CRESTED BUTTE, United States
BEST FOR: Steep and deep skiers looking to channel their inner cowboy.
Arguably the last remaining gem in Colorado’s world-famous portfolio of ski towns, Crested Butte is overflowing with authentic skier soul. Located a mere 35 miles as the crow flies from Aspen, Crested Butte has a vibe that couldn’t feel further away from the glitzy celeb-fuelled world that exists just over the hill. ‘Crusty Butt’, as it is also affectionately known, is a genuinely welcoming place of locally owned businesses and ‘real’ people who are fiercely proud of their funky little Rocky Mountain cowboy town.
And right so. The feel here is cute without being twee, friendly without being fake. It caters for all budgets and tastes without making your experience feel too slick or manufactured.
The town is up there with some of the best resorts on the planet, but it’s the skiing that really sets Crested Butte apart. This is ‘steep and deep’ country, with acres of generally north-facing terrain best suited to intermediate and expert skiers.
Whether you’re looking to hone your tree-skiing skills or get comfortable with exposure, Crested Butte offers you an excellent opportunity to push the limits. With an annual average snowfall of more than 7.5m, powder days are a regular occurrence – so make sure you bring your fat skis to the cowboy party.
SAMOENS, France
BEST FOR: Skiers of all levels wanting a traditional alpine gem.
Situated in the Grand Massif and reachable in an hour from Geneva airport, the family-friendly, traffic-free village of Samoens offers convenience, excellent skiing and alpine authenticity in equal measure.
With access to 265km of mainly north-facing terrain, the skiing in the Grand Massif is up there with the best in France. Piste skiers will love the 14km blue run ‘Les Cascades’, which goes from Grandes Platieres to Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval; experts will be kept happy for days in the fantastic Gers bowl – a huge off-piste area with 800m of vertical drop.
If you’re looking for a little après following a day on the mountain, the best place to head is La Reposette – a bustling bar with excellent service, delicious food and fantastic mountain views. If you prefer to refuel on hot chocolates and tarte aux myrtilles, then any number of the super patisseries and cafes surrounding the quaint main square will see you right.
If you like your resorts on the secret side, be warned – the word on Samoens is out. With Club Med set to open a 1,100-bed super resort here next winter, the time to experience the original Sameons is definitely now.
ARE, Sweden
BEST FOR: Skiers looking for a snow-sure resort with Scandinavian style.
Quite possibly the best ski resort in Scandinavia, Are (pronounced ‘aura’) is a snow-sure destination located 220 miles south of the Arctic Circle. While temperatures might be a tad chilly from time to time, this is a warm and welcoming place with a cosmopolitan vibe.
There are these ski areas to choose from, offering a variety of terrain for all ages and abilities. Duved has the best slopes for practising carving, Are Bjornen is perfect for families with small children, and Are By is the steepest and most challenging of the three. Home to northern Europe’s greatest vertical drop, it offers 890m of excellent piste and off-piste skiing. The fantastic lighting system recently installed at Are By means you can get your piece of piste from 8am right through to 4.30pm, so the lack of early-season daylight hours is no longer an issue.
The best resorts are the ones that combine brilliant skiing with a vibrant atmosphere, and Are does both extremely well. The village itself combines the trendy with the traditional, and has plenty of excellent shops, bars and nightclubs to keep everyone entertained.
Gastro lovers might have their work cut out exploring Are’s 75 eateries in one trip, but heading to one of the eight restaurants with White Guide status ( for the best in the Nordics )would be a good place to start.
FINNMARK, Norway
BEST FOR: Wilderness-seeking back country skiers looking to earn their turns in a magnificent Arctic environment.
With no lift system or marked pistes to speak of, and no snow cannons or ski patrol to facilitate the experience, Finnmark in northern Norway is definitely not your traditional ‘ski resort’. What it is, however, is one of the best areas for backcountry skiing on the planet.
Backcountry skiing – or ski touring – is one of the fastest-growing sports around, with an estimated six million participants in the United States alone. The flipside of this boom in popularity is that the backcountry is getting busier, which sort of negates the reason many got into the sport in the first place.
No such concerns here. Located deep within the Arctic Circle, Finnmark is a remote and wild corner of the world that barely sees any human traffic, let alone ski-touring parties. In fact, you’re much more likely to find yourself following an arctic fox or mountain hare down the slopes than a fellow free rider. This is a stunning place with endless summit-to-sea skiing, all set against the backdrop of the magnificent Arctic fjords. It really is something else.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the best way to experience Finnmark is to go with a guide. The Ski Club of Great Britain offers a seven-day lodge-based trip to the area led by Bruce Goodlad – an international mountain guide and technical director of the British Mountain Guides.
LECH, Austria
BEST FOR: Intermediate skiers looking for a classic Austrian ski experience with an elegant twist.
There’s a charming village in the Austrian Alps where the modern and traditional co-exist, and the streets are filled with equal numbers of Porsches and horse-drawn sleighs. There seems to be no conflict between the old and the new here, and none of the exclusivity or obvious local grumblings that so often plagues other resorts.
This delightful place is Lech in the Arlberg ski area – and, while it may share the same ski pass with the infamous St Anton just over the hill, it is altogether different kind of place. The skiing is challenging rather than tough on this side of the Arlberg. Lech’s wide-open pistes are ideally suited to intermediate skiers and, crucially, they never get crowded: the resort has a policy of capping the number of day passes sold during peak holiday periods.
If you’re looking for a leg-burning, on-piste adventure, the mighty White Ring circuit could be for you. The 22km loop takes in some of the best runs in the area and passes by some superb mountain restaurants that can keep you refuelled along the way.
Lech is all about quality, both on and off the piste, and its clientele are a refined bunch who appreciates the finer things in life. With more award-winning restaurants than any other village in Austria, Lech is literally big on taste. The après scene is sparkly and stylish rather than raucous and rowdy: think cocktails and cigars rather than oversized mugs of beer.
NOZAWA ONSEN, Japan
BEST FOR: International powder hunters with a penchant for snow monkeys and hot springs.
By now, we all know that Japan is the place to go if you’re looking for powder snow. With absurd amounts of high-quality, light, dry, fluffy stuff falling with a regularity that Alpine resorts can only dream of, the journey out east has become an annual pilgrimage for powder hunters from across the globe.
Niseko in Hokkaido sees the majority of this traffic but, as a result, it can feel more like Australian than Japan at times. The same can’t be said for Nozawa Onsen, near Nagano on the main island of Honshu. A far more historic and traditionally Japanese kind of place, Nozawa Onsen is as famous for the 13 onsens (hot springs) scattered around the village as it is for the excellent skiing on the mountain.
With annual snowfalls in excess of 10m, 50km of slopes to explore and a 1,085m vertical drop, Nozawa packs a considerable powder punch. Whether you choose to remain in-bounds or venture into the Nozawa side country or backcountry with a guide, you’re looking at mega faceshot potential – all day, every day.
When you’re done, take a day off and visit the Jigokudani snow monkey park. Just 33km from Nozawa, the park is home to more than 200 of the famous pink-faced hairy little dudes, who are very good at posing for pictures.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy
BEST FOR: People-watching, mountain-gazing, steep skiing
Reinhold Messner once described the Dolomites as the most beautiful mountains in the world. As one of the worlds greatest ever mountaineers, he’s worth listening to.
Cortina d’Ampezzo is the jewel in this most spectacular of mountain crowns – the ‘Queen of the Dolomites’, as it is known. Located two hours north of Venice, it is widely considered to be Italy’s most stylish resort and a destination of choice for wealthy locals looking for winter luxury, fine dining at altitude, and perhaps the odd bit of skiing.
There are many who head here for the free ride and not the Ferraris, however. The glitterati don’t venture off-piste much, which means there’s molto untracked potential around Cortina just begging to be explored.
If you’re prepared to hike for the goods, hire a guide and you’ll reap the rewards on classic itineraries such as the Creste Bianche, Bus di Tofana and Canalio del Prete. Then get stuck into an alpine ‘Spritz Hugo’ – a cool mix of Prosecco, elderflower syrup, sparkling water, fresh mint leaves and a slice of lemon.
LAAX, Switzerland
BEST FOR: Jibbers and big-air enthusiasts who value style both on and off the mountain.
As Europe’s leading freestyle destination, Laax is the place to be if you’re into backflips and twin-tips. With four snow parks, 224km of terrain and the world’s largest half pipe right on the doorstep, it’s little wonder that Laax has become the resort of choice for die-hard snowboarders and freestyle skiers.
When it comes to sessioning the super pipe or jibbing in the terrain park, it’s all about style – and the same can be said for the resort itself. The overwhelming vibe is cool but not grungy, laidback but not exclusive. The locals are friendly and easygoing, welcoming everyone from wannabe mini-shredders to more traditional downhill skiers looking for a more sedate mountain experience. The resort offers accommodation for all budgets and motivations, from luxury hotels to mini wooden podhouses.
Located two hours from Friedrichshafen airport, Laax is easy to reach and even easier once you’re there. This is a dynamic, forward-thinking resort with a modern public transport network and ski-lift infrastructure that simply works. All the information you will possibly need can be accessed via the Laax Inside app, including weather reports, webcams, and lift status and shuttle bus timetables. With less to stress about off the mountain, you will be able to focus all your energies on finally nailing that switch 360 shifty.
BANQUEIRA-BERET, Spain
BEST FOR: Intermediate piste skiers and off-piste powder hounds with a penchant for tapas and Tempranillo.
With excellent snow cover and a great mix of both on and off-piste terrain, Banqueira-Beret offers world-class skiing with a refreshingly laidback Spanish vibe. The frantic first-lift chasing culture so prevalent in other resorts just doesn’t exist here, meaning you can relax and enjoy the unique combination of powder turns and tasty tapas at your own pace.
Located in the Aran Valley, just two hours’ drive from Toulouse, Banqueira-Beret’s ski area extends into four valleys, giving access to around 120km of long, cruising blue and red runs fit for a king. Quite literally, in fact: the current Spanish monarch, King Felipe, and his family are said to be regular weekend visitors throughout the winter season.
Banqueira-Beret is even considered luxurious enough for Victoria Beckham, who used to ski here during husband David’s stint at Real Madrid. A royal and posh stamp of approval, then.
The piste’s offer a royally good intermediate time, but it’s the quality of Banqueira-Beret’s off-piste skiing that makes it a cut above. When moisture-laden air rolls off the Atlantic and meets cold mountain air, snowy things occur – and that happens on a regular basis here. With an average 9m of fluffy white stuff falling in the area each season, and a local clientele who seldom start skiing before 11am, fresh tracks are the order of the day. Rarely, if ever, do they sell out.
VAL D'ANNIVIERS, Switzerland
BEST FOR: Backcountry skiers looking for minimal crowds.
Zermatt, Verbier and St Mortiz grab most of the Swiss ski headlines, but that probably suits the folks of the Val d’Anniviers just fine.
With 220km of long, sunny pistes and endless whoop-making off-piste potential, the quality of skiing in the Val d’Anniviers is just as impressive as in the bigger-named Swiss resorts. But there are far fewer people to have to share it with. Throw in superb mountain restaurants and stunning Alpine views, and why so many consider this the best-kept secret in Swiss skiing rapidly becomes clear.
Of the five picturesque and unspoiled villages included in the ski pass, Chandolin is the highest at 1,920m, Vercorin in the smallest and St-Luc the sunniest. All five offer excellent skiing, but the best off-piste and ski-touring terrain is accessed from the head of the valley via the recently linked villages of Grimentz and Zinal. If you’re looking for free ride fun, head for the Orzival – a hidden gem of a valley behind Grimentz thought to hold the best powder in the area. It makes sense to hire a guide, who can introduce you to the best steep and deep terrain in this spectacular valley.
LA GRAVE, France
BEST FOR: Serious skiers. Full stop
What can you say about La Grave? Well, the clue’s in the name: it’s serious. Sitting in the shadow of the Meije – a spectacular 3,984m peak in the Massif des Ecrins – this legendary site offers some of the best and most challenging lift-accessed off-piste skiing on the planet. With a journey time of around 40 minutes from both Les Deux Alpes and Alpe d’Huez, La Grave is easily accessible – but the skill level required to ski here provides the automatic filter.
Location aside, it bears nothing in common with nearby mainstream resorts. With just 700 tourist beds available in a handful of no-frills guesthouses and hotels, La Grave cannot and does not cater for everyone. What’s more, there’s only one lift – a rickety old telepherique whose passengers tend to be harness-wearing pro free riders and legendary mountain guides rather than families on their annual ski holiday.
The terrain here is equally raw: spectacular glaciers, crevasses, couloirs and steep rocky faces. There are no pistes, markers or snow cannons in La Grave; you don’t necessarily need to be an expert to ski here, but you do need to approach it with respect. The best way to do this is from the Skiers Lodge, which offers accommodation and a guiding service.
If you don’t take La Grave seriously, don’t be surprised if one of its legendary couloirs spits you out faster than you can imagine.
CERVINIA, Italy
BEST FOR: Early-season snow hunters and downhill demons.
Cervinia is all about superlatives. Boasting the best snow record in Italy, one of the longest ski runs in Europe and situated at the foot of the most iconic of mountains – the Matterhorn – it is rightly considered to be among the world’s top ski resorts.
Located on the sunny side of the Matterhorn, it might not have the international prestige of Zermatt – but this also means a week’s ski holiday in Cervinia has a far more palatable price tag. If you can serve yourself £100 simply by purchasing your joint Cervinia/Zermatt lift pass over the border in Italy, then there are clearly gains to be had over on the south side of Toblerone hill.
The price of a coffee might be lower in Cervinia, but the quality of the skiing is tip-top. Long, wide open runs perfectly groomed with Italian precision make it the perfect place to come for some speedy downhill cruising in the sun.
Another mega-plus for Cervinia is its lofty location. Situated at 2,050m, it’s good to go when the early snow starts to fall and normally opens for action by late October. As the old proverb says: ‘A wise man doesn’t spend his autumn counting down the days until his annual ski holiday. A wise man jumps on a plane to the Alps, gets some early-season turns under his skis in Italy and eats pizza in the sun.’ Be a wise man this autumn.