The story of Palandöken Mountain

The name Palandöken is a joke about donkeys: "palan" is a pack saddle, and the mountain's steep paths were said to tip the saddlebags right off. Its summit rises to 3125 metres about 10 km south of Erzurum, the highest point around, yet it looks modest, because the city centre itself sits at 1850 metres. The mountain appears in many Anatolian legends.

The easiest way up leads through the ski centre: past the hotel area at 2100 metres, then higher hotels at 2450 metres, and from there follow the chairlift line along the ridge. The top, Büyükejder Tepesi, holds transmitters and a cafeteria, and in ski season a chairlift carries you all the way. Palandöken helped host the 2011 World University Winter Games.

Come in May and look for Campanula palandokenensis, a bellflower found only here. In winter, bring proper technical gear.