Mount Hermon welcomes snowboarders, skiers after weekend closure
On Sunday, the mountain resort's staff teased its Facebook followers by posting a video of vehicles clearing snow and cleaning the area, saying that preparations were underway.
By RACHEL WOLFSkiers ride a ski lift on Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights near the Israel-Syria border.(photo credit: NIR ELIAS / REUTERS)
After closing on Saturday and Sunday, Mount Hermon's ski and snowboarding resort announced it would be open to visitors on Monday with a live stream of enthusiastic snowboarders on the chairlift.On Sunday, the mountain resort's staff teased its Facebook followers by posting a video of vehicles clearing snow and cleaning the area, saying that preparations were underway and it would give an update about opening the next day. To the joy of Israeli winter sports enthusiasts, the ski and snowboard slopes were ready for them Monday morning.Following the US assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, there was speculation that Mount Hermon would be closed on Saturday due to the security situation. However, after the IDF cleared the mountain to remain open to visitors, the site closed for weather.Emphasizing the seriousness of the storm on the mountain, staff posted a video of the mountain resort base, featuring its iconic snowman statue, on Facebook, writing "White Shabbat on the Hermon, the snow is not stopping."
