 Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from a 2 week ski mountaineering trip to Iran. Wow amazing. Skied Mt Damavand from 5000m and the resorts of Dizin and Tochal. http://twitpic.com/4ejwqe
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Great write up. Thanks for posting. How easy was it for you to get you visas?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We were guests of the Iranian Mountaineering Fed - so they sponsored our visa application. Without someone there to sponsor you it could be difficult. Once we had a reference number from pre-application we then had to go to the embassy in London for a brief interview and fingerprinting / mugshot.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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cool stuff
i'd love to visit Iran for the cultural stuff as much as the skiing
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Yeah great place Arno. By all accounts the best place for culture is Shiraz. Didn't get chance to go as its further south and we ran out of time.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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There are several approved travel agents that can apply for and get you your visa approval in advance. It costs quite a bit for Brits but if you like powder and freeriding Dizin is an awesome experience. The Iranian Youth spend most of their time posing at the mid-station restaurant in the brightest loudest colors they can find, they stay almost exclusively on the piste. If you ride the lift right to the top you can come about 100m down the piste and bear skiers right off the piste down a narrow spine but it crests to a rolling, open expanse of powder below, we did this all day and never saw another soul. Alternatively hike 100m skiers left off the top lift and there is a similar but more technical off piste meadow which we lapped most of the second day. Costs were unbelievably low, $8 for a lift pass, a decent meal was $5 and the people were warm and welcoming. The hotel is very dated and the second one just across the car park was closed apart from it's restaurant when we went and there is absolutely nothing to do except eat and have a hubble bubble pipe as apres but for a 3 day trip it was well worth it. Most of the stuff you hear about police, security, separate lifts for women etc are roundly ignored on the mountain. Women need to wear something covering their hair and a loose jumper or coat around the hotel but hey it's freezing outside and the guys were wearing the same stuff. The lifts did stop occasionally and the first day the afternoon conditions were a storm and the place has no tree cover so it was miserable but if you have an ounce of adventure you will love it.
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Was in Iran for four weeks mid Dec to Jan and they had their latest start to a season for 20 years so the skiing was shelved after only 1 day at Tochal.
If you're heading South, Esfahan beats Shiraz hands down for culture imho, simply beautiful. It's also on a river which is rare for Iranian cities, making it a bit greener. The main square (World's 2nd largest after Tiananmen) and bridges are all lit at night and are pretty breathtaking. Yazd is worthing checking out too.
Don't believe anything you read about Iran being a hostile place to visit - some of the warmest, friendliest and most generous people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
And don't even get me started on the girls... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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An example of the friendliness is the fact that the taxi driver we had for 90% of our stay took all the guys round to his house to meet his wife and family. Kebabs and a Iran v England table football comp then took place!
While we were in Dizin half the lifts were closed - I've never seen so much inbounds avalanche activity in my life!!!!! But the powder was amazing!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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a word of warning though, the driving in Iran is the worst I have ever seen, up to the mountains our driver had his cigarette in one hand, bag of sunflower seeds in the other and was steering with his knees around snow drifts without a care in the World, Tehran ring road on the way back to the airport was the scariest I have ever known, I ended up cowering on the floor of the minibus as we hurtled down the outside lane with 6 cars across 4 lanes and HGV's joining the traffic in the outside lane.
I went a couple of times before skiing for work and the people are amazing, one time on the last day the guy came to pick me up and when I got to the lobby found he's already paid my hotel bill and brought Persian sweets from my wife and gifts for my kids. You constantly get invited to people's houses and parties. Avoid at election time though, can get a bit hairy.
dizin the lifts never stopped for more than a couple of minutes but it is seriously cold and they are mostly open apart from one poma so it gets a bit harsh. On one occasion I rode up on the POMA with 3 Iranian girls who could have stopped traffic, they wanted to know where I was from, what I was listening to on my ipod and tell me where to visit in tehran when I was there, apart from a few dozen nutters Iran is a sublime place.
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You know it makes sense.
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Great report. 
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