If you're skiing better known Palandöken, this is definitely one for a 24 or 48-hour diversion. Because while the former is all above the tree line, you can't move for nicely-spaced woods and glades here. Which mean the two compliment each other rather well. Carving and cruising for a few days at Palandöken, before getting back to nature at Sarikamis thanks to airy forests with just enough pitch to make them joy packed.

We were not hugely lucky with conditions, probably visiting a bit too early in the season (locals told us February was best) but still found enough powder-ribbons amongst the sort-of-silver-birches to make it worth the two-hour drive from Palandöken. (And that was with half the mountain closed for lack of snow cover; so you get the feeling when it's going off here, it could really be rather good, a bit like one of the tiddler Colorado hills like Cooper, or Sunlight.)

Given that we paid just 110-lira at the ticket window for a day pass (which worked out at £5.50), we were delighted to find digital barriers and high-speed lifts (they even have a shiny new six-pack Leitner) rather than the knackered doubles and swinging singles we were expecting.

Good:
Super value lift pass and on-hill food.
Pistes well bashed, and kept in good nick.
Plenty of new hotels/decent accommodation options on the slopes.
Near to historic Kars for a night out/explore of the castle and Russian quarter.

Bad:
Not huge, or steep, so if here for more than a day you'll need to like trees.
See our video here