Skiing in Lebanon has been a sport since an engineering student returning from studying in Switzerland brought back with him the sport of skiing to Lebanon in the early twentieth century. [1] Lebanon is home to six developed ski resorts. Cedars Ski Resort Bsharri is the oldest and received its first ski lift. Mzaar Ski Resort, Kfardebian, is Lebanon's largest ski resort. [2]
Lebanon, a mountainous country with summits reaching heights of over 10,000 feet, [3] is sometimes referred to as the "Switzerland of the East". [4]
Lebanon is home to six [5] well-maintained [6] ski resorts on the Mount Lebanon range that faces the Mediterranean. [7] [8] They have a combined 49 ski lifts with pistes totaling 300 km in length. [9]
Lebanon's ski resorts are accessible on a day trip with the nearest ski resorts less than an hour's drive from the capital, Beirut. [10] The après-ski scene in Lebanon is often seen as a crucial part of skiing, and is hence very enjoyable and memorable. [6] A seventh ski field, a steep and rugged one that is suitable for the most intrepid skiers only, is at Mount Hermon, [11] but due to the political situation with Israel and Syria, the field has never been developed into a resort. In 2005, plans for a US$1 billion skiing resort, Sannine Zenith, were revealed. [12]
Skiing was introduced to Lebanon in 1913 when Ramez Ghazzoui, a Lebanese engineer, returned from his studies in Switzerland and introduced his friends to the sport in the mountains near Aley in Mount Lebanon. [13] [14] [15]
In 1934, Le Club Libanais, the first ski club in Lebanon, was founded by Mauritius Tabet, Mounir Itani, and sisters Andrée Khasho and Aimée Kettaneh. [14] [15] The following year, the French Army established the first ski school at Le Grand Cèdre hotel at the Cedars of God in Bsharri northern Lebanon. [9] [13] [14] [15] In 1937, the school moved to a high mountain barracks, and would later become known as the Military Ski School. [14]
By the 1940s, Lebanon had established competitions, clubs, and ski schools throughout the country, and began competing at an international level. [16] James Riddell, a British champion skier who was often called the Father of Modern Ski Journalism, administered in 1942 a ski and mountaineering school for the Australian 9th Army at the Cedars of God Bsharri . [1]
In 1947, Lebanon competed for the first time at the international championship in Chamonix, France, with Michel Samen carrying the Lebanese flag. [14] One year later, Lebanon competed in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. [17]
In 1959, the resort of Oyoune el Simane known today as Mzaar Kfardebian was started [18] From 1962 until the eruption of the civil war in 1975, a World Cup Competition named “Semaine Internationale du Ski aux Cedres” took place yearly in The Cedars and attracted the world's most prestigious champions
In 1967 and up until 1972 the federation cooperated with the Lebanese Army to host the World Championship of Military Ski.
At the time of its construction in 1974, Faqra Club, which was built at the foot of Mount Sannine with the help of Swiss architects, was one of the premier private skiing resorts in the world. [19] With altitudes ranging between 1700 and 2000 meters, the resort offered a dozen pistes of varying levels that permitted skiers to enjoy the sport day and night. [19] On clear days, one could see the Mediterranean and the capital, Beirut, from the summits. [19]
In 1993, a Lebanese-American, Richard Elias initiated the International Peace Ski, in which he led a group of thirteen professional skiers from ten different countries to ski in Lebanon. [1]
Lebanese skiers have participated in the Winter Olympic Games since 1948 and in World Championships: Innsbruck (1964), Greece (1967), Sapporo (1972), Innsbruck (1976), Grenoble (1969), Lake Placid (1980), Calgary (1988) and Albertville (1992).
The ski season, which is similar to the Alps, typically runs from mid-December to April, depending on the length and depth of snowfall. [16] [20] In spring, it is sometimes possible to snow ski in the morning and drive to the coast in the afternoon to water ski. [10] [21]
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as St. Moritz 1948, were a winter multi-sport event held from 30 January to 8 February 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936.
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Innsbruck 1976, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from February 4 to 15, 1976. The games were awarded to Innsbruck after Denver, the original host city, withdrew in 1972. This was the second time the Tyrolean capital had hosted the Winter Olympics, having first done so in 1964.
Val-d'Isère, nicknamed Valdi, is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department in southeastern France. It lies 5 km (3 mi) from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise National Park created in 1963, with good transport links in and out of Lyon, Geneva and Chambéry.
Bsharri is a town at an altitude between 1,400 m (4,600 ft) to 1,600 m (5,200 ft). It is located in the Bsharri District of the North Governorate in Lebanon. Bsharri is the site of the only remaining original "Cedars of God", and is the birthplace of the famous poet, painter and sculptor Khalil Gibran. A museum in the town honours his life and work.
Sankt Anton am Arlberg, commonly referred to as St Anton, is a village and ski resort in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It lies in the Tyrolean Alps, with aerial tramways and chairlifts up to 2,811 m (9,222 ft), yielding a vertical drop of 1,507 m (4,944 ft). It is also a popular summer resort among trekkers and mountaineers.
Baskinta is a Lebanese village situated at an altitude ranging from 1250 metres above sea level and climbs up to approximately 1800 meters of height at Qanat Bakish, making it one of the highest villages of Lebanon. It is located 43 kilometers north east of Beirut.
Mzaar Kfardebian is a ski area in Lebanon and the largest ski resort in the Middle East. It is located one hour away from Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. It is also referred to as Ouyoune el Simane.
Faraya is a village and municipality in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 46 kilometers north of Beirut. Elevation start from 1290 meters to 2000 meters above sea level and its total land area is 870 hectares. Faraya's inhabitants are predominantly Maronite Christians.
Verbier is a village located in south-western Switzerland in the canton of Valais. It is a holiday resort and ski area in the Swiss Alps and is recognised as one of the premier off-piste resorts in the world. Some areas are covered with snow all year. Skiers have settled in the Verbier area in order to take advantage of the steep slopes, varied conditions, and resort culture.
Alpine Skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics consisted of six alpine skiing events. Similar to the 1964 games, the men's downhill was held on Patscherkofel, the other five events at Axamer Lizum. The events began on 5 February and ended on 13 February 1976.
Avoriaz is a French mountain resort in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. It is located in the territory of the commune of Morzine. It is easily accessible from either Thonon at Lake Geneva or Cluses station on the A40 motorway between Geneva and Chamonix. Either way one follows the D902, Route des Grandes Alpes, to Morzine and then the D338 running from Morzine to Avoriaz. Snow chains are often necessary. Avoriaz is built on a shelf high above the town of Morzine, which is among the pioneering towns of skiing with its first lifts dating back to the early 1930s. Today Avoriaz is one of the major French ski destinations catering for all standards of skiing and ranks among the top snowboarding destinations of the world. Apart from snow-based pursuits, Avoriaz is also a centre for trekking, golf, VTT and other outdoor activities during the summer. Cars are forbidden in Avoriaz. The resort is designed to be fully skiable. Other transport around the resort includes horse-drawn sleighs and snowcats during winter.
W. James Riddell MBE was a British champion skier and author who was involved in the early days of skiing as a competitive sport and holiday industry. Like his near contemporary, Sir Arnold Lunn, he matched his adventurism on the slopes and knowledge of the Alpine countries with an elegant record of his times.
Because of Lebanon's unique geography, both summer and winter sports thrive in the country. In fact, during autumn and spring it is sometimes possible to engage in both activities on the same day; for example, skiing in the morning and swimming in the afternoon.
The Skiing and Mountain Fighting School is part of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The school is located in the mountainous area of Cedar (Arz), in Mount Lebanon, and is mainly responsible for conducting ski and combat in mountains sessions.
The Mount Hermon ski resort is situated on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Hermon, a few kilometers off the Purple line, in the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights. The site is surrounded by the Hermon nature reserve. While the nature reserve is open year-round, the ski resort is open only at the peak of winter, when enough snow is accumulated on its ground. It has a top elevation of 2,040 metres (6,690 ft), going down to 1600 metres, with an area covering about 2,434 dunams.
There is an ambiguity about the highest Lebanese village, although this ambiguity is not official. Lebanon is a country that has an average altitude of about 1000 meters above sea level, and contains the highest villages in the Middle East. The main villages of concern are Bekaa Kafra, Ainata, Kfardebian, Laqlouq, Tfail, Ouyoun Orghoch, and Souaqi. The information concerning altitudes given below is confirmed and based on Google Earth elevation indicator.
Kfardebian is a municipality in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate in Lebanon. It is located 45 kilometers north of Beirut. Its average elevation is 1,220 meters above sea level and its total land area is 2,960 hectares. Kfardebian inhabitants are predominantly Melkite and Maronite Christians.
Qalaat Faqra is an archaeological site in Kfardebian, Lebanon, with Roman and Byzantine ruins. Located near the Faqra ski resort on the slopes of Mount Sannine at an altitude of 1500 m, it is one of the most important sites of the UNESCO-listed valley of Nahr al-Kalb.
Faqra is a ski resort on the outskirts of the Kfardebian village in the Keserwan District in Mount Lebanon, 47 km (29 mi) from Beirut and 36 km (22 mi) from Jounieh.
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