Voss
Voss is a relatively small resort, but there’s enough here to occupy anyone for a week. The mix of downhill runs accessed by the cute red cable car from the center of the town is surprisingly varied and offers sublime sunset views across the region’s pastel-shaded whaleback mountains, which have a real “call of the wild” feel about them. There is also a vast network of crosscountry trails emanating from the town. As well as skiing, visitors can also enjoy a spectacular winter rail journey to the shores of mighty Sognefjord. With so much to do, you won’t easily get bored at this lakeside resort.
Red Mountain
Red Mountain is something of a testing ground – say you’ve skied here and your coolness coefficient rises exponentially (no need to mention the fact that you fell down the steep slope and bounced off the trees). Along with its steeps and, more especially its trees, Red is also famous for the lavish helpings of British Columbian powder that it gets. There’s an apocryphal tale of the local who once found the perfect tree run here, but was never able to discover the exact line again.
So blessed with perfect lines is Red Mountain, that it’s easy to believe the story. The hill sits perfectly with the resort’s satellite town of Rossland, a characterful old gold-mining town populated by equally colorful characters. The hill is slowly being developed, but there has been a genuine effort on behalf of the owners to maintain its old-school feel.
Although growing in popularity, Red Mountain is still an overlooked destination. If you want a challenge and like to wallow in knee-deep powder, a skiing trip here is a must.
Sainte Foy
Don’t be fooled by the fact that Sainte Foy has a mere 15 miles (25 km) of ruins, for the backcountry in this recently developed Alpine resort is extensive, challenging, and relatively crowd-free, especially compared to popular neighbors such as Les Arcs and Tignes. And it’s great for snowboarders. It pays to get in with the locals in order to discover the best riding. Many of them will hike from the top of the lifts to lay down fresh tracks far away from skiers who are not in the know. But even without local knowledge, you’ll enjoy some of the finest and most open terrain in the Alps here, especially late in the season
Kamchatka
Skiing in Kamchatka is an almost surreal experience. Many of the peaks your battered Mi-8 helicopter will drop you on have steam issuing from cracks in their flanks; active volcanoes dot the landscape and at the end of your run, you might find yourself on a black-sand beach that is being pounded by Pacific breaks. You may spot grizzly bears and sea eagles while skiing, and can easily clock up over 30,000 ft (11,000 m) of vertical per day. And it’s not unusual to wind it all up at the end of the day sipping Russian “champagne” in a natural hot spring, easily making Kamchatka the ski trip of a lifetime
Are
Above Åre’s attractive pastel houses and shining lake lies the best lift-accessed skiing in Scandinavia, with something for everyone. Those skiers wanting to leave the runs, in particular, will love the options here, including a great snowcataccessed run from the 4,660-ft (1,420-m) summit of Åreskutan. There’s also a fine array of novice and intermediate runs, allowing skiers and snowboarders of all abilities to enjoy a trip to Scandinavia, the home of skiing. Late-season skiing can be sublime as the sun rarely sinks beneath the horizon. And if you like to party hard, Are provides plenty of entertainment.
