Kaçkar Mountains Ski-touring & Splitboarding

Guided Backcountry Tour in the Mountains of Northeastern Türkiye

Come enjoy a pure backcountry experience in the wild Kaçkar mountain range of Türkiye! The Kaçkars receive incredible amounts of powder from storms coming off the Black Sea. Based in and around remote Gito Yaylasi, this tour has access to great terrain above & below the treeline, providing incredible skiing & riding in any weather. Gito is a powder paradise! Combine the stellar snow & terrain with exquisite local food, culture & accommodation and you get an adventure of a lifetime.

Tour Highlights

The highlights to ski touring & splitboarding the Kaçkars include.
• Customising your own trip for your best dates & duration to this exotic, adventurous location.
• The Kaçkars are a high snowfall region with regular cold deep powder.
• Start each ski day with a comfortable ride up the mountain in a snowcat (or snowmobile) all the way up to the end of the treeline.
• Ski the best possible snow & up to 2,000m vertical per day, within your group's ability & aspirations.
• Breathtaking mountain views and no other people competing for the fresh lines.
• Sleep comfortably overnight in a mountain lodge at 2,100m.
• Turkish hospitality & cuisine is world-renowned, so be prepared for some incredible meals.
• Small groups from 1 to 6 guests and a guide:guest ratio of 1:4 contribute to the tour being delivered with a personal touch.
• This tour is one of those adventures of a lifetime.

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Itinerary

Arrival for the tour should be the day before your first days skiing. From Rize-Artvin (RZV) airport, you will be transferred to the tour base (1½hr drive). On the way it will be possible to stop for alcohol and lunch/snack purchases. Your first included meal of the tour will be dinner on the evening of your arrival at the hotel.

Each touring day start's after a sumptuous breakfast with a snowcat (or snowmobile for smaller groups) ride up to the treeline. From the treeline ski-touring/splitboarding will begin. Lunch will be had 'picnic style' in the mountains. Wash, rinse ,repeat for the rest of the tour. On the final ski day, departure back to the airport will be in the afternoon following skiing. Extra nights can be arranged for departures the following day.

Snow & Terrain

The base for this tour is Gito Yaylasi in the Black Sea region of Türkiye. The village of Gito is on a high plateau (2,000m) in the Kaçkar mountain range that receives an incredible amount of light powder snow from storms coming off the Black Sea. With regular storms between December and April that produce between 50 and 150 cm of snow, there is a stable and deep snowpack. March is usually the snowiest month, averaging 50cm of snow per week.

The terrain around Gito has moderate and steep slopes with complex terrain that will impress any level of skier or snowboarder. Steep slopes covered in spruce and fir rising up to alpine faces with breathtaking views. There is fabulous terrain both above and below treeline ensuring the group can enjoy storm days as well in amongst the trees. When the weather is clear climb above treeline to local peaks (up to 2,800m) boasting incredible alpine bowls up high and beautiful glades of mixed evergreen and deciduous trees on their lower slopes.

As each ski day starts with an initial machine assisted (snowcat or snowmobile) climb between 800-1000m of vertical is gained with guests just enjoying the ride up. From the drop off near the treeline, additional uphill skinning per day can be up to 1,000m vertical but will depend on the snow & weather, plus the fitness & ability of the group. Combined with the ski down at the end of the day up to 2,000m per day vertical can be skied. Yee har!

Lodging & Meals

Accommodation is at Koçira Pansiyon, a comfortable and simple Mountain lodge at 2,100m just steps from our skiing terrain. Our lodge hosts are a local family of musicians and artists, the atmosphere is incredible and the meals delicious. The lodge has generator electricity, running water, and flushing toilets but no showers.

There is also have the option to stay at a standard hotel at 1,000m and begin the day with a 45 min snowcat ride up to the skiing terrain. This ensures a stay more focused on comfort while still skiing the exceptional terrain of Gito.

All meals are included in the tariff. Lunches will be had 'in the field' at a convenient or spectacular location during each days ski tour.

Whilst soft drinks are available at the hotel, alcoholic drinks will need to be purchased from a nearby town prior to arrival. This can be arranged during the transfer from the airport to the hotel.

Guides

All guides on the tour are experienced professionals with Pro level 1 or higher certification by American Avalanche Institute. There is maximum guide:guest ratio on the tour of 1:4.

Ski Ability, Fitness & Gear

It is recommended that guests be comfortable skiing all levels of on-piste terrain in any snow conditions with a feeling of confidence. The guides are happy to help guests make the transition to off-piste powder riding and offer specific “intro to backcountry” courses that are structured to help that progression along with safety, trip planning, and gear management content. Some ski-touring experience is beneficial to the enjoyment of the tour.

Up to 1,000m of vertical climbing on skins is completed each day, so guests should have a good level of fitness & ski endurance to fully participate & get the most out of the tour.

Ski-touring & splitboarding gear are not included, but there are splitboards available for rent on location. Make sure to enquire prior to arrival. Avalanche safety equipment is included in the tour tariff.

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Getting There

The tours are based at Gito Yaylasi in Rize Province on the Black Sea Coast of Turkiye. The nearest airport Rize-Artvin (RZV) is a 1&frac; hour drive from the tour base. There are several flights per day from all Istanbul airports. Flights should be booked to arrive the day before your first day of skiing/riding and leaving the evening (7pm or later) of your last ski day. For example, if your trip is the 10th-13th, you would arrive on the 9th and depart on the 13th.

For guests flying in from outside of Turkey, we recommend booking your Istanbul-Rize flights separate from your international flight. It requires you to collect your baggage and exit through customs/passport control and re-enter security. Istanbul airport (IST) is much faster and domestic flights in Turkey are vastly cheaper when purchased individually as opposed to as a connection.

At Rize airport you will be greeted and transferred to the mountain. On the drive in from the coast you will pass the famous Zilkale, the Black Sea region's most famous castle. If you need assistance or have any questions about booking your travel, please reach out!

More Info & Booking

Use the tour date listings above to make a tour booking request. Tour types still available in 2027:
10-14 February - Open Group, Intro to Backcountry
16-21 February - Open Group, Experts
4-7 March - Open Group, 3 Day Trip
16-21 March - Open Group
23-28 March - Private Group, Custom Tour

If you have any questions, make a General Booking Enquiry ->