Artos, Süphan and Ararat: ski touring and a 5,137 m summit

Ten days between Istanbul, Lake Van, Artos, Süphan and Ararat (5,137 m), with four nights in camp, made to measure.

Artos, Süphan and Ararat: ski touring and a 5,137 m summit

A demanding programme linking three summits of eastern Anatolia. After a night in Istanbul you fly to Van, visit Akdamar Island and the Urartian citadel, then ski Artos (3,537 m) and Süphan (4,058 m) before heading to Doğubayazıt and İshak Pasha Palace. Mount Ararat (5,137 m) then takes four days and four nights in camp: the climb to base camp, an acclimatisation day, the high camp, then the summit. The climbing permit, camp crew, tents and luggage porterage are included, along with a professional ski guide. Announced level: challenging to very demanding.

CODE AA-SKI-02

10 days · Level 5/5

Price depends on group size and season: a detailed, no-obligation quote on request.

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Day-by-day itinerary

  1. Istanbul – arrival

    Your representative meets you at Istanbul International Airport and drives you to the historic peninsula of Sultanahmet (about 1 hour, 45 to 50 km), where you spend the night at the hotel. No meals are planned today.

  2. Istanbul to Van, Akdamar Island and the citadel

    In the morning, transfer to Istanbul airport and fly to Van, where you spend the night at the hotel. After settling in, drive to Gevaş (30 to 40 minutes) and take the boat to Akdamar Island (crossing and entry not included) on Lake Van, with its 10th-century Armenian Holy Cross Cathedral, whose outer walls are covered in biblical bas-reliefs. You then visit Van Castle, built by the Urartian king Sarduri, overlooking the ruins of Tushpa, the Urartian capital in the 9th century BC, with the rock tomb of Argishti I and the inscription of Xerxes.

  3. Artos (3,537 m), then on to Adilcevaz

    After breakfast, drive to Gevaş (about 45 km), where your first ski tour begins, at about 1,700 to 1,800 m depending on road and snow conditions. After roughly 4 to 5 hours of climbing you reach the summit of Artos, one of the best-known summits of eastern Anatolia, with views over Lake Van and the Anatolian highlands, then ski down the same way. Tea in Gevaş by the lake before continuing (about 3 hours, 175 km) to Adilcevaz, at the foot of Süphan. About 1,737 m of elevation change.

  4. Süphan (4,058 m), then Doğubayazıt

    About 30 minutes' drive to the start of the ski tour. At first light you follow a riverbed up to about 3,050 m, then continue climbing to the summit of Süphan (4,058 m), with a wide panorama over Lake Van. Picnic at the top, then ski down the same way (1,900 to 2,100 m of elevation change; a long day, timing set by the guide). Drive to Doğubayazıt (about 3 hours, 200 km) with a stop at the Muradiye Falls, then, if time allows, a visit to İshak Pasha Palace, a major 18th-century Ottoman building from the Tulip Period and a former caravan stop on the Silk Road. Overnight at the hotel.

  5. Doğubayazıt to Ararat base camp (2,500 / 2,700 m)

    After breakfast, luggage and camping equipment are loaded onto the vehicle, which drives via Topçatan village to Eli (2,000 m). You start climbing at about 1,900 to 2,000 m, carrying only your daily pack: mules and horses carry the rest of the luggage. You reach the first camp, the base camp, set at 2,500 or 2,700 m, where the cook prepares dinner. About 600 to 800 m of ascent, 4 to 5 hours.

  6. Acclimatisation day towards the high camp

    To acclimatise, you climb to around 3,700 to 4,200 m. Above 3,000 m, acute mountain sickness can appear. After an easy ascent you reach Kum Kampı (3,700 m), where you take time for a picnic and to get used to the altitude; you can go higher depending on your limits and the weather. In the afternoon you ski back down to base camp the same way, to prepare for the next day. About 800 to 1,200 m of elevation change, 4 to 5 hours.

  7. Climb to the high camp (3,500 / 3,700 m)

    You leave base camp and climb to the second camp, at 3,500 or 3,700 m. After a cup of warm tea, the tents are set up and you rest. In the afternoon you can go a little higher to acclimatise. Dinner is earlier than usual and you turn in early to be rested for the summit start. About 800 to 1,200 m of ascent, 4 to 5 hours.

  8. Ararat summit (5,137 m) and return to base camp

    Very early breakfast, then you set off for the summit to catch the sunrise. After a long climb over rocky terrain you reach the glacier at about 4,750 m; depending on snow conditions, crampons may be needed. You descend via the high camp to base camp, where you spend the night. About 1,437 m of ascent and 2,437 to 2,637 m of descent: a very long day, timing set by the guide according to conditions.

  9. Base camp to Doğubayazıt and Van

    In the morning, descend (600 to 800 m, 4 to 5 hours) to Eli village, where the vehicle drives you to Doğubayazıt. Lunch at a local restaurant, then drive to Van (2 to 3 hours, 180 km), known as “the pearl of the East” for its mountain setting around a green oasis. Once Tushpa, capital of Urartu in the 9th century BC, it was also famed for its jewellers' bazaar and fine silverwork. Overnight at the hotel.

  10. Departure from Van airport

    After breakfast, transfer to Van airport (15 minutes, 10 km), where the trip ends.

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