An unforgettable ski touring experience on the roof of Anatolia “Mt. Ararat”!

This biblical and legendary mountain is very suitable for skiing and it is possible to ski between the campsites and even from the summit. The snow filled tracks on the mountain make for great skiing from the summit all the way down to 2000 meters. Winter snows often accumulate to well below this saddle, and even sometimes as low as Dogubayazit at 5600 ft (1700 m), providing numerous possibilities for spectacular and lengthy ski descents. Its an exciting to think about the possibility of ski mountaineering on Ararat. With the incredible vistas from the mountain you are sure to get the greatest pleasure from your ski descent over thousands of meters.

Itinerary

Day 1: Meeting in Van Airport and transfer to Dogubeyazit, the frontier town of Mount Ararat and Turkey.

Day 2: Transfer to Mount Ararat Eli village at 2200m. After 4 hours skiascent, Camp at 3300m. (The camp altitudes may change due to the timing and weather conditions)

Day 3: Acclimatisation touring on the slopes and rest at camp.

Day 4: Ski ascent from first camp to second camp which the altitude may change  due to the timing and weather conditions (4- 5 hours) Between 3750/4200m.

Day 5: Summit day. Wake up at 5:00 and after breakfast we will start for the summit bid at 06:00. Ski ascent to the summit of 5137m. Time: 6+3 hours average. Dinner and overnight in 2nd camp.

Day 6: Spare day in case of bad weather / Transfer back to Dogubeyazit early in the morning. Visit Ishakpasha Palace before dinner & overnight.

Day 7: Transfer to Van city for the flights early in the morning. END of service

Duration	Maximum Elevation	Season	Grade
7 Days	16854 ft / 5137 m	March-April	IV

Inclusion List

• Permit fee and registrations (50 EURO)
• All transfers stated
• Best hotel in Dogubeyazit (4 stars). 2 nights full board basis (B,L,D)
• Dogubeyazit Ishak Pasha Palace sightseeing transfers and entrance fees
• Mount Ararat camps full board basis (B,L,D)
• All hot drinks on the mountains. (Tea, Coffee...etc)
• Cooking service
• Mountain food expenses
• Porter support for loads (max 15 kg per person)
• Tents (one tent for each 2 person)
• Sleeping mattresses
• Group technical safety equipments 
• Leaders and mountain guiding (english)

Exclusion List

• Single Supplement: 50 EUR
• Special purpose visa costs
• Transfers not included in the program
• Personal clothing and gear
• Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls, minibar etc.
• Unexpected costs due to any necessary changes in the program
• Tips to the staff
• All drinks in Dogubeyazit

Mount Ararat Skitouring Tour Details

Permit Procedure
Special Purpose Visa
Insurance
Dogubeyazit Hotels
Cooking Service
Mules / Horse Support
Equipment List
Leaders and Mountain Guides

Permit procedure:

• The participant will send the passport details to Anatolian Adventures by fax to +902164184522 or by email to climb@anatolianadventures.com

            We prefer scanned jpeg format passport copies to be sent via email

• All participants should inform Anatolian Adventures about the name/location of the Turkish Consulate or Embassy closest to their hometowns to get the Special purpose visa after the permit procedure finishes.

      Refer to the link for the Special Purpose visa!

• As soon as we get the passport & Consulate information we apply to Ministry of Tourism for the permit authorization with an official paper.
• Ministry of Tourism applies to the other authorities for authorization. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Military. When Ministry of Tourism gets authorization from all these authorities, Anatolian Adventures will be informed about the permit.
• At the same time, Ministry of Foreign Affairs will send an official paper to the Turkish Consulate or the Embassy which the participants should have informed the location before.
• We then will inform all the participants to go to the consulate or the embassy they have stated in their application forms to get their special purpose visas.

Special Purpose Visa:

Because of the sensitive position of Mount Ararat, being on the border of Turkey, it is officially declared to be 2nd degree Military zone. So without any exclusion, all EU members, USA citizens and citizens of all countries which Turkey does not demand ordinary visa procedure, will have to apply for the Special purpose visa, stating sportive aim.

Insurance:

All Anatolian Adventures guests are being insured with the TURSAB travel insurance package. Being the member of TURSAB (Turkish Travel Agencies Association), Anatolian Adventures guides or the main office may keep your insurance until the end of tours.

Dogubeyazit Hotels:

Anatolian Adventures is booking the rooms from the unique 4 star hotel in Dogubeyazit. Situated at the west of the Dogubeyazit city center with exactly 5 minutes drive.
The hotel is licensed by the Ministry of Tourism of Turkey.

Cooking Service

On Mount Ararat our cooks will provide you best available food on a mountain with at least 4 course menus and teatime after all meals.
We take care of the international tastes and vegetarians in all our cooking facilities. If you are vegeterian or have any other special desire to be much comfortable with food, please inform the office staff in advance or the climbing guide the day you arrive to Dogubeyazit.

Example menu
Soups: lentil, chicken, mushroom or tomato soup.
Main dishes: Chicken schnitzel, burgers & meat balls with rice or pasta.
Salads: Mediterranean salad or authentic shepherd salads.
Desserts: Puddings and authentic Turkish dessert “Kadayif”
Fruits: Water melon, melon, peach, apple, cherry
Drinks: Boiled water, Tea, Coffee, Chocolate, fruit juices

Mules / Horse Support

During the treks up to the camps and down, Anatolian Adventures guarantees you load support with horses, limited by 20kg per person. In winter ascents we use porters for the support. This is much more expensive than the horse support and Please NOTE that Anatolian Adventures may demand some part of the costs extra from the participants due to the unexpected weather and snow situation.

Equipment list

You can download a detailed equipment list from here: http://www.anatolianadventures.com/eng/files/Mount_Ararat_Equipment_LIST.pdf

Leaders and Mountain Guides

All Anatolian Adventures professional guides have at least university degree speaking English. All of the guides, young or experienced more than 25 years, have extensive knowledge about trekking, climbing, safety equipments, first aid and navigation.
Just for the Mount Ararat treks, Anatolian Adventures is always hiring the liaison officers of Mountaineering Federation. Regardless their experience, the decisions are always taken by the Anatolian Adventures professional guides.

Istanbul Hotels and Transfers

For those who would like to have Istanbul hotels & services from Anatolian Adventures we advise you to choose your hotel in city center Taksim area to reach many unexpected needs like mountain equipment, change offices, air ticketing services, etc. We generally use 4 star or boutique class quality hotels in Taksim district. If you would like to book one of the Istanbul hotels in below list, please state the hotel name, your Istanbul arrival and departure dates within your booking form.

Seminal Hotel (4*)		Midtown Hotel (4*)		Lares Park Hotel (4+*)

LARES PARK HOTEL

Hotel Information
With its executive deluxe concept, Lares Park provides a complete satisfaction to your personal and intimate needs and fulfills even your unexpressed demands. You notice its distinctive quality and warm inviting welcome with your first steps into the lobby.

Facilities & Services
Open buffet breakfast, International Cuisine, Italian Cuisine, Swimming Pool, Whirlpool, Sauna, Turkish Bath, Gym. 24 hrs Room Service, Babysitting, Hairdresser, Laundry & Dry-Cleaning, Foreign Currency Exchange, Souvenir Shop, Newspaper Stand, Secretarial Service, Wake-up Service, Courier Service, Mobile Telephone Rental

Rooms
Interactive TV, Pay TV, Cable TV, Voice mail system, Minibar, Electronic Safe Deposit Box, Smoke detectors and sprinklers, Air-conditioning, Computer and fax connection

SEMINAL HOTEL

Hotel Information
Seminal Hotel is located in Taksim, the business and entertainment district of Istanbul. The hotel, with its indoor swimming pool, Turkish bath and sauna, has a very comfortable feel. The restaurant offers international cuisine.

Facilities & Services
Internet, Pets are allowed, Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service, Safety box at reception, Power generator, Parking lot, Children section, Indoor Swimming Pool, Turkish Bath, Sauna, Massage, Health Center.

Rooms
All 88 rooms have private bathroom with bathtub and shower, telephone, cable TV, music, Split A/C, heating, mini-bar, Safe Deposit Box, Internet Access, Hair Dryer, Non Smoking facility, Direct Dial Phone

MIDTOWN HOTEL

Hotel Information
Midtown Hotel, designed as a exceptional business hotel with a modern and innovative understanding of service, is located on the Lamartin Street, in the Talimhane area of Taksim, which hosts the first urban transformation project of Istanbul.

Facilities & Services
Internet, Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service, Safety box, Power generator, Parking lot, Meeting Rooms.

Rooms
Midtown hotel has 73 deluxe room, 9 with a view of Bosphorus. All rooms are equipped with a minibar, a kettle, a tea and coffee set, a 23'' LCD screen TV, cable and wireless internet access, a safety deposit box large enough to store laptops, a relaxing rain shower, a hair dryer, daily newspaper and around-the-clock room service, optionally a DVD player, a special design coffee table, chairs and working desk and custom designed comfortable furniture, beds, natural sanitary and personal care products.

For the transfer services, it doesn't matter what time you arrive Istanbul, you can book your airport transfers round trip or one way with Anatolian Adventures. Please see the rates below, and give your transfer information in your booking form if needed.

Istanbul Ataturk Airport - Istanbul Hotel transfer rates
1-2 pax	25 euro
3-8 pax	50 euro
9+	please ask for prices

Ticketing

For any international and domestic flight ticket services you can safely make your booking with our ticketing department within our A group travel agency. Generally, international tickets bought from the flight destinaton city are more expensive than tickets bought from flight departing city. So we advise you to check for prices with your local agecy first. For domestic flights needed for your extension tours within Turkey and for international flights departing from Turkey, ticket prices surely will be cheaper if you book with us.

Extension Tours and Customized Itineraries

With branch offices and strategic partnership all over Turkey, Anatolian Adventures will provide you best services within the standards you ask for. From cultural tours to blue voyage, from spa tours to religious tours you can get the best information and booking assistance from our company. Please refer to the link Cultural Tours to look at the details of our cultural tours.

2009 TRIP DATES & AVAILABILITY

MOUNT ARARAT SKITOURING
DATES	AVAILABILITY
13 - 19 April 2009	Available
19 - 25 April 2009	Available
25 April - 1 May 2009	Available

2009 TRIP PRICES

MOUNT ARARAT SKITOURING
PRICE PER PERSON	800 EUR
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT	50 EUR
MIN. 5 PAX REQUIRED****

BOOKING FORM

To book this adventure, please fill the booking form provided below with payment details and fax to +90 216 418 45 22.

http://www.anatolianadventures.com/eng/about/bookingform.pdf

BOOKING CONDITIONS

Anatolian Adventures is the trademark of HTC Turizm Travel Agency which is established with the Act No: 1618 of Turkish Republic Laws and guarantees your reservations under the following terms and conditions.

1. To book a trip from Anatolian Adventures, you must complete the booking form provided in our website. That form must be completed by a person who is at least 18 years of age. He/she must sign the reservation form, therefore agreeing to the terms set out below.

2. Your booking will be confirmed on receipt of your deposit of the holiday/tour/trek stated within the website or by the contact person of Anatolian Adventures. If you have made your booking paying the deposit with bank transfer, Anatolian Adventures keeps the right to ask for the remainder of the price 3 weeks prior to the departure.

If you have made your booking paying the deposit with credit card via booking form, Anatolian Adventures keeps the right to charge the remaining balance from the same credit card, which is payable no later than 3 weeks prior to the departure without any further notice. If bookings are made within 4 weeks of departure, payment in full is required on confirmation of the booking.

3. If your balance is not paid at the specified time (unless previously arranged with us in writing) we reserve the right to cancel your booking.

4. If you cancel your booking, your deposit will not be refunded. However, provided you notify us of your cancellation maximum 4 weeks before departure, your deposit may be transferred to another tour listed in our website for the next year. The written notification should be done no later than 4 weeks prior to the departure date. Otherwise any direction of deposits for any other services will not be accepted. Any permit fees or advance costs like "no show" for the hotel reservations and air ticket penalties, will be deducted from the refunds.

5. Should you cancel your booking after you have paid for the holiday in full and less than 4 weeks before departure the following charges are applicable (calculated on the day written notification is received by us and expressed as a percentage of the total tour price):

More than 4 weeks prior to departure: Deposit only
Between 4 to 2 weeks before departure: 50%
Less than 2 weeks before departure: 100%

6. Anatolian Adventures keeps the right to cancel your holiday / tour service for any reason with written notification no later than 6 weeks prior to the departure date. Should we cancel your holiday, your deposit and any other payments made will be refunded in full. However, if our cancellation is due to 'force majeure' any reasonable expenses we have incurred will be deducted from your refund. (War, civil or political unrest is usually known as force majeure). All refunds and compensation are strictly limited to monies paid to us and we are not liable for any expenses you have incurred as a result of this booking. Anatolian Adventures keeps the right to make the refunds due to force majeure within 8 weeks after the cancellation with written notification.

7. We reserve the right to alter prices quoted in this web site in the event of external factors beyond our control, e.g. changes in exchange rate or government action etc. Should any price increase exceed 10% of the total cost, you are free to cancel your booking and will obtain a full refund of all monies paid, excluding the permit fees and/or advance costs. Every effort will be made to avoid any increases to the prices shown in this web site.

8. Although we are trying to arrange your hotel rooms according to your requests, bed type and smoking preferences are not guaranteed.

9. The tour leader or local ground operator who represents Anatolian Adventures has overriding authority on our tours. By signing our booking form, you agree to do this. If you commit any illegal act on a tour with us or if in the opinion of the tour leader or ground operator your behavior is detrimental to the safety and welfare of the group as a whole, you may be asked to leave the tour without any right to refund.

10. Any complaints with regard to our tours must be immediately brought to the attention of the tour leader, ground operators or hotelier so that the necessary action to rectify the matter can be taken. However, if by the end of the tour you still feel you have a valid complaint you must notify the company in writing, within 7 days of the end of your tour with Anatolian Adventures.

11. Most of the services we provide are adventure holidays organized mostly in developing countries or regions where lower standards of infrastructure and efficiency often prevail. We can accept your booking, understanding that you are aware of the risks involved in this kind of travel. Anatolian Adventures cannot be held responsible, unless as a direct result of negligence, of any mishap to you or your property. Route and hotel changes may be necessary and will always be at the discretion of the trek leaders and Anatolian Adventures. They do not constitute an alteration of your holiday and will not be compensated.

12. It is essential that you obtain suitable holiday insurance before joining one of our tours. This must cover you fully against repatriation costs should you become too ill to continue with the tour and must, above all, cover the evacuation of yourself from remote regions, should the need arise. Therefore, we recommend you to use an insurance package with a good coverage.

13. You are responsible for ensuring all necessary travel documents are in order. Many countries require passports to be valid for at least six months after entry and some do demand special documents for the visa procedures.

14. The responsibility of any airlines used is limited to the carriage of passengers and baggage in accordance with the conditions of their carriage.

15. On signing the booking form you show your willingness to accept our terms and conditions. On accepting your booking, we agree to carry out our obligations to you as defined in our web site.