Revisiting Dan Egan’s epic 1990’s journey in Modern-Day Turkey
Extreme skiing legend Dan Egan has released a new film, Return to the Silk Road, just out on YouTube, and this one feels different. It closes a three-decade circle on the slopes of Central Anatolia, where Dan first explored the raw volcanic terrain of Mount Erciyes with his brother John and cameraman Tom Grissom.
Thirty years on, Dan and Tom were back – this time with John’s eldest son, Jonny Egan – to see what had changed in a region that once felt wild, undiscovered and culturally far from anything these guys had experienced. I was with them on the trip, exploring Erciyes for the first time myself. Watching Dan stand again on a mountain he first skied long before smartphones, high-speed chairs or social media was invented, alongside up and coming freeride skier Jonny, was a real treat and it felt like the passing of what is still a well-lit torch.
The film perfectly captures this and whilst Turkey’s ski future looks completely different, modern and growing at a fast pace, but the mountains and the people still hold the same pull that brought Dan here in the first place.
© Josh Laskin
The film sets the tone right away – sweeping volcanic ridges, wide plains fading into Cappadocia’s horizon, and the unmistakable atmosphere of Turkish winter culture. It frames Erciyes not as a novelty, but as a modern, serious, international-standard ski resort built on centuries of trade routes and mountain tradition. And being on location while that story was unfolding gave the trip a purpose far bigger than just the skiing for me.
A Modern Ski Resort on an Ancient Volcano
I was standing on Central Anatolia’s highest mountain – a 3,900-metre volcano rising straight out of the plateau – which obviously sounds remote and extreme. Instead, I was stepping out of the Radisson Blu Hotel and directly onto well-groomed pistes for a night skiing session in the dry cold evening. The floodlit slopes provided a buzzing atmosphere, with Turkish holidaymakers making the most of the evening.
Instead of Euro-pop echoing across the snow, the call to prayer drifted from the large mosque at the base of the resort. At the top of the gondola, a group of resort workers gathered around open fires serving tea and hot snacks. Kebabs replaced strudel, tea replaced schnapps, but the welcome was just as warm. Then came a slight curveball: a flaming torch was placed in my hand and I was pointed downhill. Skiing with fire in one hand shouldn’t work – but why not ski with some extra light and it’s fun blasting through the dark with a fire stick in one hand.
I had reached Erciyes after two days exploring Istanbul, then a short internal flight to Kayseri and a quick 30-minute drive up to the mountain. It’s an easy journey, which makes it all the more surprising that the resort still feels under the radar for many European skiers.
Dan Egan’s Return
For Dan, this was a revisit to a place that shaped part of his career, and the film digs into that. His first trip here with John and Tom captured Turkey long before ski tourism was part of the national picture.
Seeing him experience the transformation was one of the most interesting parts of the trip. Erciyes today has more than 120 kilometres of marked pistes, a fast and extensive lift system, and a freeride face that holds an incredible amount of terrain when conditions are right. Where Dan once hiked and explored unknown lines, there are now marked pistes, and lift infrastructure that rival many European resorts.
But the heart of the place – the warmth of the people – hasn’t changed. As Dan put it more than once: “It’s the people of Turkey that brought me back as much as anything.”
Skiing the Volcano
© Josh Laskin
Over four days we had a mix of weather, including fresh snow that opened up wide-open freeride terrain across the volcanic bowls and steeper pitches that demanded proper focus. The skiing is different from the Alps in a few key ways: no trees, an almost lunar feel to the high slopes, and vast views stretching across the Anatolian plain toward Cappadocia.
The resort layout suits all levels. The progression from beginner slopes to intermediate cruisers to high, exposed expert terrain is impressively well-planned. You can see why Erciyes is pushing hard to position itself as Turkey’s flagship international ski destination.
When night skiing finished each evening, the resort atmosphere shifted into a slower, hotel-based après scene. Alcohol is more restricted in the city below, but up in the resort you’ll find bars and live music, albeit with a more relaxed and reserved vibe than you’d get in the Alps. The Radisson Blu became our base, with live music most nights and a friendly mix of Turkish guests and international visitors.
© Josh Laskin
Ski-in-ski-out
The hotel sits right on the slopes — genuinely ski-in/ski-out — and the facilities made life easy: an in-house rental shop, generous buffet breakfasts, two restaurants serving Turkish and Mediterranean dishes, and plenty of choice for vegetarians. Turkish tea flowed constantly, and mornings started early, with the call to prayer echoing across the mountain before the lifts even opened.
Between filming sessions with Dan, Tom and Jonny, we skied as much of the resort as possible. The volcanic shape of the mountain makes the terrain feel big and open, with every aspect offering something slightly different. When the light hit the upper cone in the afternoon, you could easily imagine why this was the perfect backdrop for a film that connects past and present.
The Film: Return to the Silk Road
Return to the Silk Road is a story about how mountain places evolve – how a region once visited by a small crew of American freeskiers has transformed into a major resort attracting families from across Turkey and beyond.
Being there for the filming gave me a deeper appreciation of what the movie captures. It shows Erciyes as it really is today: modern, ambitious, and still full of character. But it also reflects on what it meant to revisit a place that helped define a chapter of ski filmmaking in the 1990s.
The film is now live on YouTube and well worth a watch:
HOW TO DO IT:
For more information about visiting Turkey, go to: goturkiye.com
Erciyes is part of the Indy Pass network
TRAVEL: Turkish Airlines fly from the UK to Kayseri via Istanbul with prices starting at around £250 return: www.turkishairlines.com
STAY: the Radisson Blu Hotel Erciyes costs from around £100 per room, per night including breakfast:
Ski Turkish offers packages to the ski resort of Erciyes
Follow Dan Egan: instagram.com/Danskiegan
Ski with Dan Egan: www.skiclinics.com
Main Image © Rob Stewart
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