Ski Touring Expedition in the Zagros Mountains – A Perfect Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventure!
Join us for the ski touring edition of our Iranian safari, where we will retreat to the remote and lesser-known Zagros Mountains. This mountain range stretches over 2,500 kilometers and offers countless ski touring options, including peaks above 4,000 meters.
We will live in the mountains like locals – staying in a traditional family home with our Iranian friends, who will prepare delicious Persian cuisine for us. Each morning, we will embark on a different ski tour, culminating in a thrilling descent from a peak well above 3,000 meters.
As with every Off Piste trip, you can expect an authentic experience of local culture and folklore. Iran is a special place, with incredibly welcoming locals eager to meet and chat, stunning historical landmarks dating back thousands of years, and an unmatched air of mystery. Together, we’ll “get lost” in the ancient city of Kashan and the iconic, liberal city of Isfahan.
Discover why we call this a ski touring safari 😉
Backcountry
Persian Culture
Local Guides
4×4 Desert Safari
Price Includes:
- 4 nights in traditional guesthouses and 6 nights in a mountain home
- Full board: breakfasts, lunchboxes and dinners
- 6 days of ski touring with local mountain guides
- Supervision by a Polish team leader
- Sightseeing program in Iran – Kashan and Isfahan cities
- Full-day desert safari in 4×4 vehicles
- City guide
- All necessary road transfers
- Standard travel insurance including medical expenses, accident coverage, and personal liability. Additional insurance covering off-piste skiing is required. Many of our clients already have year-round high-altitude policies. If you don’t have one, we can provide coverage for the trip at a cost of 370 PLN.
Price Does Not Include:
- Flights
- Entrance fees to attractions
- Ski or snowboard equipment – you need to bring your own
- Avalanche safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) – available for rent, reservation required
- Visa and related formalities – cost approx. €100
- Extreme sports insurance, including off-piste skiing
- Tips
- Anything not mentioned in the program
ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSPORTATION
- In the cities, we will stay in traditional guesthouses
- In the mountains, we will live like locals in a family home 🙂
- For more information, check the TRIP PROGRAM tab
OFF PISTE – Terrain Details:
- Our ski touring activities will take place in the remote and lesser-known Zagros Mountains
- The highest peak is Zard Kuh at 4,548 meters
- These mountains are particularly interesting for ski touring, as the peaks are generally flat, making them more accessible
- The slopes, however, are quite steep, providing plenty of solid descent options
- We will stay at an altitude of 2,300 meters
- Our ski tours will range from 2,500 to 4,000 meters in altitude, with an average daily elevation gain of 1,000 meters
Difficulty Level: 6/10
- Due to the steep ascents, high altitude, and significant elevation gains, this trip is not suitable for beginner ski mountaineers..
Trip Profile
- We place a strong emphasis on interesting descents on all of our ski touring trips. For Off-Piste enthusiasts, making the most of the hard-earned elevation is key 😉
SAFETY
- We collaborate with local guides who know the area inside out
- The trip will be overseen by a Polish team leader
- INSURANCE:
- The trip price includes basic travel insurance. Additional coverage for off-piste skiing is required. This can be purchased from us for 370 PLN per person. We do not include this in the base price as many of our clients have their own year-round high-altitude policies.
- There is also an option to purchase Trip Cancellation Insurance, which provides a refund in case you are unable to join us due to illness or other unforeseen events.
- Participants must have avalanche safety equipment and know how to use it
- We also recommend an avalanche backpack, which can be rented from us (reservation required)
VISA
- A visa is required – the cost in 2024 was €75
- The application is submitted online: https://evisa.mfa.ir/en/
- We work with a local agency to streamline the visa process, costing €30
HOW TO JOIN THE TRIP
- Fill out the reservation form
- We will contact you to sign the contract
- Pay a 30% deposit
- We’ll complete the group, handle the formalities, flights, details, etc.
- Pay the remaining amount 30 days before departure
CANCELLATION POLICY
- If you cancel up to 60 days before departure, you can transfer your deposit to any other trip – we will issue a voucher valid for 2 years.
- We recommend additional insurance in case of illness or an unforeseen event preventing you from traveling. You will then receive a full refund for the trip. Ask us about Trip Cancellation Insurance.
- We reserve the right to change the program due to circumstances beyond our control, such as insufficient participants, snow or weather conditions, or political situations. In case we need to cancel the trip (even for reasons beyond our control), we will promptly refund all payments made.
Day 1 (February 18)
We fly from Warsaw and/or Krakow, arriving in Tehran late at night or early the next morning.
Day 2
After landing and handling visa formalities, we’ll head to the ancient city of Kashan. We’ll stay in a traditional guesthouse that has been in operation for 250 years! We’ll rest after the journey, visit the bazaar, and dine at a traditional Persian restaurant.
Day 3
We’ll start the day exploring Kashan, delving into 8,000-year-old traces of settlements and uncovering the secrets of the mansions of wealthy Persian merchants. In the afternoon, we’ll head to the Zagros Mountains and check into our rural mountain home.
Days 4-8
We’ll explore the Zagros Mountains on ski tours, with a different route each day, of course 😉 Our tours will begin at an elevation of around 2,400 meters, with an average daily elevation gain of about 1,200 meters. In the latter part of the trip, we’ll aim to conquer a 4,000-meter peak! On the 8th day, after our ski touring adventure, we’ll pack up and head to Isfahan.
Day 9
This day, after ski touring, we’ll pack up and drive to the mystical city of Isfahan.
Day 10
We’ll enjoy breakfast in a stylish Persian hotel near the most famous bazaar, where, as in centuries past, you can buy hand-woven and dyed carpets and the finest local handicrafts. We’ll spend the day with our city beast – local guide Farshid, who will show us just how deep the rabbit hole goes in Isfahan 😉
Day 11
Another day of Persian adventures, this time on a desert safari. In the evening, we’ll head to Tehran airport.
Day 12
We’ll take an early morning flight back to Poland, arriving in Warsaw around noon on the same day.
