Hello everyone! Among skiers, Sarıkamış’s name is associated with one thing: crystal snow. On this page I have gathered the resort’s conditions — the figures above are live, and below I share what the figures cannot tell you.
The range we measured is 2,140–2,628 metres, a drop of 488 metres. But what sets Sarıkamış apart is not the drop, it is the snow itself. Kars’s harsh continental climate and low humidity keep the snowflakes from getting wet, which means a powder-like cover underfoot that does not pack down. Snow of the same depth gives a completely different feel at a humid coastal resort.
There is also the Scots pine forest: the pistes run through the trees, and that is a sight rarely found in Turkey.
How to Get There
You go via Kars; flying to Kars Airport and continuing by road is the most common route. Distance is a real factor here — Sarıkamış is not somewhere you go for the day, it needs a plan of at least a few days.
Pistes and Who They’re For
The resort has a profile that speaks to intermediate level. Thanks to the snow quality it also makes a surface where falling is less off-putting for beginners.
In our measurements we identified two separate lift clusters around Sarıkamış, and MGM also keeps two separate station records for the area. So the resort is not a single point; it is worth checking at the start of the season which section is operating.
When to Go
The season runs from December to March. The period when snow quality peaks is January — which is also the coldest period.
Things to Know Before You Go
Sarıkamış and its surroundings see the lowest temperatures in the country. Take this seriously when choosing equipment; the felt temperature value above gives you the real picture.
Because of the distance it is not a resort suited to last-minute decisions.
The area is where the 1914–15 Sarıkamış Operation took place; many visitors include the memorial sites in their programme alongside the skiing.