Ski season back to its peak

It's a dark, snowy evening up in the mountains as the last intrepid skiers and snowboarders, immaculately attired in designer jackets, Gucci sunglasses and salopettes make their way down from postcard-perfect slopes and into slick, brightly lit après-ski bars. Ice cubes clink in cut-glass tumblers; gaggles of beautiful people gather to chat around roaring log fires; cool lounge music fills air scented with the aroma of cigars and sizzling entrecote steaks.

Glance around, and you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a scene from a top-end ski resort of the French, Swiss or Austrian Alps, but you'd be wrong. This is Faraya Mzaar, Lebanon's most celebrated ski destination, where the slopes are as challenging and the nightlife as relentless as anything Val d'Isère or St Moritz have to offer.

Faraya Mzaar, standing at an altitude of 2,438 metres above sea level, is just one of Lebanon's six ski resorts, though with its chic five-star facilities it remains the most attractive to Beirut's elite, who flock here each weekend between December and March, from the capital just 50km away. With 42 slopes and around 80km of ski trails, the resort's higher altitudes boast stunning vistas down across the eastern Bekaa Valley and onward toward Syria, and enough fresh snowfall throughout the season to keep even the most discerning of skiers happily exploring its mountain skiways for days.

But for many who come to Faraya Mzaar, the quality of the powder isn't necessarily topmost on the agenda, and dozens of pairs of skis appear to be planted permanently skyward outside its host of bars, clubs and restaurants. Firm favourites for the party crowd are the painfully cool L'Interdit and L'Igloo nightclubs, the latter housed inside a kitsch white concrete dome reflecting its name.

Those seeking the ultimate in pampering swear by the Intercontinental Mzaar Resort and Spa, a 131-room oasis of luxury, encompassing all the bells and whistles of an international hotel, including four top-end restaurants and a café specialising in "chocolate cuisine". With its Therme du Mzaar spa offering a variety of hydrotherapy treatments, it's easy to see why some see little reason to venture outdoors into the cold, when the snow can be enjoyed from a panoramic window while spa practitioners work their magic.

Meanwhile, a short hop down the road to the smaller resort of Faqra, similarly sybaritic – though slightly more refined – goings-on are afoot. Here, the Faqra Club, one of the world's first private ski clubs, offers serene luxury rooms, fabulous food and five well-groomed slopes reserved exclusively for hotel residents, making it a relaxed and intimate ski option. Like Faraya Mzaar, Faqra's white stuff isn't the only attraction: snowmobile, snow-shoeing and cross-country ski trips are firmly on the agenda, while other alternatives are more historic than hedonist.

A few kilometres along the main road from the resort lies a complex of Greek and Roman ruins, particularly picturesque following fresh snowfall. Here, visitors will find one temple dedicated to Adonis, an altar and second temple to Astarte, goddess of fertility, rock-cut tombs, and the Claudius Tower, a cube-shaped construction whose inscription attributes its building to the Emperor Claudius in AD43-44. With few visitors to disturb its solitude, it makes the perfect scenic side-trip for those who can bear to tear themselves away from the buzz of après-ski destinations such as the nearby Chez Michel restaurant, whose Lebanese mezze dining is legendary in the area.

Like Faraya Mzaar, Faqra's slopes bustle with Beirutis throughout the winter months – particularly at weekends – and increasingly in recent years with intrepid Europeans looking for an alternative to the crowded slopes and frequently unreliable snowfall of European resorts. In peak season, hotel bookings must be made weeks in advance and restaurant reservations are a must, though for all their chic sophistication, Lebanon's ski villages continue to exude the down-to-earth charm and friendliness for which the nation, as a whole, is renowned.

It has not, however, been an easy downhill run for Lebanon's ski resorts. Though the industry has seen rapid growth in recent years, with a new, sophisticated and higher-altitude Sannine Zenith resort planned for the mountain slopes high above Faqra and Faraya Mzaar and luxury residences springing up each season, there have been a number of setbacks along the way. Two smaller resorts, Qanat Bakiche and Zaarour, were both heavily damaged during the country's long-drawn-out civil war, while the aftermath of the conflict of summer 2006 saw bookings plummet by up to 80 per cent.

But last winter, despite continuing security strife, it saw visitors returning with almost full force and hopes are high for a continued resurgence in tourist numbers. With heaving shops and restaurants it would be easy to forget that all is less than perfect beyond the snowy reaches of Lebanon's mountain resorts. Lebanese holidayers seem to remain intent on making the most of a political situation frequently as rocky as its ski slopes in summer, and are partying nonetheless – and adventurous visitors from farther afield are inclined to agree.

But if the celebration of style and spangle on the slopes is too much for you, there are equally laid-back options at hand. North from the glitz of Faqra and Faraya Mzaar lies the pretty resort of The Cedars, where souvenir-touting log huts strung along the main road up to the slopes might have you believe you've landed in the heart of the Pyrenees.

Named for the ancient grove of cedar trees – Lebanon's national symbol – which still graces its mountain meadows, the resort is relaxed and family friendly, standing at an altitude of 2,000m and with eight lifts taking skiers up to its pristine, lofty heights. The Cedars comprises the oldest of Lebanon's resorts – skiers having regularly graced its slopes since the 1920s – and also boasts the longest ski season, with snow frequently falling from November until as late as April.

Today, the pick of the accommodation crop is without doubt L'Auberge des Cèdres, a stylish combination of chalets, suites and cabins set amid the snowfields, with the requisite roaring fires, hearty mountain cuisine and luxury mountain spa. Taking a break from skiing and soaking in the spa, it's possible to wander through the cedar grove, some of whose trees are thought to date back more than 1,000 years, and which nowadays fall under the protection of the Patriarch of Lebanon, who hosts a festival here in their honour each summer. Indeed, with summer breaks gaining in popularity alongside outdoor pursuits such as paragliding, caving and eco-minded hiking, Lebanon's ski resorts are proving they're not a one-season wonder, but have plenty to offer visitors throughout the year.

Back in Faraya Mzaar, it's nearing midnight and crowds of laughing partygoers are just hitting town. DJs are cranking up the decks, cheerful bartenders are busy mixing a variety of drinks to perfection, and the dance floors are beginning to heave with happy holidayers. Outside, the air is crisp, quiet and the night sky beyond the mountain peaks ablaze with stars.

No matter how troubled the country becomes, Lebanon's ski resorts seem to remain a world apart, an antidote to the stresses of modern Middle Eastern living – and, despite their penchant for all things bling, to the pomp and prices of its European competitors.


Essential info

HOTELS

-FARAYA MZAAR:

Intercontinental Mzaar Mountain Resort and Spa, Kfardebiane: +961 9 340 100; www.ichotelsgroup.com; double rooms from around $190 (Dh697)

-FAQRA:

Faqra Club, Kfardebiane: +961 9 300 600; www.faqraclub.com; double rooms around $230 (Dh844).

-THE CEDARS:

L'Auberge des Cèdres; +961 6 678 888; www.smresorts.net; high season rates from $145 to $520 (Dh532 to Dh1,908) per night

FLIGHT COSTS FROM DUBAI: Return flights from Dubai to Beirut with Emirates cost about Dh1,900 per person; flight time is three hours, 15 minutes.

MUST SEE: A night or two in Beirut to sample its cosmopolitan shops, restaurants, and yet more unstoppable nightlife. Combine this with a day trip to the ancient city of Baalbek to stroll through some of the finest ancient ruins in the world.

MUST EAT: Fondue and raclette (melted, salted cheese served with pickles, meat and vegetables) to rival the best in Switzerland.

BEST TIME TO GO: January to March; weekends are pricier so book ahead, but this is when après-ski is at its most vibrant. Visit www.skileb.com for snow and slope information, and accommodation deals.

DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT: Your sunblock, your sleekest salopettes – and your smile.

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