It was in the middle of January when my daughter and I took the plane from Sharjah one evening to fly to Beirut. With a certain apprehension about what to expect, as this was also my first time visiting Lebanon, I had booked with SkiLeb, which, as the name suggests, is an organisation specialising in skiing in Lebanon.
We flew into Beirut in the evening and we were met immediately by our driver at the airport. As I have learned by now, the most dangerous part of skiing in places off the beaten track, tends to be the drive to the resort. This time was no different.
We were lucky enough to arrive just after a snowfall, but of course, driving up the mountain this meant sliding cars everywhere, people on the roads pushing their cars and basically complete mayhem. Our driver lived up in the mountains though, and he knew very well how to handle the conditions with his 4x4, so an hour and a half after leaving the airport, the car stopped in front of our hotel and I could release my breath and relax.
In Mzaar there was so much snow. I had heard it was a good year, but the amount of snow in the village reminded me of the extreme snowfalls I used to know in Japan. The snowplows were busy clearing the roads and building meter high walls on each side. My daughter was in paradise!
Mzaar is a very small place in the village Faraya, and most activities are centered around the Intercontinental Hotel. This is where you can rent skis, buy ski passes and enjoy lunch, dinner and apres ski. We stayed just down the road in Merab Hotel. There are a few other options in town, many offering smaller restaurants and walking distance from the ski lifts. There are also a lot of nice private chalets and apartments for the locals and semi-locals. Mzaar seems to be the place to be seen on the weekends, and with a constant mix of Arabic and French friends and family meet up and mingle.
Lebanon is not a cheap destination. Ski-passes and ski rental easily par on European prices, but it is easy to find good equipment. We had a lot of fun spotting the most glamorous ski outfits and the terrasses fill quickly with designer sunglasses enjoying the sun rather than the snow and the lovely Lebanese cuisine. Manakesh, zaatar, mezze... In the afternoon when the last sun rays hit the terrasse the skiers join too, music is blasting and the shishas come out, quite an atmosphere and a bit of an alternative apres-ski, for us Europeans.
The ski area is actually much bigger than I had expected. With more than 20 lifts and almost 100 km pist, the area stretches over three major peaks. The highest one takes you up to 2465 meter and on a clear day the views over Beirut and the seaside are amazing. Many of the lifts are a little bit dated, but they do the job. Runs are quite long and nicely groomed.
Part of the mountain is also left unprepared which gives easy access to in-resort off piste and some really nice powpow, especially directly after snowfall. Being close to the sea, the snow is quite humid though, so it quickly gets a bit heavy and crusted. Hiking a few days after snowfalls can be a bit disappointing I imagine. With the right conditions, the area is really nice for everybody though. My only hesitation may be the Lebanese skiers, who ski like they drive their cars, with absolutely no fear ;-)!
We only spent a weekend in Mzaar, but it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it, especially as a weekend outing from Dubai or other cities in the region. The resort feels completely disconnected from the rest of the world and when you enter Beirut again it is hard to imagine that you were actually skiing hours before.
HOW TO GET THERE?​
Flying from Dubai to Beirut takes almost 4 hours, but this is because most airlines avoid flying over Syria.
Air Arabia and Fly Dubai both offer very good deals to Beirut from Sharjah and Dubai respectively.
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The most famous hotel in Mzaar is the Intercontinental, just at the foot of the slopes. There are however other options in the village, which can be booked either directly or via SkiLeb.com, a travel agency with many years experience organising ski trips in Lebanon. We stayed at Hotel Merab, a few minutes walk from the Intercontinental and the lifts.
SOME FACTS LEBANON
Inhabitants: Â Â Â Â Â 6,0Â Millions
Surface: Â Â Â Â Â Â 10,500 KM2
Language: Â Â Â Â Â Â Arabic & French
Currency: Â Â Â Â Â Â Libanese pound (LBP)
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