Don't know where to go heliskiing this Corona year? Then off to Turkey! I was there at the end of January and loved it! Getting there by plane via Trabzon was quick and easy. And then I had a few fantastic days in Ayder at Turkey Heliski.
The conditions were great! In one day, we were able to ski a whopping 18 runs and around 11,000 vertical meters in the best snow conditions - a feeling and a backdrop like in Canada. The heli-skiing was excellent, the snow surprisingly powdery, even though it wasn't that cold.
And what made the trip to Turkey even better, apart from the fantastic skiing: I got to see two good friends again in Turkey. Anjan Truffer, the head of rescue at Air Zermatt and long-time lodge manager at CMH Valemount Lodge, was the lead guide for Turkey Heliski. And I met Ueli Kestenholzon the plane to Turkey.
In addition to his Jones Board, Ueli also had a Lazboard with him. These snowboard precursors were invented in Turkey around 300 years ago. You balance on the wooden board without bindings with the help of a cord at the front and a balance pole at the back - but the way Ueli boarded down the slopes on this board in the truest sense of the word was absolutely amazing! Watch my video for yourself:
You can see more about Ueli's previous lazboard adventures in this SRF report.
You can find out more about heliskiing in Turkey in my detailed trip story: My trip to Turkey Heliski: The best of many freeride worlds
Strong enough?
Not sure if you're strong enough for heliskiing? Get in touch with us. We're also happy to do a video check-up. We have been heliskiing with thousands of skiers and know all the areas. So we can assess with you where you will have the most fun in the powder!
