IRAN 2016 As Westerners entering Iran, we weren’t sure what to expect from a country known for its checkered political past and strin-gent surveillance. But driving more than 2,100 miles through Iran’s diversity of landscapes, our group was fascinated by the number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, elaborate city squares and decorative mosques, and felt instantly connected to the region’s deep history. Eventually, dusty desert roads led to the far reaches of towering snow-covered mountains where we found ourselves spellbound not by just the beauty of the land, but also by the mechanics of local ski culture. Parking-lot porters who had recently emigrated from Afghanistan clambered to carry our skis from the parking lot to the slopes, or clean our boots— any number of tasks to earn some semblance of a salary in a new land far from home. During one particularly harrowing drive, we were round-ing the corner on a gnarly mountain road when we nearly ran into this man, alone in the frozen whiteness. We stopped to chat and he told us he was actually working, tasked with standing along this empty stretch of road to clear active rock-fall with a shovel in order to keep the pass safe for mountain travelers. How he got there, we’ll never know. A Skier’s Eye 069
The Ski Journal Volume 15, Issue 3: Page 69
