Tochal Ski Resort

The Tochal complex is a large ski resort and tourist base located in the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran with easy access from Tehran. Located in Velendjak, the northeastern suburb of Tehran. It is famous for its 7500 m long gondola lift. It has a variety of opportunities for year-round recreation and sports: skiing, tennis club, archery, bungee jumping.

The complex is named after Mount Tochal, which is one of the hills of the Alborz mountain range, located near Tehran and overlooking the city. The Tehran suburb of Velenjak, to which the complex belongs, is located at the foot of this mountain. Velenjak is known for its nice microclimate, there are a large number of residences and embassies, and easy access to the Tochal Ski Resort allows many Tehran residents to spend their weekends there. Velenjak can be reached by road. The facilities and sports fields of the Tochal complex are located on the slopes of the mountain at different heights. They can be reached by Gondola lift.

Sports facilities of Tochal Ski Resort

The beautiful views, the numerous springs, and the clean mountain air attract both Iranian and foreign lovers of active recreation. The Tochal Ski Resort consists of several sports facilities equipped with the necessary modern equipment. All of them also offer the professional help of qualified instructors.
With its 7500m, the gondola lift of the complex is considered one of the longest in the world. It was built for 4 years with the participation of French and Austrian specialized companies. It was completed in 1978. Its starting point is located in the vicinity of Velenjak at an altitude of 1910m. The distance between the two final stops is about 50 minutes.

The lift consists of 3 sections, there are 4 stops, and the stations are numbered from 1 to 7. Around the first (station 1) there are offices, parking and restaurants, and shelters. The second stop (station 2) is at the level of 2400 m. The third stop (station 5) has an altitude of about 2950 m. The rescue center of Tochal Ski Resort is located here. At this station, there is a transfer to get to the last stop of the lift. It is the fourth (station 7) and is located at an altitude of 3750m.

At the level of Velenjak to the complex are built a parking lot and several restaurants. At an altitude of 3550m is located Tochal Ski Resort Hotel. There are 30 rooms available for tourists: 6 single, 19 double, 5 apartments. The hotel is open during the ski season.

Mountain tourism

For lovers of hiking in the mountains and conquering the peaks, there are marked tourist routes. One is about 2000m long. It starts from the parking lot of the complex and reaches station 1 of the gondola lift. The second route is 17.3 km long – it is a continuation of the first trail. This route leads to the very peak Tochal (3964m). There are shelters along the path. The complex has two medical points for help in case of injuries. From the top of Tochal Ski Resort there is a view of Tehran, but usually, the city is hidden under a thick smog. Nice views are to the top of Damavand (5671 m) and the other hills of Alborz.