Swiss mountain guide Thierry Gasser was returning home from a heli-skiing trip in Kyrgyzstan in 2001 when, from his seat, Mr. Gasser could see the familiar Caucasus Mountains to the north and the enticing chain of shining peaks to the south.
The Kaçkar Mountains, near Türkiye's border with Georgia, are the perfect place for a heli-skiing trip.
"Looking out the window of the plane, I spotted something like priceless white gold. Towering snow-capped peaks stretching for thousands of people on the southern edge of the Black Sea. It was like I could see my future. At first glance, it looked perfect, these were giant mountains and large mountain ranges – a good sign for us to go there and check out the valley and the mountains," Mr. Gasser described the view from the helicopter.
In winter, the yaylas (traditional mountain villages) are all yours. Photo: CNN
Mr Gasser was looking for the perfect destinations to set up a heli-ski business after years of working around the world as an instructor for other operators.
Mr. Gasser also spends a lot of time guiding clients in the Caucasus region of Russia, as well as Uzbekistan, India, Canada, Alaska, and across Europe. A new frontier for heli-skiing is also on the list of countries.
Studying maps carefully, Mr. Gasser and his Italian guide, Danilo Garin, realized that the 75-mile (121-kilometer) Kaçkar Mountains, near Türkiye's border with Georgia, seemed to meet all the requirements.
In the summer of 2002, Mr. Gasser spent a month on the ground in the area, hiking through valleys, assessing local facilities, and flying helicopters over the mountains—the highest of which is Kaçkar Dagi at more than 13,000 feet (3,962 meters).
The shape of the mountains is perfect for heli-skiing, says Mr Gasser, who lives in Verbier in the winter. “You can do more than 50 runs in each valley if you want, and it’s very close to the base – less than a five-minute flight. For the guests, it’s perfect.”
Mr. Gasser focused on the small resort of Ayder, a traditional “yayla,” or summer highland pasture village, with wooden-roofed houses and barns, surrounded by pine forests and waterfalls.
The village – in a narrow, lush valley formed by the Firtina River – is popular in summer with local tourists and visitors from the Middle East for activities such as hot springs, rafting and hiking.
In winter, moist air from the Black Sea combines with cold mountain air to create abundant snow at high altitudes.
Oliver Evans of Elemental Adventure, a London-based heli-skiing company that organizes trips for small groups and private clients to more than a dozen exotic mountain locations around the world, said the destination would be ripe for epic skiing.
“There are small villages here that are deserted in winter with snow on the roofs and mosques. It’s strange to wake up in the morning and hear prayers being called outside the hotel. It’s the last place you’d expect to be skiing,” said Mr Gasser.
Mr. Gasser made his first trip from Ayder in 2005 by helicopter chartered from Air Zermatt in Switzerland.
"We are alone in this village. But now, every weekend, many people come there to see the snow, to ski or go tubing, to light fires or barbecues in the snow, to sing and dance. But when we started, there was no one there in the winter," Mr. Gasser emphasized.
Heli-skiing in the Ayder Plateau
The snow carpet is very beautiful. Photo: CNN
The average run at Ayder is around 900 vertical metres (nearly 3,000 feet) and guests can ski around 11-15 times a day. Professionalism and safety are paramount and guides are always on the lookout for avalanche risk.
“There’s a misconception that heli-skiing is quite risky, but that’s generally not the case. You’re not jumping out of a helicopter, you’re stepping out carefully, slowly and deliberately,” Mr Evans added.
The Apres ski area at Hasimoglu, refurbished in 2016, is generally low-key. Guests can relax in the hot spring baths, sip coffee or Turkish drinks from the bar, play table tennis or visit the on-site masseuses.
Dinner is buffet style with a variety of salads, hummus, pitta, falafel, kofte, eggplant, tomato and kebabs. Local specialties include hamsi kusu, a Black Sea anchovy dish, or muhlama, made from cornmeal, butter and cheese.
Mr. Gasser’s rotating team of guides come from all over the world: Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, the United States. With local Turkish staff, the atmosphere is international.
Amazing landscape. Photo: CNN
"The Turkish people are very kind, friendly, open and help us a lot, it's a pleasure to work with them," said Mr. Gasser.
On bad weather days, alternative activities include snowmobiling, snowshoeing or ski touring. Visitors can visit tea plantations, honey and craft production centres or relax at local restaurants.
Previously, when famous American skier Jeremy Jones came here to experience, some locals revealed that they skied in the village over 60 years old using old wooden boards, with rope handles and a stick to steer.
“Snowboarding probably started there, in a small village in the Kaçkar mountains, not in America. It’s a great story,” Mr. Gasser laughs.
The Ayder Plateau in Çamlıhemşin District, Rize Province, Türkiye is developing the sport. The Turkish government is currently exploring projects to develop a suitable resort with ski lifts. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is from Rize, even visited the area in 2020 to promote winter tourism.
The Kaçkar Mountains could soon be on the world ski map and not just for heli-skiing.
"We would be happy if one day there was a ski resort in Ayder," said Mr. Gasser.
