The Skiing and Mountain Fighting School (Arabic: مدرسة التزلج والقتال في الجبالMadrasat al-Tazaloj wal Kital feiljibal) is part of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The school is located in the mountainous area of Cedar (Arz), in Mount Lebanon, and is mainly responsible for conducting ski and combat in mountains sessions.
Although the school was founded in 1986, however in 1934 the French army had founded a ski team of both French and Lebanese soldiers; they rented a place in Bsharri and trained at the cedars. In 1935 they moved to the cedars Grand Hotel until the foundation of the school in 1937 by the French army. Since the foundation of the school the French army started training the Lebanese soldiers. However in 1940, Arz military base was handed over to the Lebanese Army, and was called the Skiing School and was directly linked to the Lebanese Army High Center for Military Sport until it became independent on May 1, 1986.[1]
The trainees participate in combat in all weather conditions to search and rescue people lost and blocked in snowy weather. Training sessions of ski and combat in mountains are delivered, in addition to several participations in international and local military championships.[1]
The symbol of the school is constituted of a skiing soldier representing the combat in mountains and searching mission, white representing the purity of the snow of the Lebanese mountains, mountains which represent the height, in addition to the depiction of Cedar trees (the symbol of the nation) and two laurel leaves representing gratitude.[1]
