First place winner, Khalil Reza, at home in Ali Beg, a village near Bamiyan. Ali Beg, Afghanistan. March 4, 2012
In Bamiyan, mountainous villages with no electricity saw their first skier in early 2010. Here, competitors hiked to the race course for a training run. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. February 29, 2012.
For this year's championship, the Afghan competitors were handpicked from the mountain villages and given two months of daily training by professional Western ski instructors and mountain guides. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 1, 2012
A young skier practices near his home in the Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 1, 2012.
Bamiyan is home to two giant buddha statues which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Their location, carved into the mountainside, can bee seen in the background. Bamiyan, Afghanistan. March 5, 2012.
Christoph Zurcher, a Swiss skier and journalist, made his first visit to the Koh-e-Baba mountains around 2009. He decided a ski race would help motivate the locals to learn the sport, and he set about recruiting sponsors and participants. Here, Afghan skiers prepare for a training run before the competition. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 1, 2012.
Though Afghanistan has plenty of snow-covered mountains, skiing is an extreme novelty in the country. Organizers of the ski challenge championship brought skis and boots so that spectators could try skiing as well. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 2, 2012.
A competitor falls during a practice run. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 1, 2012
A competitor prepared for a training run. Koh-e-Baba, Afghanistan. February 29, 2012.
During the race, participants 'skinned' up a 1,500-foot mountain then skied down. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 1, 2012.
Western competitors also participate in the Ski Challenge. Though the extreme altitude worked against them. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 2, 2012.
The local mayor (the woman towards the back, sitting on the podium) along with a crowd of locals watch the start of the race. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 2, 2014.
Though Afghanistan has plenty of snow-covered mountains, skiing is an extreme novelty in the country. Organizers of the ski challenge brought skis and boots so that spectators could try skiing as well. Bamiyan, Afghanistan. March 1, 2012.
Western participants in the Ski Challenge walk through the main street of Bamiyan. Bamiyan, Afghanistan. March 2, 2012.
Members of the New Zealand military stationed in Bamiyan assist a local Afghan who is trying skiing for the first time. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 2, 2012.
Khalil Reza crosses the finish line first.. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 2, 2012.
A local in a nearby village discusses the arrival of skiing in the area. Jawzari, Afghanistan. March 3, 2012
In small villages, local teenagers who had never seen skis before last winter began taking to the hills with homemade skis, made by nailing flattened tin cans to the bottom of wood planks and tying them to their feet with twine. Jawzari, Afghanistan. March 3, 2012.
Aref, a 16-year-old from the village of Jawzari, made his own skis from wood and old tin cans. Jawzari, Afghanistan. March 3, 2012.
Aref, a 16-year-old from the village of Jawzari, made his own skis from wood and old tin cans. Jawzari, Afghanistan. March 3, 2012.
An Afghan skier walks through the village next to the site of the second Afghan Ski Challenge. Koh-e-Baba Mountains, Afghanistan. March 1, 2012.
'My brothers and sisters see me as a hero,' said Mr. Reza, the champion, here at home with his trophy. Ali Beg, Afghanistan. March 4, 2012
Khalil Reza, the winner of the Ski Challenge, in front of his home in Ali Beg, a remote mountain village near Bamiyan. Ali Beg, Afghanistan. March 4, 2012