Mount Hermon - Neve Ativ

The praise is for this being the only place in the country where you can ski at all, and for the views from the summit. Chairlifts run, rental and instructors are on site, and the runs are wide and open. Stronger skiers point out interesting off-piste either side of the main area. Midweek, contrary to its reputation, the slopes are quiet.

Crowds and the journey are what gets criticised. Hermon holds snow for roughly fifty days a year, so every operating day is packed: at peak more than twelve thousand people are on the mountain, and regulars advise avoiding weekends and arriving by nine. The approach road jams, and the trip back is described as the worst part of the day, with hundreds jostling for a handful of buses. Rental and passes are considered expensive, and some found the skiing too easy. The irony is that heavy snowfall closes the place altogether.