Kartepe Ski Center: Hotels and Accomodation
Kartalkaya Ski Center is one point of ski tourism that never goes out of fashion. Located in the Köroğlu National Park in the Köroğlu Mountains in the Seben district of Bolu, Kartalkaya is one of the most popular ski resorts in Turkey. In this article, I tried to prepare a guide with information such as Kartalkaya Ski Center’s location, slopes, snow thickness.
Kartalkaya Ski Resort is the most preferred ski resort along with Uludağ and Kartepe, which are among the ski resorts close to Istanbul. Its summit is 2200 meters and the ski facilities are located around 2000 meters.
The high altitude of the ski center ensures a longer snow season. December – April is the ideal time to ski in Kartalkaya. You can visit the page of the General Directorate of Meteorology to find out the snow depth and weather forecast for Kartalkaya Ski Center.
Accommodation in Kartalkaya and where to stay?
It is possible to organize day tours to Kartalkaya as well as a vacation with accommodation. You can choose a few hotels on Kartalkaya such as Kartal Hotel, Dorukkaya Ski & Mountain Resort, Grand Kartal Hotel.
I must say that Kartalkaya is quite full especially during the semester (half-year) holiday. If you want to ski in more comfortable conditions, it is better to choose a weekend that is not a semester break, or even a weekday if possible.
Where to rent equipment in Kartalkaya Ski Resort?
What we can recommend about renting equipment in Kartalkaya is that you should rent your equipment close to the city center before heading towards the summit. You can rent equipment from Penguentepe, a brand in ski equipment, at standard prices.
You can rent ski equipment including ski poles and ski boots that you hold with your hands or snowboard equipment including a snowboard board. It is possible to be fully equipped with pants, coats and helmets that are waterproof and suitable for skiing.
Be sure to wear gloves, which are a must in very cold weather. If the weather is clear, the snow can shine too brightly, but if it is overcast and especially if there is a blizzard, it can be difficult to open your eyes. For this reason, it may be necessary to buy snow goggles.
As we approached the summit in Kartalkaya, we came across icing on the ground from time to time.
Although the ice was not very hard, I can say that it forced us. The roads are wide enough for two cars. If you come back in the afternoon, the icing on the roads will increase a little more.
Considering this, it is useful to have chains in your car. You can buy chains from the peddlers on the road, or you can leave your ID card and rent them. If you do not know how the chains are attached to the vehicle, you can get support from the sellers.
You will definitely see tractors on the roads. These tractors are there to bring the vehicles that have left the road back on the road or to take them to the hotel area. Again, you can get this service for a certain price.
When you reach the summit, you need to park your car at a point. If it is crowded, your job is much more difficult. You can park your car for free.
Park as soon as you have the opportunity, put on your boots, embrace the equipment you rented in the city and enter the first door on the right as you go. It’s right next to a gently sloping piste that beginners and beginners alike can easily learn on.
How much are Kartalkaya Ski Center entrance and ski fees?
The ski industry proceeds as follows. Hotels establish a facility and prepare ski slopes together with the facility. They take visitors to these slopes with a certain entrance fee. This is the logic of the hotels in Kartalkaya.
We preferred Kartal Hotel because it was cheap. We went in the afternoon and although it was a weekend, we paid half day price. For this entrance price, you can use all the chairlifts unlimitedly.
After paying and getting your card, exit the gate and head to the right side, ski shoes on, because the ground is full of puddles and snow.
With your equipment, go through the gate for non-accommodated visitors and enjoy the skiing. At the bottom there is a café and chairlifts that will take you to the summit.
There are some things you should pay attention to at the summit. First of all, if you don’t have ski goggles on, both the blizzard and the dense fog can obstruct your vision. Also, since the summit is very cold, the open parts of our bodies freeze.
Because of the gloves we didn’t buy because of our inexperience, we couldn’t feel our hands on the way to the summit. Snow gloves are a must.
There are various ski slopes in Kartalkaya. There are peaks starting from 1800s and reaching 2200s. There are different types of pistes starting from beginner level to intermediate, advanced and professional levels. You can get skipass cards from the hotels where the slopes you want to ski belong to.
Where is Kartalkaya Ski Resort and how to get there?
Transportation to Kartalkaya is a bit far from Istanbul. Kartalkaya is 40 km from the center of Bolu and you need to travel 280 km from Istanbul. While driving on the E-5 highway, you should leave the road where you see the Kartalkaya sign. Then you will reach Kartalkaya Ski Center at the end of the 26 km road.
