Alternative Ski Spots

Article by: James Bainbridge, December 2007

Tired of the crowded Alps and overpriced chocolat chaud? Don't swap your skis for a surfboard just yet. This northern winter there are some surprising alternatives to Courcheval et al. These ten obscure ski spots offer a range of cultural experiences alongside the usual powder-based fun, and you generally don't have to be a mogul to enjoy them. Some of the regions are unstable, so check up on the local security situation before packing your salupettes.

High Tatras, Slovakia

One of the world's smallest high mountain ranges, the Tatras explode out of Slovakia's post-Soviet landscape, rising to 2655m. Catching the dinky electric train to the snowfields from transport hub Poprad, you pass stations with uniformed masters and alpine forests inhabited by wolves. Most of the action, which includes 'skialpine' (a mountaineering-skiing hybrid) happens in wonderfully named spots like Starý Smokovek and Štrbské Pleso. Fortify yourself between runs with local snacks such as smoked pigs' trotters.

High Atlas, Morocco

You can use a mule to get to the top of the piste in the Atlas Mountains, although lifts are also available. With most of the snow lying above 2500m, skiing here used to be a survivalist, cross-country challenge, involving nights in basic huts and mystified looks from the occasional Berber. Now Oukaimeden, the better of two basic resorts, offers blue runs, accommodation and apres-ski tagine. It's roughly US$30 a day for the lift pass and hire of battered equipment.

Dizin, Iran

Iranian villagers have used ski-like contraptions to travel the mountainous country for thousands of years. German engineers introduced the sport in the 1930s, and the main piste at the top resort, Dizin, is nicknamed 'the Autobahn'. Dizin is one of the Middle East's largest resorts, not to mention one of the world's highest, reaching 3600m. The slopes used to be segregated by sex and the lifts are still firmly divided into 'his' and 'hers', but women are allowed to swap headscarves for more suitable attire.

Mount Baker, Washington State, USA

An alternative to Whistler in nearby Canada, the Mount Baker Ski Area holds the world record for snowfall in one season (29m). Set in volcanic highlands at about 1000m, the resort was one of the first to allow unrestricted snowboarding and hosts the oldest boarding event, the legendary Banked Slalom. Its home-grown ethos means diesel-powered lifts and minimum commercialism, but also a lack of mountain-top accommodation. Beginners and intermediates would eat a lot of snow here.

Kashmir, India

As well as the highest golf course in the world, Gulmarg has a resort with drag lifts and a chair lift. Unfortunately, electricity is sometimes restricted to 15 minutes per hour. There are runs to suit all levels, and those with a head for heights can take the gondola to 4390m. It costs about US$10 for a day on the Himalayan slopes, including equipment hire, lift pass and chai pick-me-ups. There are hotels to suit all budgets, and Srinagar's famous houseboats.

Faraya Mzaar, Lebanon

Rumours of off-piste landmines are now firmly behind Lebanon and its top resort boasts 42 slopes and 80km of ski tracks. From the top of Mzaar (2465m), you can see the Bekaa Valley, Beirut and even Cyprus. There are well-maintained slopes for skiers, snowmobilers and boarders of all levels, plus off-piste attractions including souqs and archaeological sites. Aesthetes also love the Cedars resort, which is set in a huge basin at 2000m.

Western Caucasus, Russia

The Caucasus Mountains attract those intrepid sportspeople known as 'heli-skiers'. A helicopter drops you high above the distant Black Sea, leaving you and a guide to find your way home through thousands of metres of deep, untouched snow and forests. Dividing Europe and Asia, the mountains are set for a popularity boost when Sochi hosts the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The main resort is Krasnaya Polyana.

Le Massif, Québec, Canada

With most Québecois urbanites heading to Mont-Tremblant and Mont Sainte Anne, Le Massif is one of Canada's top little-known ski spots. It offers the highest vertical drop (770m) and most snow (600cm) east of the Rockies, and its position on the St Lawrence gives the impression of skiing into the river. Thanks to its location in Charlevoix, Québec's gastronomic capital, the hilltop restaurant forgoes heat-lamp burgers in favour of local cuisine.

Mt Olympus, Cyprus

The lifts are named after Greek gods and there's a string of golfball radars - this resort could only be in Cyprus. The island is better known for the Green Line and Agia Napa, but Mt Olympus has slopes on its north and south faces and a cross-country track. The mountain name-checks the abode of the Olympian deities, and the lift named after the king of them all, Zeus, climbs to the 1951m peak. A day-pass costs about US$30.

Cairngorm Mountain, Scottish Highlands

Occasionally, Scottish skiers can survey the glistening snow on Britain's highest landmass and imagine they are in the Alps. Though climate change is rendering such moments increasingly rare, Scotland's largest ski area has 19 runs and 37km of piste. Local touches include ceilidh dancing in Britain's highest restaurant, reached by funicular, and cross-country skiing past burns (streams) and across frozen lochs. Resort town Aviemore even has a cool snowboarders' hangout, Café Mambo.