One Day Ski Tour in Tochal Ski Resort: (Update: 2019, 2020)
Among winter recreational activities, skiing has occupied a top place for me because it boosts my spirit when outside there is too cold. That is why I usually try skiing during cold seasons. I would like to recount a unique yet funny experience of a one day ski in Tochal Ski Resort, Tehran, Iran where I met a good friend! It is weekend when I pick my friend up and we head toward Tochal ski resort. I have been there once few years earlier, but this time it seems more crowded as it is Friday. I like mountains specifically when they are covered by the whiteness of snow in winter; Tochal is glittering with dazzling scenery, pleasant air and energetic atmosphere and this is why Tochal has become a tourist and sporting destination.
Located close to Velenjak neighborhood, Tochal resort will appear with a 15-minute drive to arrive to the entrance of Tochal ski resort. In fact, among Dizin, Shemshak and Tochal, the third is the closest to the city of Tehran. My friend suggests a flying visit to Bam-e Tehran (the highest point of Tehran) where we are ceased as usual by polluted air. I can’t help arriving in Tochal to breathe clean air. The air temperature in this northern region is 2 to 5 degrees colder than the southern regions.
I have my equipment with me but the problem is that my friend does not even know how to ski because it is not her cup of tea. Instead, she is pro in archery and fortunately there is an equipped archery club in Tochal ski resort. So, she would like to have fun there and leaves me alone to meet each other an hour later. I take the gondola to reach the 1st station (1500m high) and from the place on I share a chairlift with a handsome man who is going to snowboard from the 3rd (2985m high) station. As I want to do alpine I need to reach Tochal peak. The scene is fantastic and few skiers are there to do alpine. Breathing deeply, I concentrate and start. This is unbelievable, although I have tried skiing several times. Fear, on the one side and excitement on the other make me scream loudly. Nothing else matters at the moment but glaring the white mountainous view.
I arrive the entrance of the pist feeling happy but exhausted while I recognize the handsome man meters away from me unwinding on the snowy ground. I am thinking of a thrilling activity with the handsome man and my friend but I need to wait half an hour for my friend to finish archery. Meanwhile I should charge my batteries so I go to the closest café to have a cup of tea and a slice of cake that I see a little girl missing her parents. I ask her to sit with me, have some cake and find her parents together. I am lucky that I hear her name from the management speaker which tells that her family is looking out for her. The process takes time and I get to my friend half an hour later and as usual she is nagging. Anyway, we think of giving sleigh a try to release some adrenaline. Wow! I am scared-stiff and this seems bizarre as I am an alpine skier but people behind us are enjoying to death as they are shouting and laughing. When it finishes I open my eyes and I am sure this is the first and the last time I crave for the sleigh.
We feel no more energy and it is almost noon so we treat ourselves to a spot of apres-ski while we are speaking about our experiences today and I talk about “Mr. Handsome Man” and tell her about the idea of having fun in the cube club or VR simulator with him if we can find him among the population; surprisingly she agrees as for she is not into new people. Ignoring the diet for a day, Citado is the restaurant we choose to have a scrumptious big meal including burgers and French fries. Voila! Mr. Handsome Man is right there when we finish; I wave to him and go to tell him about our pre-organized program for the afternoon. He is shocked apparently but promises to join in after his class for we are told that he is a ski teacher in Tochal ski club.
Escape room is something quite different and much more exhilarating from what I have imagined. Fortunately, we could match together the best way ever and when we come to the end we seem as if we know each other for hundreds of years. I think playing together is a way to come close to and know each other to certain extents.
We tire ourselves out and after we come out of the room the sun is pale and we are sure that this is time to leave though there are still a lot to do. The least I experience is a full day of excitement and amusement while making a good friend is of the highest importance.
I strongly suggest you specifying one day ski tour in Tochal for the resort is qualified as a standard resort. Besides, it contains lots of other areas including 2 parks, zip line area, mountaineering and jogging area, bagjump recreational area among many others. Also, there is a distinctive wooden hotel, Tochal Hotel, in the resort for those who would like to spend a specific white night in the middle of snowy mountains in Tochal ski resort.