| Palandöken Ski Center | |
|---|---|
  Palandöken Ski Center Location within Turkey | |
| Location | Palandöken Mountain, Turkey |
| Nearest city | Erzurum |
| Coordinates | 39°52′11″N41°16′24″E / 39.86972°N 41.27333°E Coordinates: 39°52′11″N41°16′24″E / 39.86972°N 41.27333°E |
| Top elevation | 3,176 m (10,420 ft) AMSL |
| Base elevation | 2,200 m (7,218 ft) |
| Skiable area | 460 ha (1,100 acres) |
| Runs | 22 |
| Lift system | 1 gondola lift and 5 chairlift |
| Website | www |
Palandöken Ski Center (Turkish : Palandöken Kayak Merkezi) is a ski resort for alpine skiing and snowboarding on the Palandöken Mountain in Erzurum Province, eastern Turkey.
Turkish, also referred to as Istanbul Turkish, is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around ten to fifteen million native speakers in Southeast Europe and sixty to sixty-five million native speakers in Western Asia. Outside Turkey, significant smaller groups of speakers exist in Germany, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Northern Cyprus, Greece, the Caucasus, and other parts of Europe and Central Asia. Cyprus has requested that the European Union add Turkish as an official language, even though Turkey is not a member state.
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes and a ski lift system. In North America, it is more common for ski areas to exist well away from towns, so ski resorts usually are destination resorts, often purpose-built and self-contained, where skiing is the main activity.
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing, which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for recreation or sport, it is typically practised at ski resorts, which provide such services as ski lifts, artificial snow making, snow grooming, restaurants, and ski patrol.
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The ski center is situated 7 km (4.3 mi) southwest of Erzurum. It was established for the 2011 Winter Universiade. [1] [2] Its base is at 2,200 m (7,200 ft), and the top elevation is3,176 m (10,420 ft). [3] In addition to a gondola lift, five chairlift lines serving all the 22 pistes with different slope on a skiable area of 460 ha (1,100 acres). Skiing season at the resort begins in average late October ending in the first weeks of May in the higher regions. The runs "Ejder" and "Kapıkaya" are the longest ones. They are Olympic-sized and are suitable for slalom skiing and giant slalom disciplines. The total length of the runs are 28 km (17 mi) with the longest one being 12 km (7.5 mi) long and having an elevation difference of 1,100 m (3,600 ft). [4]
Erzurum is a city in eastern Anatolia. It is the largest city in and eponymous capital of Erzurum Province. It is situated 1757 meters (5766 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census, increasing to 367,250 by 2010.
The XXV Winter Universiade, took place in Erzurum, Turkey between 27 January to 6 February. Erzurum is the city at the highest altitude in Turkey, at 1,850 m (6,070 ft), and has over 320 cultural landmarks. Located in Eastern Anatolia Region, it is a city on the traditional silk road and has been governed by many cultures over the centuries. The Erzurum Ice Hockey Arena, located on the Cemal Gürsel Sports Campus, was newly built with an ice rink of 60m x 30m and 3,000 seats for spectators.
A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal, which is typically connected to an engine or electric motor. They are often considered continuous systems since they feature a haul rope which continuously moves and circulates around two terminal stations. Depending on the combination of cables used for support and/or haulage and the type of grip, the capacity, cost, and functionality of a gondola lift will differ dramatically. Because of the proliferation of such systems in the Alpine regions of Europe, the French language name of Télécabine is also used in an English language context.
The runs of Palandöken Ski Resort are served by aerial lifts such as eight chairlifts of various size and one gondola lift, all having a total hourly transport capacity of 8,100 skiers.
An aerial lift (US), also known as a cable car, is a means of cable transport in which cabins, cars, gondolas or open chairs are hauled above the ground by means of one or more cables. Aerial lift systems are frequently employed in mountainous territory where roads are relatively difficult to build and use, and have seen extensive use in mining. Aerial lift systems are relatively easy to move, and are and have been used to cross rivers and ravines. In more recent times, the cost-effectiveness and flexibility of aerial lifts has seen an increase of gondola lift being integrated into urban public transport systems.
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They are the primary onhill transport at most ski areas, but are also found at amusement parks, various tourist attractions, and increasingly in urban transport.
Hotels at the ski resort provide accommodation in addition to the lodging establishments in the city.
The runs are illuminated so that skiing can be performed in the darkness that begins to fall at about 16:00 hours local time.. [1] [4] The illumination of the runs were intensified in January 2017. [5]
In December 2012, the operation rights were transferred from the Turkey Ski Federation to the Youth Services and Sports Directorate of Erzurum Province. [2] The ski resort remained inactive after the 2011 Winter Universiade finished. [4] The ski resort's operation was transferred to the Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality in September 2016. [3]
The Turkish Ski Federation is the main governing body for skiing in Turkey. Founded in 1939, it covers the skiing disciplines of alpine, cross country, freestyle, nordic combined, ski jumping and snowboarding.
