Regulars to Natives will know of the relaxation in rules about skiing in Iran in recent years and that the country offers some of the best skiing in the Middle East (with Lebanon).

This report comes from Mark Hunt, and was orginally published on CrazyNinja.com:

Arrived in Tehran late Tuesday 30th. Wednesday was work time, but the 6-7 inches on the ground in Tehran looked good and it had been snowing hard in the mountains.

Thursday - left Tehran at 7am and drove north for 1.5 hours to reach Dizin. Beyrouz (my Iranian friend) had been up the day before and reported heavy crowds and long lift queues but today was fine with a maximum 15 minute wait for the cable car back up. No fresh snow but there was an excellent cover and bright sunshine all day. Entrance to slopes via a very tricky narrow passage full of bumps and berms.

Slopes not groomed at all - full of crazy bumps and drop offs and big fast downhills into long uphills which need a lot of speed. Mostly chair/gondola lifts and a few button lifts with the most hectic route up I have ever seen - very bouncy and uneven.

Dizin is the largest ski/board area in Iran and the scenery is fantastic . Huge wide open pistes with loads of virgin snow around the edges and plenty of space for everyone to have fun. Conditions were great all day, bright sunshine and soft snow and we left exhausted but satisfied.

Friday and Saturday - Iranian weekend where queues apparantely get to upto an hour so I stayed in Tehran and finished the business instead! Drove back up on Saturday night through driving snow and stayed with three Iranian friends in Shamshak which is a smaller area south of Dizin (the road to Dizin closed so we had no choice).

Awoke on Sunday to about 10 cm of fresh snow so rushed out to the piste. Quite busy but again about ten minutes queuing for each lift. Early runs were dificult due the fact that you could barely see your hands in front of you - mist and snow. By mid morning the mist lifted and the sun came out for a perfect day's boarding. Lots of long fast runs over the 'rough' slopes and plenty of time in the waist deep powder just next door. Iranians are mad for skiing and boarding and I saw some of the best riding I have ever seen - including the one legged skier in Dizin.

Lift queues are separate for men and women but the pistes are mixed - a few years ago they attempted to split them but it was too difficult. Lifts are old, slow and a bit cranky - but then everything is pre-revolution so that explains it.

Equipment can be hired but it's better to take your own as the stuff I saw was not the best looking and to buy here is very expensive. On piste fashions are an interesting mix of skintight multicoloured lycra and a cobbled together boarder look consisting of whatever people can get their hands on - which is not a lot.

No booze so the apres is lacking - but the scenery makes up for it. Iran is not for everyone but it was certainly one of my more interesting trips. If you don't get freaked out by hearing the Quran read through a loudspeaker when you go up on the chair lift then you will have a great time!

Thanks to Mark Hunt and Crazy Ninja