Palandöken Mountain
Encyclopedia
Palandöken Mountain is a 3271 m (10,732 ft) high tectonic mountain in Erzurum Province
, Turkey
. The summit is at a distance of only 10 km (6 mi) from Erzurum
city center, which itself extends at an elevation of 1950 m (6,398 ft).
is located at the mountain village called Başköy, 2100 m (6,890 ft) high, and the distance between the station and the city is 4 km (2 mi).
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 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, and Palan Hotel. 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 18 km (11 mi) from the city.
. The alpine skiing
competition took place at the newly constructed Konaklı Ski Resort, while the freestyle skiing
and snowboarding
competitions was held at the Palandöken Ski Resort.
Erzurum Province
Erzurum Province is a Province of Turkey, in the Eastern Anatolia Region of the country. It is bordered by the provinces of Kars and Ağrı to the east, Muş and Bingöl to the south, Erzincan and Bayburt to the west, Rize and Artvin to the north and Ardahan to the northeast. The provincial capital is...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The summit is at a distance of only 10 km (6 mi) from Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
city center, which itself extends at an elevation of 1950 m (6,398 ft).
Skiing
On the road from Erzurum to the summit, the Palandöken ski resortSki resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
is located at the mountain village called Başköy, 2100 m (6,890 ft) high, and the distance between the station and the city is 4 km (2 mi).
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 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, and Palan Hotel. 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 18 km (11 mi) from the city.
2011 Winter Universiade
In 2011, Erzurum hosted the 25th Winter Universiade2011 Winter Universiade
The XXV Winter World University Games, took place in Erzurum, between 27 January to 6 February at Erzurum in Turkey. Erzurum is the city at the highest altitude in Turkey, at , and has over 320 cultural landmarks. Located in Eastern Anatolia Region, it is a city on the traditional silk road and has...
. The alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
competition took place at the newly constructed Konaklı Ski Resort, while the freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is form of skiing which used to encompass two disciplines: aerials, and moguls. Except the two disciplines mentioned earlier Freestyle Skiing now consists of Skicross, Half Pipe and Slope Style...
and snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
competitions was held at the Palandöken Ski Resort.