On this particular day the weather was not on our side. Communication was difficult, and wait-ing for tiny pockets of light was not easy. Despite the challenges, Giray was able to seek out this faint sliver of sun. LEFT PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Giray lined up this wind lip on the first day, carving a 360 off it in the belly of the prominent mountain face we called “The Shark’s Tooth.” Later that week, Giray and Ercan got to ski it. Photo: Alexa Dadali Treasures of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Photo: Alexa Dadali Giray taking a moment to reflect inside the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul. Built in the sixth century, the mosque is home to some controversy. It was originally built as a church—for a time it was the largest church in the world—but was converted to a mosque in the 1400s. In the early 1900s it was converted into a museum, before becoming a mosque once again in 2019. No trip to Türkiye is complete without tea. Every Turkish person has a tea man, some-one who keeps their cup full and keeps the neighborhood consistently stocked with hot, flavorful liquid. We arrived just a few days after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye’s southern border, killing over 50,000 people and upending the country. It was a trip that almost didn’t happen, especially after long talks of burdening a population still reeling from tragedy. But after speaking with friends on the ground and quickly gathering as much relief aid from friends at home as pos-sible, we made our way east, hoping to bring some light (and business) to the region. Ovit had sent all their mountain guides to be with fam-ily, but before leaving Salt Lake City, we managed to find an Ankara-based guide willing to lead our group. All we had to do was buy a plane ticket from Ankara, the nation’s capital, to nearby Trabzon. Done. It was a shaky verbal agreement, and as we boarded a flight half a world away, we just hoped he would show up. Ercan Selim Kolbakır did more than show up. Getting off the plane, the veteran mountain man’s clothes oozed Euro-pean ski guide: tassled hat, technical pants, sunglasses—and a cigarette on standby. But his face, distinctly Turkish like mine, was one I’ve never seen in the mountains before. He offered a warm embrace and a powerful aura that swept over the crew. On the two-hour shuttle from Trabzon to the Ovit Tunnel, he regaled us with tales of his mountain training in Canada, the 50-plus ascents of Mount Aratat, Türkiye’s tallest peak at 16,854 feet, and the evolving history of back-country skiing in the country. There is no internationally recognized certification program for mountain guides in Türkiye, but Ercan, like many guides in the country, decided to take matters into his own hands. He earned his IMFGA certification in Canada before opening Montis Trips & Expeditions over a decade ago. Since then, he’s worked to advocate for the sport at home, but the road has been a long and slow one. Gear and knowledge remain difficult barriers to entry, and many folks try skiing once, but don’t consider it a lifestyle. Still, he said, through operations like Ovit, there were more opportunities than ever for that community to grow. Türkiye 059
The Ski Journal Volume 17, Issue 4: Page 59
