Erzurum-geo-stub