blackjack
Oct 31, 2001, 12:34 PM
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Registered: Jun 29, 2001
Posts: 95
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Tochal is the closest ski centre to Tehran. Other information about the resort is sketchy, although it is thought to offer one of the highest ski lifts in the world. Current maps show lifts and the altitude of the nearest peaks, but unfortunately they don't mark the type of lifts or the altitude at the top. It is known that there is an 8 km (5 mile) long gondola lift which must presumably cover a pretty huge vertical. There are also two chair lifts and two T bar surface lifts (some reports say only 1 chair and 1 surface lift are operational).
*** here we have a full report about the gondola ***
7.5 km long gondola there, known as the longest gondola lift in the world at the time it was built ( 23 years ago). The base elevation (the first station) is 1600m (5250ft) high, and the elevation at the last station ( the 7th station) is 3730m (12238ft.) high. Something you should know is that when they designed this gondola they were planning to have 7 stations. However they built just 5 stations and after a short time they removed one of them. Therefore there are just 4 stations now, but still they call the stations based on the original plan ( stations 1,2, 5 and 7).
There are two ski resorts there, one at the 5th station and the other one at the 7th station. The elevation of the 5th station is 2950m (9679ft.). There is a small ski resort there with about 250m vertical. There are one chair lift and one drag lift in this resort. There is a big and beautiful restaurant with delicious Persian food there too! The other ski resort is at the 7th station. It is located at the other side of the mountain (northern side). It covers about 300m vertical (3850m top, 3550m base). This is one of the highest ski resorts in the world (probably the 5th), and they are planning to expand the resort and go all the way down to the bottom of the mountain near the village of Shahrestanak (2200m). In this case Tochal will be the largest ski resort in the world. This resort at the 7th station is skiable nine months a year, and the good thing about this resort is that when you go there you will see a breath-taking scenery of the Alborz mountain range.
Another good thing about Mt. Tochal is that it is basically a part of Tehran, and you don't have to go outside the city. All you need to do is to go to the end of Velenjack Ave. and you are there! Therefore even if you wake up at 11:00 am still you can go skiing and come back by 4:00pm!! I don't think you can find any city in the world with such facilities so close, and skiable for nine months a year.
[ This Message was edited by: blackjack on 2001-10-31 04:54 ]
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