Iran

While you might not find Iran in your average family ski holiday brochure just yet, discerning travellers have managed to see past the labels (Axis of Evil etc) to reveal a beautiful country with a fascinating history and culture. Surprise surprise, there's also some fantastic skiing and snowboarding in Iran.

What many people don't know is that the Iranians have had a love affair with the snow for years. There are 12 ski resorts in Iran (some dating back as far as 1938), three of which are within a snowball's throw of Tehran, the capital city.

Tehran is situated at the foot of a huge mountain range (the Alborz range) that gets enough of the wonderful white stuff (7 metres or nearly 23 feet) to ski or snowboard a whole eight months of the year.

Convenience

The closest of Tehran's resorts, Tochal, is no more than ten minutes drive from the city (that's the kind of mountain-in-your-backyard-convenience that most of us can only dream of). At 3,730 metres (12,237 feet) it also happens to be higher than any European ski resort.

Sounds good? Well it only gets better. While Tochal is 'only' open for skiing and riding eight months of the year, there are some nearby glaciers and snow fields that offer year-round snow action.

The two largest ski resorts in Iran are Dizin and Shemshak. Dizin is popular with beginners and intermediate skiers. It's been open since 1969 and has a sound infrastructure (albeit a little long in the tooth).

Advanced skiers and riders are known to head to Shemshak. Like the other ski resorts in Iran we've mentioned, Shemshak is also less than an hour's drive from Tehran.

Dress code and tradition

Women still aren't supposed to travel in the same cabin as men, but this rule is apparently not always stuck to.

The dress code for women is generally more relaxed on the slopes than elsewhere in the country. Expect to see women wearing the kind of head gear (beanies and so-forth) you'd find in European ski resorts.

For the lower resorts, the normal season runs from December to April, give or take a few weeks. Saturdays and Sundays tend to be more popular with tourists and non-Iranians, while Thursdays and Fridays (the weekend in Iran) can get very busy.

Cost

By Western standards, skiing and snowboarding in Iran is cheap. A one-day adult lift pass costs less than US$10 and a night's accommodation ought to leave you with change from a fifty.

Getting here

You'll find regular flights to Tehran from most major European cities.