Erciyes Snowboard Rental

Because the snow at Erciyes is dry, the board stays on the surface and turns feel light. In those conditions an all-mountain board is the right call for most riders, behaving evenly on freshly groomed runs in the morning and softening snow in the afternoon.

In the days right after a snowfall — especially on the Develi side — a freeride board makes a real difference. Its longer, directional shape keeps the nose floating in powder, where a standard board leaves you constantly nose-diving.

If you are starting out, none of that applies: ask for a short, soft, twin-tip freestyle board. The wide blue runs at Erciyes are well suited to learning, and a soft board is far less tiring on them.

Erciyes keeps a snowpark set up through the season. For park riding, ask for a short, soft twin-tip board, a low-angle binding stance and — always — a helmet. Just mention park use when you book.

If it is your first time in a park, we strongly suggest impact shorts and wrist guards. Falls on rails and boxes are hard, and the daily cost of protection is trivial next to the cost of an injury.

For snowboarding, the best window at Erciyes is mid-January to the end of February. The snow is both deep and dry then, and the first two days after a snowfall are the best conditions the resort offers.

By March the snow softens and gets sticky in the afternoon, which slows the board down. In that period the efficient plan is an early start with a break after lunch. A waxed base makes a noticeable difference in those conditions — every board we rent is waxed regularly through the season.

The known drawback of large ski areas for snowboarders is the connecting traverses. Erciyes has a few flat sections between sectors, and crossing flat ground on a board is markedly harder than on skis.

The answer is speed management: do not scrub your speed on the run before a flat, carry the momentum through. With enough speed most connectors go in one shot.

If you do get stuck, unstrapping the back foot and skating is the most efficient fix. Learning that on day one removes the single biggest frustration of the day — and we can show you the movement at handover if you want.

In December the base at Erciyes may not be fully established; snowmaking keeps the main runs open but do not expect powder. It is a sensible period for working on technique on groomed pistes.

January and February show the mountain at its best for riding. The dry Central Anatolian cold keeps the snow light, and in the two days after a snowfall you can still find untracked lines on the Develi side.

By March the snow softens and gets sticky in the afternoon — the board slows and the flat sections get harder still. In those months an early start with an afternoon break is the efficient plan. Boards we rent out from March onwards carry spring wax.