World’s Best: Skiing and Snowboarding

We asked where to find the world’s best destinations for a ski and snowboard holiday. Here, your answers—and the reasons why these peaks pique your interest.

Dec 27, 2011

By: Sarah Tuff

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Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada

1/8

Alta/Snowbird, Utah: Bring your snorkel. These two side-by-side areas in Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon swim in 500 inches of snow every winter, just 40 minutes from Salt Lake’s International Airport. While you won’t find much bling in the way of maîtres d’ and furriers, you will find a skiers-only haven at Alta, and 2,200 acres for skiers and riders at the ’Bird.

Photography Veer

2/8

Big Sky/Moonlight Basin, Montana: This is another pair of neighbouring resorts that have joined forces for phenomenal fun: a total of 5,512 acres and more than 220 trails near the hip town of Bozeman and the winter wonderland at Yellowstone National Park. Invest in a compact, high-quality camera; chances are your iPhone won’t do justice to the jaw-dropping scenery.

Photography Thinkstock

3/8

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming: Jackson combines the best of both worlds: serious terrain (2,500 acres in-bounds, plus another 3,000 acres of back country bliss through the gates) and ridiculously cushy service at the base—not to mention a boot-stomping, cowboy-hat-wearing nightlife and urban-quality shopping. Plunging into Corbet’s Couloir is a rite of snow sports passage.

Photography StockShot /Alamy

4/8

Niseko, Japan: Sushi joints are always popping up in ski towns: Whatever the reason, fresh Japanese cuisine and sliding downhill fast just seem to go hand in hand. Now add natural outdoor hot springs and untouched powder, and you have the northern Japan area of Niseko, which actually includes five resorts—much of them decorated with ego-stoking cruisers.

Photography StockShot /Alamy

5/8

St. Anton, Austria: Serving the Arlberg Region—a vast swatch of such interconnected areas as Lech, St. Christoph and the Stuben Glacier—St. Anton hosted the world’s first ski school in 1921, and it still teaches skiers and riders lessons in dancing through powder before dancing to a disco beat. Among its many claims to fame is a cameo in Downhill Racer with Robert Redford.

Photography Thinkstock

6/8

Vail, Colorado: For many powder-seeking pilgrims, Vail is the Holy Grail of Alpine vacations, thanks to its seemingly endless bowls such as Blue Sky Basin and China Bowl. Chances are, you’ll have a bluebird day, as the sun shines 300 days a year on the 5,289 acres of terrain, and a night-owl evening at the abundance of bars and restaurants in expansive Vail Village.

Photography Veer

7/8

Val d’Isere, France: An annual stop on Alpine skiing’s World Cup, Val d’Isere is the quintessential dream of an Alps getaway come true: 94 lifts, 154 trails, and countless reasons to indulge in escargots and a bottle or two of Bordeaux. It’s the size of six Whistlers strung together, so you’ll never know that 2 million skiers flock here each winter.

Photography GrahamLawrence/Alamy

8/8

Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada: Long before it hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 2010, Whistler put on a medal-winning winter-vacation performance, from sky-high glaciers to a twinkling, storybook village as cosmopolitan as it is charming. After tackling some of the 7,000 acres of terrain (this is North America’s biggest resort), skiers and riders can relive Games glory.

Photography Veer

Concierge Recommends Tips

Jackson Hole

Shortcut to the Top

The aerial tram, just steps from the Resort, will whisk you on a 12-minute ride rising nearly a vertical mile to the top of Rendezvous Peak at 10,450 feet. Take in sweeping views across Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.

See all Jackson Hole recommendations

Vail

Stars and Strikes

The new Solaris complex has added never-before-in-Vail indoor entertainment options, including CineBistro, a movie theatre serving gourmet snacks like popcorn shrimp, and Bol Vail, a cutting-edge bowling alley.

See all Vail recommendations

Jackson Hole

Just Say "Ah"

Replenish dry skin with the Shea Butter Skin Lustre at the Spa at Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole. Choose from citrus, cucumber or lavender-infused shea butters.

See all Jackson Hole recommendations

Vail

Family Fun

There is plenty to do in Vail for visitors of all ages. Adventure Ridge is a mountaintop activity centre that comes alive after dark, with snow tubing, kid-sized snowmobiles, bungee trampolines and ski biking.

See all Vail recommendations

Jackson Hole
Shortcut to the Top
View Tip Vail
Stars and Strikes
View Tip Jackson Hole
Just Say "Ah"
View Tip Vail
Family Fun
View Tip

When asked about your favourite skiing and snowboarding experiences, you were eager to respond. In our quest to find the world’s best destinations for these cold weather activities, we’ve narrowed your selections to eight. How many are on your bucket list, and which can you cross off?

4 Comments about World’s Best: Skiing and Snowboarding

Dhooge marleen says:
January 12, 2012 at 9:41 am
Courchevell in france
Reply
- ltniosi says:
  January 19, 2012 at 11:07 am
  Beautiful place!
  Reply
Alistair Han says:
January 10, 2012 at 1:13 pm
We have had amazingly good experiences of skiing and snowboarding at Whistler. Not only is the Whistler Blackcomb area huge with all sorts of terrain and opportunities for daredevils and more sedate alike, but in over 20 years we have never had a time when the snow wasn’t good. Other places offer more powder, but Whistler year in and year out has more snow. To us that is the crowning glory. There is also lots of bling, with great restaurants, high end stores and evening parties.
Reply
- ltniosi says:
  January 19, 2012 at 10:55 am
  We’re so glad you enjoyed your trip!
  Reply

World’s Best: Skiing and Snowboarding