Tour operator Mountain Heaven have announced plans to start offering ski holidays to Iran, hopefully.
The family run business which specialises in chalet and apartment holidays in France and apartments in Switzerland may offer Iranian ski holidays the 2016/17 season, subject to the results of a fact-finding mission planned later this month.
Iran has some of the world’s highest ski lifts and a reputation for great powder snow, long snow-sure seasons, as well as friendly locals and low prices.
The former Shah of Iran was a keen skier and developed then modern ski areas with state-of-the-art lifts in the 1960s and 1970s and even ski raced for Iran. Initially after the Iranian Revolution in 1979 skiing as seen as too Western and decadent and banned but it soon returned and religious leaders decided winter sports were a good way to enjoy the majesty of god’s creation. There are around 30 ski areas I the country, seven close to capital Tehran.
Today the main signs that you are skiing in a strictly Islamic nation are reported to be gender segregated uploading on ski lifts, credit cards aren’t valid and there’s no alcohol in the mountain huts, but otherwise there’s not much difference. Ski holidays to Iran have been offered by Iran travel specialists in the past but it was more difficult to organise prior to the lifting of sanctions this year, however a visa is still required.
Mountain Heaven’s Managing Director, Nick Williams, will be visiting and skiing the resorts near Tehran from 26th March and will be posting updates on the Mountain Heaven blog and Facebook page as he goes at www.facebook.com/MountainHeavenLtd and on the company’s website to see what skiing and hospitality is like in this previously closed country.
“Although visas are still required there has been significant progress towards opening up the country to tourism. It’s not without pitfalls though, so the safety net of a group, organised by a bonded tour operator, will give curious skiers the chance to concentrate on enjoying the skiing, the renowned Iranian culture, some fantastic food and a very warm welcome! I’ll be leading the groups myself and I’m greatly looking forward to showing off this little known ski gem,” said Nick.
(Tochal ski area pictured in two top photos, Dizin in lower two photos)
