Elmadağ – Ankara – Turkey
It is a big chance that Ankara has it’s own ski center about 20 km away from center. It is a small center but on weekends it is full of university students from Ankara. There is a full equipped hotel with a nice restaurant and swimming pool and university’s lodges where you can take services. It will be nice to ski there if u are beginner or intermediate level. It has a short pist without obstacles like trees. Unfortunately, the season is limited, I recommend January and February. You can make barbecue and ride horses there.
Elmadağ is 23 km off of Ankara and lies at an altitude of 1,850 meters. The resort is on the northern slopes of Elmadağ between the altitudes of 1500-1850 m. The area is treeless and covered with alpine meadows. The season runs between January and March, with a terrestrial climate, and snow thickness between 30-60 cm.
This is a lovely place to relax, 23 km out of Ankara, to get fresh air and to dine far away from the clamour and air pollution of the city. There is a 10 room (33 beds) hotel, chalets (130 beds), a pleasantly decorated a la carte restaurant, a snack bar/ discotheque, and parking.
There are government-owned ski lodges, plus two restaurants, an indoor swimming pool, sauna, disco and restaurants. The T-bar has a 548 m route, and the ski run is at an easy/medium level.
Facilities at the resort are minimal but include the essentials, such as ski and snowboard equipment rentals and lessons from qualified instructors. Elmadağ ski resort has a well-equipped hotel with 33 beds and a sauna, swimming pool, a la carte restaurant and disco, while the university’s lodges provide an additional 130 beds.
Located in central northwest Turkey, not far from Ankara, Elmadağ ski resort is a small ski destination suitable for beginners and is easily accessible from the nation’s capital city. Lying on the northern slopes of the Elmadağ mountain range, Elmadağ offers an exciting break from the city, even if you are an expert carver.
If you have a car, there are plenty of sights worth visiting in Ankara’s environs, such as Gölbaşı Lake on the Konya road to the south of the city and nearby Incek, a beautiful green area. Meanwhile, Karagöl Lake just north of the city is also worth a look. Ankara is also surrounded by delightful forests where walking can be enjoyed and there are also several thermal springs within a short drive of the city.
SKIING
Vertical Drop : 509 feet
Top Elevation : 6498 feet
Lifts : 2 ( 1 chair lifts 1 surface lifts )
Summit: 1980 m
Toplift: 1980 m
Beg: 100%
The Elmadağ Ski Resort, which is on the northern slopes of Elmadağ mountain range, is a few kilometers south-east of the centre of Ankara, which has made it more popular. Elmadağ ski resort is conveniently located near Ankara on the northern slopes of Elmadağ Mountain at an altitude of about 5,000 feet and is an ideal ski destination for beginners wanting to escape the bustle of the city.
The ski season is between January and March and the snow thickness is between 30 and 60 cm. There are ski houses belonging to certain universities in Ankara, and a ski slope which is 900 meters long and 250 meters wide. There is a T-bar that is 548 meters long and has a capacity of 720 people per hour. The tracks are of easy and medium difficulty levels.
There is only one treeless slope at Elmadağ ski resort, which is suitable for beginners, while lower intermediates can also strut their stuff here. The slope is nearly 3,000-feet long and is fed by one teleski ski lift. Elmadağ ski resort only has one piste that is aimed at beginner to intermediate level skiers and snowboarders. It is 820 feet wide and just over half a mile long.
There isn’t much scope at Elmadağ ski resort for alternative winter activities apart from horseback riding, but the hotel does provide a heated swimming pool and sauna for residents and apres-ski can be enjoyed at the hotel’s restaurant, bar and disco. Elmadağ town has additional apres-ski enticements.
There are ski instructors available to teach skiing and snowboarding at Elmadağ ski resort and there are ski rentals; while accommodation is provided by a good hotel and a number of university lodges.
The ski season at Elmadağ ski resort runs from December to April and is best enjoyed between January and March when snow conditions are most favorable.
The best snow at Elmadağ ski resort can be found in February and March during the December to April ski season, while cheaper chairlift passes and hotel rates can be had in April. If you are already in Ankara, taking a shuttle to Elmadağ is the most practical way of getting here, while if you are staying in Istanbul, it is a 4-hour drive to the resort.
TRANSPORT
Elmadağ ski resort is just over 20 miles east of Ankara and 300 miles southeast of Istanbul and is accessible by road, while part of the journey can be made by rail. The most convenient way of getting here is to fly from Istanbul to Ankara and hire a car for the final stretch; while some visitors choose to drive all the way from Istanbul or take a bus or train from Istanbul to Ankara, then travel by road to the resort.
If you are driving from Istanbul, take the O-4 towards Ankara, from where the D-200 continues east to Elmadağ ; Elmadağ ski resort is well sign posted. From Ankara-Esenboğ a Airport, take the D-140 highway south to the O-20 ring road east, from where the D-200 goes to Elmadağ . The D-200 runs all the way to Elmadağ from the centre of Ankara.
Ankara-Esenboğ a Airport receives regular daily flights from Istanbul at a good price and the flight time is less than 1 hour. Shuttle buses run from the airport via the city to Elmadağ ski resort.
Posted by Robert Harrison 
Winter Sports In Turkey 
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