Shemshak is a

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area–a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North Am ...

situated to the north-east of

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

in the Alborz mountain range. Shemshak is the second-largest ski area in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

after Dizin and Darbansar. It came into operation in 1958. It includes two

chairlifts An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers. They are the primary on-hill tr ...

and three surface lifts. The slopes lie at an altitude of 2,550 m to 3,050 m above sea level. The

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel ...

includes two main

slopes In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a Line (mathematics), line is a number that describes the direction (geometry), direction of the line on a plane (geometry), plane. Often denoted by the letter ''m'', slope is calculated as the ratio of t ...

, each with a chair lift at the apex and several lifts. There are no lighting facilities for

night skiing Night skiing is the sport of skiing or snowboarding after sundown, offered at many ski areas. There are floodlights – with metal halide, LED or magnetic induction lamps – along the piste which allow for better visibility. The night ski ...

Location

Shemshak Ski Resort is located 57 kilometers northeast of the Iranian capital of

, and is located in the city of Shemshak. The ski resort is about a 90-minute drive away from

History

Skiing on Shemshak started in 1949, but it was not until 1959 when the first lift was constructed on the mountain. In 1996, after renovations on the mountain, the ski resort was recognized as an internationally accepted course by the International Ski Federation.

Pistes

Shemshak has traditionally catered to more advanced skiers while Dizin has drawn beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers. The slopes are quite steep and many of the runs are mogul runs. Ski season is usually four months from early December to late March depending on the weather with the slope open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the night slope from 4:00 p.m. to 08:00 p.m. Unfortunately, due to problems, Shemshak ski resort has been closed for two years.

Infrastructure

Two of the most popular residential complexes in Shemshak are the one built by ASP before the revolution and the Sepahan residence complex, which was finished at the end of 2012 in front of the Gazoil piste. There are two

hotels A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refr ...

, four restaurants, and a

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...

References

Ski areas and resorts in Iran Sport in Alborz province Tourist attractions in Alborz province Buildings and structures in Alborz province {{Iran-sports-venue-stub

Location

History

Pistes

Infrastructure

See also

References