Ski Afghanistan
Ski Afghanistan
Published : 25-Feb-2012 09:51
You may not think it was possible, but people have been skiing in Afghanistan for years – with a hike up rather than any high speed quad chairs surprisingly.
Now it's getting organised and next month the second Afghan Ski Challenge takes place in the scenically beautiful Bamiyan valley.
There's even an international sponsor for March 2012 in the form of Canadian skiwear firm Arc'teryx.
Bamiyan was once famous for its giant Buddha statues which attracted around 150,000 tourists each year, but after they were destroyed by the Taliban, there are no longer any visitors, although there has been no sign of war in the region for more than a decade.
The area does still have at least one major asset remaining though according to reports, great snow, due to its very dry climate and north facing slopes.
The Bamiyan Ski Club was established in 2011 by Swiss journalists and Afghan locals to the northern exposition and a very dry climate.
Participation in the Afghan Ski Challenge – described as "a backcountry ski touring race" involved the training of 10 local people who were taught how to ski and competed in the race free of charge along with paying Swiss competitors.
"150 years ago, the British brought skiing to Switzerland. Now the Swiss bring skiing to Afghanistan," said a statement from the race organisers.
www.afghanskichallenge.com
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