World's Most Dangerous Ski Race in Afghanistan

"When Swiss journalist Christoph Zurcher, now a features editor at the Neue Zurcher Zeitung, visited Bamiyan in northern Afghanistan in 2009 on a break from his assignment in Kabul he sat on the roof top of his hotel, looked out over the caves of the Buddhas (destroyed by the Taliban in 2001) and the snow capped peaks of the Koh-e-Baba mountain range and thought, "skiing!" Because, apparently, Swiss people see snow and mountains and have a Pavlovian response that compels them to hurtle down the mountain. It's genetic.

Zurcher started the Afghan Ski Challenge in 2010 and four years later, it had grown to attract over 50 western competitors, including a few women. I thought about entering myself. After just one day of practice I could barely stay on my feet and once got stuck (face first) in a five foot snow drift. The race is absurdity of the highest order, which is why I was drawn to it. If things don't immediately make sense to me, or something makes me emit a "what - that's so crazy it can't be true" uncomfortable giggle, unlike a normal person who may shrug, shake their head and walk away, I'm all like "LET'S GO CHECK THIS SHIZZ OUT!" - via huffingtonpost.com