Kaçkar Heliski from Ayder, Black Sea Turkey

Kaçkar Mountains, Rize Province, Eastern Black Sea · Turkey

Challenging7 daysAsia~£5,200 est.

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Overview

The Kaçkar mountains rise 3,900m out of Turkey's Black Sea coast, and the same humid air that grows the nation's tea plantations dumps a snowpack of near-Japanese depth on their northern flanks. Helicopters lift from the valley around Ayder, a huddle of wooden chalets and hot springs at 1,350m, and drop you into treeline runs that finish above mist-filled gorges — powder skiing with the call to prayer drifting up from Laz villages below. The Black Sea giveth and taketh: expect roughly a third of your week lost to cloud sitting on the range, which is why operators keep snowcats and ski-touring guides on standby for down days. Terrain suits strong off-piste skiers rather than experts only — the classic runs are rolling 800–1,200m descents rather than spine walls. Fly Istanbul to Trabzon, then transfer two and a half hours east along the coast. Packages run around £5,200 for seven days with a generous vertical allowance, full board and down-day programme. February to April is the season; add a Rize tea-house crawl before you fly home.