Ski day!

 I finally did it! About 2 months ago I went with my friend Lucy to Ski Dubai. It was shockingly fun! I've been wanting to go since I arrived, but it never seemed the right day and I hadn't found anyone that wanted to go. Going up to Bogus Basin by myself is one thing--I always run into people I know even when I go up by myself. Ski Dubai was something I wanted to share with someone else. After doing so many things alone overseas, I have come to really appreciate companionship when I go on an outing.

I lugged the big purple suitcase from the top shelf of my closet that has housed my ski stuff for 1 §/1 years. Just the smell of my ski clothes filled me with joy! For a second I was back in the ski school locker room at Bogus. Off I went to meet Lucy at the Mall of the Emirates where Ski Dubai lives.

Maybe because I had very low expectations or maybe because it really is well done and legit, I really enjoyed myself. It fill the need in me for snow and skiing. Here's a tour of our visit.

Ski Dubai is inside the Mall of the Emirates. It looks so funny from the outside!

I parked in the regular parking garage with 2nd floor entry to the mall. I had to walk through the mall and down the escalator to get to the Ski Dubai entrance. [read: walking through a MALL to go skiing!]

Not quite the same as driving up Bogus Basin Road
and seeing the Bogus sign surrounded by snow.

Photo from this website.

The rental shop. The rates are great: 120 AED (about 33 USD) for 2 hours of skiing and full rental.
Two hours is plenty, btw.

Once we were geared up in the locker room (that had free lockers!) we hauled our skis to the escalator at the top of which we collected our poles. Then we went through an automatic sliding door and were suddenly in 0°C snowy conditions!

Welcome to Ski Dubai! Obviously, the hill is to the right. If you look to the left, do you see the bright lights in the window? That's the mall out there!  Look!  There is even the classic orange webbing found on all ski mountains.

If you turn to the right from the same location, you see into the Cheesecake Factory.
Most of those windows are peeking into a booth or room in the massive restaurant.

Every mountain must have a ski map.

Lucy and I ready to go.

On the lift. It probably COULD be a high-speed quad, but really was more like a "Driving Ms. Daisy"-speed quad.

On the lift. Please note that my hat says "Ski Dubai".

Lift at the top--complete with Liftee pushing snow around.

From the top of the lift. There is also a tow rope that takes you to the highest point of the slope.

The classic ski hill picture.

In the line for the tow rope. Of course it took me several runs to get the hang of it. As you can see, the mall-goers can watch you. You can just see the rope pulling another skier up the hill on the right.

We stopped for a snack at the mid-slope coffee shop.

The coffee shop comes complete with a proper ski rack.
I don't know what I was expecting, but I guess whatever it was, it wasn't "real" skiing I thought I'd find.

Ski Patrol "established a presence" at Ski Dibai in 2005.

After 2 hours of skiing, we were ready to go. As usual, getting into street clothes is much faster than getting geared up!
I can't wait to go again this year!