Words: Johnny Egan
Photos: Mike Richards and Josh Laskin
In 1991, my dad, John Egan, and my uncle, Dan Egan, traveled to Turkey with their friends Dean Decas and Tom Grissom to film skiing in Cappadocia. With no set plan, they landed in Istanbul, then boarded a 10-hour overnight bus to southeastern Turkey, chasing the chance to ski one of the world’s ancient wonders. The idea sparked after they saw news of a massive storm hitting the region. My dad and uncle have had plenty of incredible Warren Miller ski movie segments over the years whether it was the large cornice break at Grand Targhee in Wyoming or jumping off the Berlin Wall before it was torn down, but this was the most unique segment they filmed.
When the iconic segment recently resurfaced, and after a few conversations with the Turkish Board of Tourism, 31 years later Dan and Tom were heading back. This time, there wasn’t much snow in Cappadocia, however the nearby volcano, Erciyes (EER-GEE-US), which has a recently developed ski resort complete with many hotels and modern lifts, did. The resort sits a little over an hour away from the city of Neveshir, known for handmade goods and ancient underground cities.
The first day of skiing was nothing like I had anticipated, unfortunately the middle portion of the mountain doesn’t get protected by clouds like the upper portion or fog down low, so the snow was quite rotten. We did some filming before deciding to call it quits and head down to check out an ancient dwelling that had been carved into the stone during the third and fourth centuries CE. In Cappadocia there are thousands of these dwellings that were first excavated by the early Christian’s to hide from enemies such as the Huns. With the Silk Road running through Göreme and neighboring towns, this region was a constant target for invaders. Controlling the area meant controlling the immense wealth and trade that flowed through it.
While exploring, we found many old Fresco paintings in the ancient churches and crosses carved into the walls. The area looks more like it could be a set from a Star Wars movie than anything. Another large collection of dwellings we visited were even more exciting to explore because not only were there some old paintings, but we could go up multiple levels. One in particular, we made it up five or six levels which was around 40-50 feet up within the stone pillar. At this point in the trip, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of skiing we were doing, but to experience these sites will be something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
On my third day, we woke up to around four to five inches of new snow on the ground and were lucky enough to have the resort open a lift for our team with a pair of snow cats waiting up top to bring us as high up the volcano as they could. It was a clear day and the face that lay in front of me was incredible. A true big mountain face with a beautiful couloir in the center. Anyone who knows me personally or has seen some of my videos understands that I have quite an affinity for couloirs. The only issue was getting down into the basin below so I could get up it. The face below us was south facing and covered with a very thin and light layer of snow. After some down climbing and slow going navigating down the face on my skis, I switched into uphill mode and began skinning towards the mouth of my line. After two and a half hours of touring and boot packing, I topped out on the ridge around 150 feet below the craggy summit.
One of the most interesting challenges I faced, beyond the language barrier, was trying to guess what was on my plate.
My New Year’s resolution and new goal in life is to stand on more mountaintops, and working toward that goal on a volcano in Turkey felt incredible.The cherry on top (yes, pun intended) was the descent was far better than I could’ve imagined, 1700 feet of stable knee deep powder. After a ski cut along the small cornice and a couple of turns to test how much snow would move, it turned out I would get to ski the best conditions I’ve ever experienced in a line like this. Two and a half hours up and less than four minutes down on this line. To some this may sound like a heinous trade off, but to me, I absolutely love it. Backcountry skiing is truly about the journey, not the destination. In the backcountry there’s never a true “green light” and many times you need to turn around. With that, it’s important to enjoy your time out in the mountains and the peace that comes with that.
One of the most interesting challenges I faced, beyond the language barrier, was trying to guess what was on my plate. At least once a day, I found myself attempting to identify what I was about to eat. The morning after climbing the “Devil’s Throat,” I was thrilled to see what I thought were chocolate croissants at the breakfast buffet. However, biting into what I expected to be flaky pastry and rich chocolate only to discover it was actually a meat pie was quite a shock. Still, once I got over the initial surprise, I discovered that meat pies were actually one of the best snacks for touring and quickly became a favorite, perfect for grabbing on the go during long days in the backcountry.
The new zone we got to explore was a fun set of mini golf lines that I was able to lap for the day. With a mellow skin track, the ability to check one line off after another was brilliant. These weren’t the most extreme lines, but nothing beats Turkish soul turns.
At the end of the day we ended up switching hotels which may sound like a hassle, especially if your new spot is over an hour away… It’s pretty hard to complain though when you’re given the opportunity to stay in a refurbished cave. We were staying in the town of Uçhisar only a ten minute walk away from the castle we visited a few days earlier. Beyond the cave dwellings and underground cities, this region is known for hot air balloons. We woke up to countless balloons hanging in the sky as we came to our breakfast with a perfect view of Erciyes in the distance. After breakfast we visited an open air antique market where a gentleman named Yusuf approached my uncle. Yusuf, claimed to remember when my dad and uncle had visited thirty years ago which was quite a special moment.
After another evening in the cave hotel it was time for our final day of skiing. Lower down on the volcano much of the snow had been stripped away, but there were still untouched powder fields that needed to be tested. The snow was thin in spots but there was just enough to make it worth it. Growing up on the east coast and skiing in Vermont, I learned to appreciate any amount of powder.
Skiing in this region of Turkey can be hit or miss, often requiring you to earn your turns. While we skied less than expected, it would’ve been a disservice to the region’s deep history and culture not to explore it. For that, I’m incredibly grateful.I’m also very thankful for the team with us. I want to thank our two fixers Eren Uzun and Muhammad “Momo” Karain for getting the resort to open lifts and provide snow cats to help us access the upper mountain. They also were incredible guides for us as we explored Cappadocia and the ancient dwellings. Corey Potter, one of our cinematographers for his effort lugging around his camera gear and capturing the trip. John Briley, a journalist from Ski Magazine for his smiles and work to get the trip in print. Josh Laskin for capturing hundreds of amazing photos for this article and the final trip recap. Mike Richards for connecting our team to the Turkish board of tourism and allowing for this magical trip to happen. Erciyes Ski Resort for their hospitality and opening up an opportunity to share the love of winter sports with the people in the area. Then finally my Dad, uncle Dan, Tom Grissom, and Dean Decas for their sense of adventure and laying the foundation for this trip thirty years earlier. Warren Miller also deserves a shout out for believing in a group of twenty something’s to capture this area in the 90’s. I wish my dad could’ve joined us, but someone had to ski the fresh snow at Mad River Glen in Vermont.
