Mzaar, Lebanon, Feb 2023

[EMSC]

This is a second hand report, but seemed so unique that I should put a short blurb up on FTO. I have a relative who moves every couple years for work (very unique job role). She has lived in many seemingly random spots in the world and within north America over the years (including Azerbaijan and Qatar for example). She is also a skier, and somewhere along the way ended up skiing Mzaar ski area in Lebanon (I believe there are about half a dozen ski areas in the mountains of Lebanon.

Apparently the entire place is run on generator power and the villas/village locations only get ~6 hours of electricity per day from those generators. At night it is a no-power situation, so I assume plenty of burning of wood/coal/something in the lodges to stay warm and while unclear, maybe candles for lighting?

Far more snow depth than I had expected to see though.

 

[Sbooker]

I had no idea there was skiing in Lebanon.

 

[Patrick]

I had no idea there was skiing in Lebanon.

Many ski areas in Lebanon. There is one ski area also in Israel.

 

[jimk]

Interesting photos! I wonder if they typically rely heavily on snowmaking?
My son-in-law is a second gen Lebanese American who skied with me one day this winter at Snowbird and had a great time. He and my daughter visited Lebanon this spring. I'll have to ask him about the skiing there.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Those mountains go up to 9,000 feet and get substantial natural snow. Lebanon is the only Middle East country with no desert. Mt. Hermon in Israel is in the Golan Heights and more marginal at about 7,000.

 

[jasoncapecod]

This is a second hand report, but seemed so unique that I should put a short blurb up on FTO. I have a relative who moves every couple years for work (very unique job role). She has lived in many seemingly random spots in the world and within north America over the years (including Azerbaijan and Qatar for example). She is also a skier, and somewhere along the way ended up skiing Mzaar ski area in Lebanon (I believe there are about half a dozen ski areas in the mountains of Lebanon.

Apparently the entire place is run on generator power and the villas/village locations only get ~6 hours of electricity per day from those generators. At night it is a no-power situation, so I assume plenty of burning of wood/coal/something in the lodges to stay warm and while unclear, maybe candles for lighting?

Far more snow depth than I had expected to see though. View attachment 41961


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There is also some world class rock climbing in Lebanon.. I guess Hezbollah doesn't like to ski...