Unusual destinations for a ski holiday around the world – from Iran, South Korea and Chile to Bosnia, Morocco and Lesotho.
Everyone knows about the Swiss Alps, the big French resorts and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, but there are some places all over the world that many people wouldn’t even dream of going skiing. Well, believe it or not, some of these places have excellent ski scenes, such as…
Iran
You’ll not see George Bush there on a snowboard, but Iran has some tremendous mountains, most of which are around the capital Tehran. The Alborz range hosts Iran’s top ski resort, Dizin, which is arguably the biggest in the Middle East.
Don’t expect a boozy après-ski scene, however. Iran is a strictly Muslim country, and alcohol is completely off-limits. This does have its upside though, including the distinctly odd sight of women in burkhas slaloming down the hillside.
Another top, and slightly more subdued, resort can be found in the village of Shemshak. Again, there are some excellent runs. It tends to cater for more advanced skiers than Dizin, which is excellent for beginners and intermediates.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
There are plenty of odd spots in which to go skiing in Europe – Bulgaria, Liechtenstein, Andorra and Slovakia are just a few examples where the slopes are relatively good and the prices are relatively cheap. But Bosnia?
It’s easy to scoff, but take a look back to the 1984 Winter Olympics – it was hosted by the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. And you don’t get the Winter Olympics just because you have a fairly good inner city ice rink.
Amongst the mountains and resorts that hosted Olympic events are Bjelašnica and Jahorina – both of which have excellent skiing today. The main one, however, is Igman. It was the primary location for the 1984 Olympic events. The ski jump platforms are particularly interesting, in a gruesome way – they still bear bullet holes from the wars of the 1990s.
Morocco
Whilst better known for its deserts, Morocco also boasts the Atlas Mountains. In summer they’re fantastic for walking in (providing it doesn’t get too hot), but in winter the temperature cools and snow falls.
The resorts may not quite be as slick as some of the big names, but the snow is often good and the atmosphere a lot less snobbish. For downhill skiing, Oukaimeden is probably the best bet. It’s about 70km south of Marrakesh, but there are also a few good spots in the Middle Atlas too, such as Mischliffen.
Morocco’s also rather good for ski trekking – something the Ait Bou Goumez Valley (east of Marrakesh) specialises in.
Chile
When people head to South America, it’s usually with visions of rainforests, the Inca Trail, football and tango in mind. But there’s also some mountain action to be had – the Andes range forms the spine of the continent. It’s possible to go skiing in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela, but the best range of resorts is to be found in Chile.
Valle Nevado is arguably the biggie, and it is modelled on the European alpine resorts. Since being set up in 1988 it has spread over 9,000 skiable hectares and accumulated eight lifts, a snow park, a half pipe and 102 trails.
Amongst the others, Huilo-Huilo is in a special reserve and offers year round skiing, while Portillo is handily close to the capital, Santiago, and once hosted the world championships.
South Korea
The popularity of skiing in Korea has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, and now the country can boast 13 resorts of varying size and quality.
Aside from the Muju resort further south, Korea’s resorts can be found stretched across the north of the country. Many, such as the Star Hill Resort and the Seoul Ski Resort, are within easy reach of the national capital, Seoul.
But the big boy is on the East coast. The Yongpyong Resort’s ski season runs between November and April, and it was narrowly beaten by Vancouver in the race to become the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Still, it has hosted major World Cup races, and has top class facilities for snow bunnies.
Lesotho
Entirely surrounded by South Africa, not many people make it to the Kingdom of Lesotho, and those that do are usually childish types who go to places solely for passport stamps.
Most of Lesotho’s income comes from exporting water and electricity to South Africa, but recently a new ruse has been stumbled upon. After all, it is the only country in the world that is entirely 1,000m above ski level, so why not use the height advantage?
The Afriski Leisure Kingdom is a uniquely African take on a ski resort. It’s hardly comparable to those in the rest of the world (but then again, neither are the Australian resorts), but there are lifts, a 1,000m run and good quality snow-making equipment.
Georgia
In the old Soviet Union, Georgia was regarded as the prime spot for a ski holiday. Much of the country is high up in the Caucasus Mountains, and while nowhere near as chic as the major European resorts, some of the skiing here is truly spectacular.
One of the main resorts is Gudauri, 120km north of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. The slopes are way above the treeline and Gudauri is particularly well known for its top-quality heli-skiing. The helicopters get a pretty free reign, and can drop skiers off on summits, glaciers and ridges.
Slightly less spectacular, but less terrifying for the newbie is Bakuriani, where the highest slopes are 2,200 above sea level.
This article was originally written for Ninemsn.
Copyright David Whitley
