



1 / 12 Chevron Chevron Photographed by Gaia Squarci Skiers at the Tochal resort in the Alborz Mountains north of Tehran

Iran is known for its historical cities and gorgeous Islamic art, but much less for its other great source of pride: mountains. In all four corners of Tehran, they rise in endless clusters, green and brown ridges that turn white in winter and, unbeknownst to many Westerners, conceal stunning ski resorts.

The northern and western mountains were equipped with chair and gondola lifts decades ago, the closest of which departs directly from the city, in the recreational area of Bame Tehran. The fiberglass egg carries passengers through forty-five minutes of spectacular views to Tochal, the highest of all the nearby resorts. As the gondola climbs upward, the hazy city gradually disappears from view and is replaced with the many peaks of the Alborz range, including the pyramid-shaped Mount Damavand, the highest volcano in Asia. (According to Zoroastrian mythology, Damavand is home to a three-headed dragon.)

Tochal’s smooth slopes attract skiers of all ages and skill levels, including backcountry thrill-seekers who come for long rides through pristine landscape. Iranian skiers and snowboarders grow in number every year, and freestyle is especially popular among the younger riders. A Swiss-based organization, We Ride in Iran, coaches locals a few times a year, with the aim of expanding ski and snowboard culture in the country.

The other main resorts outside of Tehran—namely Dizin, Shemshak, and Darbandsar—also offer a small number of slopes challenging enough to satisfy advanced skiers. In recent years, new lifts have been built to link neighboring resorts to each other, but rivalries are strong. “There has been a war between Dizin and Shemshak since before the revolution!” one skier joked recently. Still, it’s not hard to imagine that, with more lifts connecting the various valleys, Iran could become one of the most appealing ski destinations in the world.

For now, the closer one gets to the mountains, the less one feels the grip of the regime. There are fewer representations of the supreme leaders, fewer beards, and more thick wool hats replacing veils. But despite the relaxed atmosphere, authoritarian decrees still govern, as one is reminded by the first sentence of the instructions that come with a ski pass: “Clients are expected to behave according to the principles of the Islamic law.”