Iran - Ski Shemshak
Most people wouldn't associate Iran with snow sports. This trip aims to discover Iran's best kept secret - its exceptional skiing. Iran boasts a popular ski culture, first started in the 1930s by the Germans, who were building the railways. This was continued by Iranian students returning home from France and Switzerland. There is all the facilities of Western resorts (less a bar or two). But what they lack, they more than make up for with great snow, good atmosphere, amazing landscape and genuine Iranian hospitality. Iranians are some of the friendliest people in the world, who love to welcome foreigners and show off their beautiful country. The biggest problem you're likely to encounter, is at the end of a day, which party to go to. Yes, Iranians are very sociable and they love to party. We will be visiting the major resorts of Shemshak and Dizin and exploring the backcountry with some of the best powder skiing in the world. Blessed by high altitude and dry air, they say the snow flakes here have a particular shape, which makes for wonderful powdery snow. Special Highlights
* All prices are land only and do not include flights. Day 1 Friday evening flight from London. We recommend the 17:15 BMI flight from London Heathrow T1 arriving in Tehran at 02:45 the next day. Day 2 (Saturday) 
Arrive at Tehran IKA airport. Transfer straight to the ski resort of Shemshak, a couple of hours drive along a dramatic mountain road. Check into our hotel and catch up with some sleep. We'll be staying in a small Alpine style hotel with ski-in ski-out accommodation, which was built during the time of the former Shah of Iran. A keen skier, he had a personal suite here for when he went skiing.
After our rest, we'll have lunch followed by a short informal briefing, where we'll meet our ski guides, sort out any equipment requirements and find out what we'll be doing over the next few days. We have the exclusive use of our own private lounge in the village, which we use as a meeting point during the day and where we relax in the evenings for some apres-ski, Iranian style. After that we'll head straight to the piste and take our first runs. And we don't even have to go very far. One of the lifts is right outside the hotel and another next to our private lounge. Days 3 to 9 
Skiing in what's fast becoming a backcountry and powder heaven. Central Alborz Mountains which provide the amazing backdrop to Tehran are a series of ridges and valleys as you go north towards the Caspian Sea. Shemshak is situated directly north of Tehran, in a huge valley, between the southern wall and the northern wall of Central Alborz. It was first developed in the 1950s and because of its steep and difficult runs it very quickly became the haven for the serious skiers in Iran. Lying between 2550 and 3050 metres (500m vertical drop) there are double black and triple black diamond runs. Challenging mogul fields and adrenalin inducing 45 degree slopes. It was finally recognised by the International Ski Federation, FIS, in 1996 for holding international competitions, which are held here every season. This is the place to meet the best skiers and snowboarders in Iran. There is even floodlit skiing until midnight. Shemshak is great for backcountry skiing and as not many Iranians ski off-piste, this is great news for us and something we will be making the most of.
Close to Shemshak, there are two other resorts, which we'll be making daytrips to, weather permitting of course. Dizin and Darbandsar. Although considered to be more suited to less advanced skiers compared to Shemshak, Dizin is Iran's highest and the Middle East's largest ski resort. At 2700m, its base is higher than the summit of most Alpine resorts. It's just under 3600m at the top with a vertical drop of 950m. Dizin has a good range of facilities, including 10 lifts and a combination of green, blue, black diamond and double black diamond slopes. It's 71 km away from Shemshak via the mountain road. Darbandsar, on the other hand, is just down the road from Shemshak. Opened in 1981 and located next to a village by the same name, it is renowned for its charm and its picturesque landscape.
Other possibilities Mount Damavand, at 5671m, is the highest peak in Iran and the second highest volcano in the northern hemisphere. It's only a 3 hour drive from Tehran. In fact, it's classic conical form is visible from there on any clear day. In the summer, Damavand is a Mecca for local and international climbers. There are massive freeride possibilities from either the base camp (3040m) or camp 3 (4250m) all the way down to the roadside at 2200m. This is a very impressive vertical drop of 2000 metres. Later in the season, when the threat of avalanche has receded, it becomes possible to go even higher, up to 5000m. 
In addition, the top of the main ski area in Shemshak is at just over 3000m. From there, there are routes to some of the peaks, which lie at 3200m and 3500m. From the top there is extensive and varied skiing back down to the village. Long runs to other villages below and further a field can take a morning or a day and touring out to spend nights in huts or tents is also an option.
It is worth noting that we hand pick the best ski guides in Iran. They have all been skiing in these mountains since their childhood and know them intimately. This, we feel is vital for the safety and well being of our clients and something which we never compromise on. Day 10 (Sunday) After an early morning breakfast, transfer to the airport for the 08:40 flight back to London Heathrow T1 arriving at 1200. Ski standards should be advanced or fit intermediate. View Larger Map |
