VAN, Turkey
A group of ski enthusiasts climbed the summit of Mt. Artos in eastern Turkey and were mesmerized by integration of natural skiing tracks with the scenery.
French Clarisse Bauwens and Swedish Jules Dutour got on their van and embarked on a journey to ski in about 400 different routes in various countries, including Turkey.
Over the course of a year, the two have been to a total of 14 countries and skied on mountains of different altitudes; they met Antoine Cretinon and Lucie Ginet in Greece and the group arrived in Turkey in late 2020.
Having traveled around Turkey for a while, they set their eyes on Mt. Artos with an altitude of 3,550 meters and moved to the Gevas district of Van province to realize their climbing goal.
After a challenging climb that lasted four-and-a-half hours, they made it to the summit of the mountain, and then the real fun started as they started to ski down the mountain.
Jules Dutour said she had an unforgettable skiing experience in Van, adding skiing from the mountain summit towards Lake Van was an opportunity not many people could come across elsewhere in the world.
Dutour went on to say that the group would stay in Turkey for three months and travel around routes offering skiing and climbing.
Lucie Ginet, for her part, said skiing from Mt. Artos to Lake Van offered unique scenery and they collected some lovely memories during their visit. The weather and snow are just magnificent, Ginet said, adding the scenery made them feel as if they were in Norway.
Antoine Cretinon was touched by the hospitality of the Turkish people as they were welcomed anywhere they had been in Turkey. He further said they shared their adventures on social media accounts.
*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas
