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Published: March 10th 2016
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This morning skiing was somehow a challenge...skiing with a serious hangover, the weather was gorgeous, but the snow was slightly packed...and yes, the skiing is done between 2900 meters and 3600 meters altitude! You are going to tell me, something is wrong in that sentence...where are you again? Yes, this is Iran...big time Iran!
Maybe we should start from the beginning of the story when it comes to my adventure of skiing in Iran. I have these funny fantasies...I want to dive over 75 countries, did already 54! I could claim I want to play golf in as many countries as possible....but I've stopped enjoying taking my golf bag around just for a round or two, and rental clubs will not do it!
So when it comes to skiing. First disclaimer, I'm a pretty average skier. I like to cruise properly groomed slopes! I'm not serious enough to enjoy off-piste, but can go down smoothly all red slopes. This is me, and I live with it. But I love touring the world ski fields. I did all the major South Hemisphere ones. Did funny places from Korea, to Japan, Dubai, Lebanon, and last year even
skied with the kids Georgia! Yes, all this done, so Iran was big on my list! Thanks to Antoine, one of my great diving friends, he put me in contact with C. in Tehran. I have to admit, C. may be few years older than me, he is a serious pro skier!
We shared few emails, and C. welcomed me big time once in Tehran. He told me, we are going tomorrow to the ski area. It may be seriously wild up there, we never know what could happen. C. has a gorgeous place down the slopes where we would meet two of his friends. Sorry, no pictures, no names, no places names either here...this is way too wild for Iran. The SUV is packed with everything we need for our short stay. C asked me to put the Whisky in my camera bag. The Basijis will not go through it as I'm a non-Muslim and a tourist. Suddenly I feel...you can imagine! The Basijis are the "moral police"...making sure girls cover their hairs, and don't go close to boys to which they are not officially related...basically they are the bad side effect of what you didn't
want to see after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The Basijis stopped most of the cars on the way to the ski area searching for "illegal" substances. The ski is the escape for the elite...the Basijis is those we try to avoid on our way up!
We are lucky, no Basijis today on our way! We reach the ski area without any issue...and I'm pretty happy not to have witnessed the experience. I heard of them, we actually saw them on the way....as long as they don't close to me, this is more than fine! We start cooking dinner....tonight, local Iranian red wine and carbonara pastas...with proper pork bacon! Welcome to Iran! My friends put it to me simply! Iran, when it comes to the elites, is like the strict catholic girl school...all these things are prohibited...that once the authorities turn their heads the other way...the girls go mad! So yes, there is pork, there is wine, there is all the alcohol you want...and actually, if you are into those, there is also all the drugs you want!
Yes, you read this on travelblog! And I'm pretty sure you are thinking right now....no way! It
does happen...a lot and often here if you spend your time with the elites...and they do use the mountains to hide and do whatever they want...and that whatever can be seriously wild! I never found out what the local grape of red wine was, but that wine is more than decent to drink...packaged, no kidding....in a vodka bottle! Insane, I know! and those carbonara with pork bacon, where simply amazing too!
By 11pm we receive a phone call...the party is on. Driving 5 minutes away through deserted streets. Once we go out of the car, the music is blasting few floors upstairs. This, doesn't exist in Tehran, but it does happen here! The party was actually yesterday...and I'm happy I wasn't here yesterday. I enjoy few drinks, but I'm not into the little pills....I'm not into them at all! The flat is actually nothing else than a big disco, with a huge video wall blasting Madona videos! We are maybe 12 of us, one or two girls dancing in front of the video wall! Welcome to Iran! Guess what, we will not see most of them tomorrow on the slopes, not tomorrow morning, not actually for that
full day! Shots are going around, but I'm happy simplywith some Tequila and lemon and ice ....did I write welcome to Iran! Well, by 1am, we wish everybody good night! Party was not over yet, but I figure out C. and I are here to ski...party was fun, but we need some sleep!
Next morning, the heads are hurting! No kidding! C. explain to me that skiing here can be some challenge. We sleep at around 2000 meters altitude, but we ski between 2900 and 3500 meters! Impressive! Arriving on the car park...it's kissing and hugging all over...close group of friends...locals, expats, diplomats...welcome to the paradise of Iran...where your friends think the weather is always amazing....because the locals only come here, just over an hour away from home in Tehran, when the weather is gorgeous! Which is pretty often. Sunny day it will be!
Ski day-pass and rental skis...total less than 60usd for the day. The place is simply amazing. There are not a lot of lifts, but they are seriously long ones...and those slopes! Equipment to groom the slopes here is basic. They had no fresh snow for a full week. So there
was a lot of snow, but it was packed...frozen bumps on a middle of a slope is not to my liking when I have few hours of sleep and a serious hangover! By afternoon, the weather is warmer, the bumped of ice have melted, the ski is just amazing!
Here you will be surrounded by 80% Iranians and 20% international....divided between expats...diplomats...and the ICRC group on a mission! Next time, you know where your money is going, support the Red Cross ski trips! Basijis don't seem to be very good at skiing...so once up there, the music is blasting...many places smell big time pots...welcome to Iran!
The ski was amazing, the people were even more amazing. Sadly by 2pm the pollution starting to show down the hill...all this coming from Tehran! But trust me, that was an amazing day! Skiing at such altitude can be pretty exhausting, so once you get down and hit the pollution, you will feel your head, and the hangover was long go behind me!
We had a nice late and last night dinner of lamb kebab and iranian rice. I should have taken a picture of
that last meal...but we also enjoyed one last bottle of local wine...and I still don't know which grape it is, but I believe it's not a Shiraz!
Later that evening, my car pick me up to for the 90 minutes drive to the airport. I sleep in most of the last hour ride. It has been a tremendous trip to Iran. Did so much, see so much, meet so many amazing people! I'm flying Qatar business back home...so I have access to the special business terminal. This is very far from the scene of Argo! Sadly the caviar was a little too expensive for my plan. One more time, here, people are nice...till I met my first non-nice Iranian. Stamp in your passport is done for you. When it's time to board, you just go through the security scan...and here he is, the first non-nice Iranian, the last immigration officer I would encounter...Where are you from? Belgium. Where do you go? Bangkok. That's it, no smile, no comment...my last encounter with Iran....man, you don't know how your people are amazing....why you?!?
Getting on the plane, we wait to take-off, and I get my first
glass of Taittinger Rose once in the air only. Wow, those last few days were simply out of this world! I'm happy to be back home, it's 14th February...and guess hat, it will be a short night, I'm a very lucky guy. I made it to Iran...and home is even better!
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