Uludağ Ski Resort Guide (Uludag)

Uludağ is the fabled Mount Olympus of Mysia. It is known in mythology as the place where the gods watched the Trojan war. It is a western extension of the Pontic mountain ranges. Its name means 'Big mountain' - the highest mountain in Western Anatolia, culminating at Kara Tepe (2543m). The ski centre, in the Uludağ National Park, is 36km south of Bursa (a city of 600,000 people) accessible, either along a sealed road, or else by a combined cable-car/bus route that may be preferable when the road is icy. The skiing at Uludağ is mostly intermediate on lightly forested slopes that are usually open from December until late March. Heli-skiing is also available and there are vast off-piste bowls to explore, albeit a threat to conservation within the national park. There are 27 hotels, 15 of which are privately owned, providing over 3000 beds at present. Further development is underway.