DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Temperatures were hot — a morning high of 80 degrees and rising. Ideal weather for local dress, a thobe and gutha, or for the visitor, shorts, shirt and sandals.
Pass through a door, past a half-dozen shops in one the world's largest malls, and there the snow was firm, with a light dusting of new crystals made the night before, and cold. Parka and ski pants were necessary. Gloves and ski hat were optional.
Outside, it was summer; inside, winter. Outside, it was a city of high-rise buildings, freeways and hardly a bump in the landscape; inside, there was a mountain of snow enclosed in a giant refrigerator, complete with a warming lodge, chairlift and, upon request, ski and snowboard instructors.
Ski Dubai is an indoor mountain of snow, roughly 6,000 tons of it, with five runs, two main ones for skiing, close to 1,200 feet long and vertical drop of some 203 feet from unloading to loading.
Which is little more than a bump to a Utah skier used to vertical drops of 3,000 feet, runs more than a mile long, and a hundred or so routes to choose from. But in a land of sand and camels, a snow-covered ski hill, built indoors, is a wonder to behold.
Ski Dubai is at the foot of the Mall of the Emirates, the third-largest shopping mall in the world — 400 retailers, 65 restaurants and a 14-screen theater. A short distance away is a larger mall, the world's largest.
From the outside, the ski dome looks like a giant water tube tilted downhill. From the inside, it looks like winter, complete with a snow-covered playground; snowboard park, called a "Freestyle Zone"; toboggan and sleigh runs, using tubes and plastic sleds; and a four-person or quad chairlift.
One of the main ski runs is fairly gentle, and the second is said to be the only indoor black-diamond run in the world.
To a longtime skier, the opportunity to ski indoors — in a place surrounded by skyscrapers and asphalt, where the only other snow comes in a cone and temperatures never come even close to freezing — was an opportunity too tempting to pass.
The lift starts loading at 10 a.m. Lift lines are never a problem, they say. Only about 25 percent of those who enter the snow pavilion ski.
Most play in the snowy playground at the base, "just to get the snow experience. Most of those who come here have never seen snow, let alone have the opportunity to play in it or ski," said Lucas Marchand, operations manager.
The cost for two hours of lift service was 180 dirhams or about $50. A full-day pass was about $60.
The first stop was at the ticket counter. Credit cards accepted. Then it was on to the next counters for ski boots and skis, and necessary adjustments, and a fitting for a parka and ski pants. Ski hat and gloves could be purchased from the ski shop next door, as well other ski gear — an assortment of skis, boot, poles, winter clothing, goggles, gloves and all the other little ski trinkets. Skis and boots that came with admission were the basic rental package.
Even with an indoor temperature just below freezing — 28 degrees — a ski hat and gloves were not really necessary for a run that lasted 30 seconds or less.
Access to the lift was up an escalator, where ski poles were hanging on racks, then out double doors and onto the snow.
At 10:10 a.m., the two runs were vacant, as was the lift.
The two-hour pass, waved past a scanner, opened a turnstile that gave access to the lift. Once on the lift, the operator, an employee securing fencing and a man at unloading, all sternly emphasized, over and over, the necessity of dropping the safety bar on the chair, even on such a short ride. Many riders have never ridden a lift before, so safety is pressed.
At the top, there were but two choices — turn right and go down the slightly longer, gentler run that doglegged to the right, or turn left for the steeper run, rated black diamond, that took more of a direct route to the base.
The snow was really quite good where it had been groomed to a narrow corduroy pattern. The skis held an edge and even kicked up a little dusting of snow from the surface on a hard turn. Where the snow had not been smoothed by a groomer, it was a little sticky, kind of like spring snow, for the first turn or two.
A half-dozen GS turns or a dozen quick slalom cuts comprised a run on the black-diamond route. The longer run allowed for a few more turns, but not many more.
On the second run, a ski class formed at the top — four students and an instructor. The teacher had the students completing slow, controlled wedge turns. He would then stop and explain his movements, then demonstrate a few more turns and stop. The class followed as best they could.
On the third run, the lift companion was a skier from Connecticut, Jarrett Gran, who was in Dubai visiting relatives, and like other skiers, had to try the indoor snowdome.
He was familiar with Utah skiing. He had skied there the winter before and called it "the best," and rated Ski Dubai "very different and OK … it's skiing."
A building at the angle station, considered the halfway point, barely 600 feet from the top, was a warming hut appropriately name the "Avalanche Cafe."
It served as a warming hut, complete with food, beverages and either indoor or heated outdoor tables, and a view of the beginner run and snowpark.
At the very bottom, near the glass-walled viewing area from inside the mall, was the playground.
Playing there was a man in a thobe, a loose fitting, ankle-length white robe, and wearing a gutha, a checkered red and white cloth on the head tied with a rope, and a woman in a burka that was open only enough so that her eyes could see.
Standing nearby was a couple in Western summer attire — shorts, short-sleeve shirt and sandals. No one complained. Dubai is the one city within the Arab nations that takes more liberal views on dress.
By 11 a.m., there were a half-dozen skiers, all wearing the rented red and blue ski outfits. That was as crowded as it got on the hill in the early hours. There were more in the play field and three people on the toboggan run.
After a couple of dozen runs, well under what the two-hour ticket would have allowed, skiing ended. Skis, boots, poles, parka and pants were returned, and the pass deposited in a machine that recorded time.
From there, it was back to being a tourist in a city that was very much like a big city in the United States, only much newer. For every building standing, there was another under construction. A cab driver said eight years ago, there were five hotels. Today, on line, there are more than 250. No expense has been spared. Luxury is the standard.
Shops in the mall were all those one would expect to see in a big mall in the U.S., and the food court featured all the U.S. fast-food chains, plus several country specialties.
Upon leaving the dome, temperatures were comfortable stepping back into the air-conditioned mall. Outside, it was hot — 85 and still rising.
So what was next?
From here, it was off for a more traditional adventure — a Jeep safari through the huge sand dunes outside Dubai and a sit-down dinner in a Bedouin camp, complete with camel rides and belly dancer.