Besides the chalet in Winterhai, there is also the possibility to visit a new and very special area: the Kaçkar Mountains in Turkey.
In north-east Turkey, on the coast of the Black See, lies the Kaçkar massif, part of the Pontic Alps. The area between Rize and Hopa, has mountains of 3900 meters high, glaciers, lakes, forests and hot water springs.
Kaçkar Dagi (3992 m) is the highest mountain in the area, which is 100km long and 35km wide. The major villages of Ayder and Yaylalar are situated around 1800 meters of elevation. Different mountain passes between the villages, over which you can hike during summer, are around 3000m high.
This NSAC Ski-tour week offers the unique opportunity to discover the Kaçkar area on skis. While exploring the area, steep mountain passes are crossed to get to the other side of the massif. The character of this week is adventurous and asks for good topographic insight of the area. Regular maps are unavailable, only sketches and GPS data.
Kaçkar is very sparsely populated during winter, and the accommodation options are limited. Overnight stays are in the yaylas: the old mountain villages. The Black Sea influences the climate of Kaçkar, giving it plenty of snow. Kaçkar is famous for its powder snow, and stable avalanche conditions throughout the winter.
Practical information:
- Dates: the preliminary dates are from Tuesday March 2nd until Wednesday March 10th (2027).
- Costs: the current estimate is around +- 1150,- euros per participant, including flights. This is an estimate though, definitive costs can vary.
- Entry requirement: the preliminary entry requirement is having at least followed a T1 course or similar experience. Keep in mind that the entry requirement might get changed.
If you are interested, send an email to wp@nsac.alpenclub.nl
This program is preliminary. With enough interest, the definitive dates can be determined, keeping the available accommodation and weather conditions in mind. The exact day-by-day program has also not been decided.