If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get in shape, head to the hills for some skiing or snowboarding at the Mzaar Kfar Debian ski resort, which has just opened nine of their slopes this weekend. This exhilarating winter sport is great way to kick-start your regime while taking in some of Lebanon’s picturesque scenery (it makes for a good Instagram shot as well – no filter needed!).
Located only one hour away from Beirut with a maximum elevation of 2,465 meters at the Mzaar peak, Mzaar Kfar Debian’s 40 slopes, many gentle and intermediate, are an enjoyable mix.
The ski resort partially opened its slopes this Sunday, Atef Zgheib, head of operations at Mzaar Ski Resort told The Daily Star.
The Jan. 10 opening coincides with last year’s date, giving reason for many to benchmark the day as the official start of Lebanon’s ski season.
“The pistes we opened this weekend include Nord, Jonction, Baby, Lac, Refuge chairlift and Nabil just to go to Renard,” he said.
The resort is divided in three parts – Wardeh, Jonction and Refuge – with the partially opened slopes located in parts of all three areas.
“We are trying to open Mzaar as well now,” Zgheib added. “We haven’t opened any of the risky slopes yet, because we already are taking a risk with the ones we did.”
Amid its partial opening, the Wardeh area was packed with ski-doos, ATVs and youngsters smoking nargileh and listening to music blaring from their cars. The ski center, or Jonction area, attracted the most ski and snowboard enthusiasts.
Bobsledding also proved to be a popular alternative to the winter sports, with many eagerly taking selfies while sliding down the slopes in the Wardeh area.
“I just flew in from Dubai [last night] to redo my passport and the first thing I wanted to do was come up to Faraya,” Haya Yatim, a Lebanese skier at the Mzaar ski resort, eagerly told The Daily Star.
Another storm is expected to hit Lebanon in the coming days, after which Zgheib revealed that preparations hopefully would begin in order to open the rest of the slopes.
Preparations include compacting the snow on the slopes and freeing the lifts that have been buried under snow. “Conditions to open the rest of the slopes require at least 20 centimeters,” he said, “but this year’s powdery snow holds much promise.”
The partial opening of Mzaar Kfar Debian’s ski slopes follows last week’s opening of the Laklouk Village Vacances. There are high expectations for this ski and tourism to thrive this season, though volatile factors such as weather, roads and political uncertainty would continue to challenge ski resorts’ performances, Zgheib noted.
Fit for a day trip ski outing or a weekend getaway – expect no shortage of adrenaline this winter as the resort also gears up to host the Mzaar Winter Festival at the end of January and the Fire Dragon show at the end of February.
