Two athletes arrived in Paradise Hell Valley in Türkiye's southeastern city Hakkari, a popular route for locals and foreigners, to experience the excitement of mountain skiing and snowboarding at the foot of the snow-covered Cilo Mountains in the middle of May.
Paradise Hell Valley is located between the Hakkari and Yüksekova districts, with the 4,135-altitude Uludoruk Glacier in the Cilo Mountains welcoming visitors with the warming of the weather.
The valley offers the opportunity to spend time in touch with nature in a unique landscape with its streams, green plateaus, colorful flowers starting to bloom and peaks, most of which are covered with snow.
Adrenaline enthusiasts Ömer Aşkan and Mücahit Gezer arrived in the foothills of the Cilo Mountains with their skis and snowboards, where there were still meters of snow in May.
After their preparations, Aşkan and Gezer descended into the valley by slalom with their skis and snowboards.
The two friends, who experienced exciting moments by skiing at different points, enjoyed the snow.
A mountaineer in the region also climbed the slope at a point close to the skiers after traveling around the region for a while with his friends.
Accompanying the team, Idris Ağacanoğlu, provincial director of culture and tourism, traveled to the region within the scope of the project carried out for the promotion of the city and observed the skiing and climbing activity.
Ağacanoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the valley is an important destination with Türkiye's second-highest peak, glaciers and rivers.
Stating that spring and winter are experienced together in the valley, Ağacanoğlu said: ''The snow has just started to melt here. It is a place with meters of snow and glaciers on one side and colorful flowers that have just started to bloom on the other side.
''Skiers, snowboarders and climbers are engaging in activities in the region. Most of the valley is located in the national park. It is also an attractive place for adventure enthusiasts.''
''Different beauty emerges every month. When we visited last week, the view was different. It is different now too. We continue our efforts to promote all the beauties of our province with the support of our governor, Ali Çelik,'' he added.
Potential new favorite for skiers
Aşkan stated that he and his friend came to the region for the first time and wanted to experience the excitement of skiing in meters of snow.
Stating that most of the valley is covered with snow, Aşkan said: ''As far as we know, this is the first time to come here for skiing and snowboarding. I came with my touring skis and my friend came with his snowboard.''
''We started walking in the lower part. One side of the valley is snow and the other side is green, in other words, it is paradise on one side and hell on the other. The route can be a little short, and we made a few exits to extend the route.''
''This pushed us a bit. I am sure this place will be a favorite spot for many skiers in Türkiye and the world, especially in Europe. It is a place that tour skiing enthusiasts will not miss, we are waiting for everyone here, this is a technical route, it is a place where trained climbers can climb,'' he explained.
Mücahit Gezer stated that it is a great chance to snowboard at the foot of the Cilo Mountains this season.
Stating that the valley is one of the most beautiful places in the region, Gezer said: ''It was perfect to experience this excitement against Uludoruk, the climb was a little difficult, but it was worth it.''
''It was very enjoyable, this is a perfect place. People need to see this place. I invite everyone to see this nature. Many people come with their families and friends.''