Quiet Winter in Bozdag Ski Center: Bozdag Ski Center is the only ski resort in the Aegean Region.
Bozdağ Ski Center, the only ski resort of the Aegean Region, passes the 2014 winter season quietly due to the danger of avalanches. For the facilities, which are closed this year due to the avalanche danger, a delegation of experts from the General Directorate of Youth and Sports is expected to come and examine the region.
After the avalanche incidents in Bozdağ, which is called the Uludağ of the Aegean, the İzmir Governorship Avalanche Disaster Group gathered in February “the roads and paths from Bozdağ town to Bozdağ Ski Center, Gündalan Site were closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic from Bozdağ Town and also It was decided to take security measures to close the vehicles and pathways from Kemer Village, Cevizalan Village, Dokuzlar Village and Yılanlı Village and Kiraz District to reach Bozdağ Mountain and to place warning signs.
Due to the fact that the ski resort is not opened this year, the town of Bozdağ has an extremely quiet winter. Due to the fact that the ski resort was closed every weekend, there was a significant decrease in the number of visitors. The shopkeepers in Bozdağlı and Gölcük also stated that they were extremely affected by the closure of the facility.
THE YOUTH AND SPORTS DIRECTORATE
Last week, İzmir Governorship Avalanche Disaster Group carried out investigations regarding the facility, which is owned by the Governorship of İzmir Special Provincial Administration and operated by Balçova Thermal Hotel. In the report prepared by İzmir Governorship Avalanche Disaster Group, it was stated that the expert delegation from the General Directorate of Youth and Sports should also conduct an investigation.
Noting that there is no one other than security personnel in the closed facilities, operation manager Mesut Durgun said, “The decisions taken by İzmir Governorship Avalanche Disaster Group in February last year are still valid. Bozdağ Ski Center will remain closed during the winter season of 2014 against any avalanche danger. At this point, Avalanche Disaster Group has studies on measures that can be taken against the existence of this danger. Last week, they made investigations in Bozdağ again and said that an expert delegation from the General Directorate of Youth and Sports should conduct an investigation for the facilities. Now, a delegation from the General Directorate of Youth and Sports is expected to examine. After these examinations, necessary studies will be done for the next years. Bozdağ Ski Center will come to better places with an important winter tourism area and investments for the Aegean Region.
Since it is a matter directly related to human life, it is necessary to act with extreme caution. We know that for the second time in 10 years, such an avalanche has occurred around the ski resort. For this reason, it is useful to study extremely deeply. Anyway, the winter season of 2014 can be said to be the most unproductive season of recent years in terms of snowfall. The current snowfall situation is also not suitable for skiing. Bozdağlar also got its share from the dry season that also affected Europe, ”he said.
TWO DIFFERENT RAW DISASTERS IN BOZDAĞ LAST YEAR
On 20 January 2013, an avalanche hit Bozdağ Ski Center, part of the bridge over the stream, a chair lift mast and the window of the hotel room were damaged. While the facility was closed upon this incident, on February 13, 2013, 4 mountaineers who were members of the Ege University Mountaineering Club were trying to climb the Bozdağ summit and the mountaineer Erdem Tapul, one of the mountaineers, lost his life due to the avalanche that occurred in the Mermeroluk Diktepe region.