Essential Travel Ski Guides

click here for a ski insurance quotation

Travel to Tochal with ski insurance from Essential Travel

People tend to associate Iran with large deserts rather than mountains, but the north of the country is mountainous and there are several peaks in Iran reaching heights of over 12,000 feet. Skiing was first bought to Iran by German engineers who came to build railways in the 1930s and it was popularised by the last Shah, who built several ski resorts. After the revolution, all ski resorts were deemed inappropriate and shut down in 1979. However, over the last 10 years the ski resorts have been renovated and re-opened, and now they are popular with rich Iranians and are among some of the more liberal places in Iran. Tochal ski resort is the closest ski resort to Tehran.

To the north of Iran towers the 13,000-feet high Mount Tochal, the highest peak in a seven-mile ridge of peaks over 11,500feet high. Tochal ski resort can be reached via a four-mile journey by cable car that leaves from the northern suburbs of Tehran. At 12,270feet high Tochal ski resort is the fifth highest resort in the world. At the summit of the cable car there are four ski lifts, two of which stop just short of the summit at 12,800 feet.

Facilities at Tochal ski resort are fairly limited; there is only one hotel and two restaurants. A more convenient option might be to stay in Tehran and commute to the slopes everyday. Bed and breakfasts are very uncommon in Iran, but the hotels here are cheap and in Tehran there is a wide variety of hotels that cater for all budgets. There are also many places to eat and for a rest from skiing there are plenty of other things to do, such as visiting some of the many museums and art galleries or buying a beautiful Persian rugs at knockdown prices.

The ski season at Tochal ski resort runs from the end of November to the beginning of April. The easiest way to get here is to fly to Tehran Mehrabad International Airport, catch a taxi and then take the cable car to the resort.

Skiing in Tochal

Out of the three main Iranian ski resorts of Tochal, Dizin and Shemshak, Tochal ski resort is the least developed, offering fewer runs than the others. In its favour, Tochal is the closest ski resort to Tehran and it is possible to catch a cable car to Tochal from the northern suburbs of Tehran, making it popular with daytrip skiers based in Tehran. Four ski lifts are waiting to take to up the slopes from where you disembark from the cable car.

At over fourmiles long, the cable car from Tehran to Tochal is one of the longest and highest in the world. It has a huge vertical climb of 6,036 feet and reaches a height of 12,270 feet. There are seven stations on the cable car’s route; Tochal ski resort is at the seventh station. The longest ski run at Tochal ski resort is a long U-shaped slope that goes from the last station to the fifth station. To the north of the seventh station there are two ski slopes served by chairlifts that reach to just below the summit at 12,795feet high. Behind the Tochal Hotel there are another couple of slopes served by T-bars. Due to the altitude, the ski season at Tochal is longer than at most resorts and thanks to the dry atmosphere, the quality of the snow here is good. It is often clear and sunny here, allowing visitors to enjoy spectacular views of the 18,605-foot high extinct volcano, Mount Damavand and the Alborz mountain range. There is no snowboard park at Tochal, but snowboarders are welcome and make up 30 per cent of skiers on the slopes.

Facilities at Tochal are limited to one hotel and two restaurants. Many people decide to stay in Tehran, where there is a wider range of accommodation and restaurants. In Tehran there are plenty of alternatives to skiing, including art galleries, museums and places of historical interest.

Skiing in Tochal lasts from early December until April and sometimes until June. The easiest way to get here is to fly to Tehran Mehrabad International Airport, from where you can catch a taxi to the cable car.

Transportation to Tochal

Tochal ski resort is the closest resort to Tehran. It is situated near the summit of Mount Tochal, the 13,005-foot high mountain that dominates Tehran’s skyline and rises up from the northern suburbs of the town.

The easiest way to get to Tochal ski resort is to catch the cable car that leaves from Velenjak avenue. At over fourmiles long with seven stations and reaching 3,740feet high with a vertical height of 6,036 feet, this is one of the world’s longest and highest cable cars; it is also one of the cheapest.

The easiest way to get to Tochal ski resort is to catch a plane, train or bus to Tehran and then take a taxi to the first cable car station. It is also possible to catch a local bus. The resort is only six miles from the city and it is easy to drive to the resort or catch a taxi.

The train service in Iran is fairly basic, though most major towns are served by a single track railway. Trains are relatively comfortable and some have sleeping cars. A faster option for travelling around Iran is by coach. Most coaches between main destinations have either heating or air-conditioning.

Tehran’s international airport receives many flights from major European cities, India, China, Japan and neighbouring Persian Gulf countries among others. The easiest way to get into Tehran from the airport is to catch a taxi, while it is also possible to catch a shuttle bus into town.

back to ski guides