Top 10 Ski Resorts - 10 Best Resorts to Ski in the World
While I sipped my first cup of morning coffee, I found myself thinking, “what are the best ski resorts in the world“? I might quickly answer, “Any good resort with great backcountries in Europe, such as La Grave in France or the Tatry mountains in Slovakia. That is a limited view though. I am totally forgetting Valdez in Alaska, Whistler, Kamchatka and the Caucasus mountains, and even Mount Cook in New Zealand. So I just don’t know enough..
So, where are the best resorts to ski in the world? What are the TOP 10 ski resorts? Let’s find out. Let’s see what other people say. I searched “top 10 ski resorts” in Google and found a few sites doing the same ranking. I picked one I agree with pretty much. I’ll review that list and add my own personal thoughts and opinions.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - #10 Aspen, Colorado
I am surprised. I expected Aspen to get closer to position #1 because so many people enjoy resorts like Aspen. Most of the people don’t go skiing in the backcountries, they prefer easy skiing and good nightlife. I prefer the other extreme but I definitely would like to ski and see Aspen.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - #9 Cortina, Italy
Again I am surprised! Cortina is much like Aspen but less known. I expected it to be closer to position #1. Cortina is a beautiful ski resort with no traffic in the streets. It is really stylish. I strongly recommend Italian ski resorts and Cortina if you’re planning a ski trip during Christmas.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - #8 Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Eastern Canada
Well, I must say this is a ski resort I have ever heard of. You might say I have lived under a rock, but truly I know nothing about this resort. I know something about British Columbia, but the eastern side of Canada doesn’t say much to me. If this resort is ranked to position 8, I should know something about it.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - #7 Stowe, Vermont, Eastern United States
I have heard about this resort a little. They say it has been renowned and there is pretty good skiing in there. This is based on word of mouth. I better find out more about this interesting resort.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - #6 Chamonix, France
I went to Chamonix for the first time in 1997. Since those days Chamonix has developed tremendously and the number of tourists has increased very much. Nowadays Chamonix is absolutely too crowded. I used to spend seasons with my friends in Chamonix and ski the best powder in my life so far. Chamonix offers great backcountry skiing but it requires high mountaineering skills. Chamonix is not just for backcountry skiers, it offers great skiing for families too. I was there last year with my son and we got very good skiing without going to backcountries at all. And yes, there is Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe. This is one good reason to see Chamonix at least once in a lifetime.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - #5 Banff/Lake Louise, Alberta, Western Canada
They say this is the most scenic mountain resort in North America. I believe this when looking at the pictures of Banff/Lake Louise! It is absolutely awesome! Banff/Lake Louise is a stunning resort located in the Canadian Rockies. The resort has three different ski areas that are 50 kilometers apart.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - #4 Vail, Colorado, Western United States
The very first time I heard about Vail was when watching those impressive, early ski movies of Seth Morrison, around 15 years ago (Oh man.. am I that old?). Vail is absolutely a great ski resort with a huge number of places to ski. Vail is the most popular resort in North America and it is actually much more than just a ski resort. There are art galleries, museums, ice skating, hockey, dog sledding, etc.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - #3 Zermatt, Switzerland
Sounds good, I agree with this. Zermatt is a fabulous ski resort close to the Italian border. There are Gstaad and St. Moritz, those “Aspen-like-resorts” close to Zermatt, but still Zermatt seems to be ranked higher. Zermatt offers fantastic skiing with spectacular views. Zermatt is traffic-free, meaning all cars are left in a garage a few kilometers away from the town. Planning a ski trip at Christmas? Go to Zermatt, you will like it.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - 2# Kitzbuhel, Austria
Once again, I am srpprised! Kitzbuhel is a great place to ski but honestly I did not expect to see it as second best in the world. This resort is known from the Alpine Cup track, Hahnenkamm.
TOP 10 Ski Resorts - 1# Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia
What can I say? Nothing. This is exactly the right one to be on he first place. I agree 100%. Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia provides the biggest vertical drop, very good powder skiing and fabulous nature surrounding it. It is the best.
What do you think? Disagree? Say what you think in the comment field.
Share This
[...] Silverton, Lake Tahoe, Cortina, Mt. Ruapehu, Elbrus, Kamtsatka.. Some time ago I wrote about the top 10 ski resorts, but those are not all ski resorts I would like to visit. There are ski resorts that truly rock in [...]
As an avid skier who considers himself knowledgeable on this subject I’d like to add a thought or two.
First, there is no doubt in my mind that Whistler is the best mountain in North America, possibly the world. Its world class skiing, founded on its gigantic size and challenging runs, is complemented by a world class village. Growing up in Vancouver may have made me biased, but there is no where else I’ve ever skied that tops Whistler
Second, within the United States Vail is the mountain to beat. Its size and village rival Whistler, in addition the 300+ days of sunshine ensure fabulous, enjoyable skiing even when new snow is scarce. If you’re trying to find rentals in Vail, CO or its neighbor Beaver Creek, <a href=”http://www.vailskivacations.com”target=”_blank”.Vail Ski Vacations is the place to contact. Their local expertise and friendly staff are perfect for finding the best deals in town on world class luxury properties.
Finally, its disappointing not to see Alta/Snowbird up there, my year living in Utah was phenomenal and if you’re looking for powder there is no where in the world that can top Utah. Not a single day in March wasn’t spent choking on powder, I’m not even exaggerating here.
Good read,
Graham Swalling
hmmm…link didn’t work once more I’ll try because I was very impressed with their work and how they helped me find a rental Vail Daily
Thanks for you comments, Graham.
As said Marko’s article was based purely on some google searchs…so this was VERY subjective view on the issue.
You might want to check the article of our “wish list” too:
http://homeboyski.com/2008/03/18/top-ten-ski-resorts-wed-like-to-visit/
This is a great list of resorts. All the good ones are on here. Whistler Blackcomb is number one and can you imagine the rankings now that the new peak to peak gondola is coming online in Dec 2008.
http://www.whistlerluxurycondos.com/peak-to-peak-chairlift.htm
[...] might ask why Slovakia for skiing? To be honest it doesn’t fully compare to the TOP 10 ski resorts if you only look for the figures. But there are factors that make the trip worthwhile: the low [...]
[...] good fjells in Finland worth topping, even without the chopper, BTW. They are not comparable to the TOP 10 ski resorts in the world, but pretty nice and unique [...]
Hi ,
I got some great rentals on some ski in/out resorts if anybody is interested , 2009 Jan ski in/out of the cliff club at snowbird . $1500.00 goes for almost $400.00 night - studio for 2-4people.
or club intrawesrt during last call spring break for great skiing during april 5 -12th 2009 1 bedroom at whistler. $1500.00
or cooper mountain square
or steamboat grand for 2010 studio for 2-4 Jan.
E-mail at henniquinl@bellsouth.net
kewljf aspen is number one
U MUST BE KIDING ME MERIBEL FRANCE IS DEFENITELY THE BEST PLACE TO SKI THIS THING SUCKS
Aspen and Meribel are great ski resorts, but this is how we see it and this is just our opinion. Thanks guys for pointing out your opinions. Btw, I would love to ski Aspen this season..
With all due respect, this list is incomplete and lacks credibility by not having some of the world’s best resorts included. Stowe, Vermont, Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, and Mont Tremblant, Candada are not world class resorts and don’t belong in the top 20. Kitzbuhel doesn’t belong in the top 10. I have been skiing for over 30 years, having skiied competitively as a downhill ski racer and freestlye skiier around the world. Now I dedicate most of my descents in search of pow on fat boards in the backcountry globally. Three resorts that rank in the global top 5 are:
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has the most vertical in the US and is home to some of the most challenging backcountry terrain in the world.
Trois Valee, France (Courchevel, Meribel, Mottaret) provides skiiers with access to over 230 interconnected lifts and one of the best apres ski scenes anywhere.
Val D’Isere/Tignes, France. Tremendous mountain and great variety of terrain. Excellent back country and fine apres ski.
Alta/Snowbird, UT and Squaw Valley, CA should also be considered.
Leave your response!
What is this website?
Featured Partners
Cohkka
Petri Kovalainen
Luontokuvat Eskonen
Archives
Join us in Facebook!
Most Popular Tags
80's Alpine Skiing World Cup Alps Austria Backcountry Skiing Big Mountain Riding Blogging Chamonix Children Christmas Europe Finland France Freeride World Tour freeskiing Gear Reviews High Tatra homeboy's skiing blog homeboyski homeboyski.com Jasna Kalle Palander Learn To Ski Low Tatra Mountain Biking Norway Safety Scott Macartney seth morrison ski skibum Ski Films Ski Gear skiing Skiing Tips ski movies Ski Resort Reviews ski resorts Ski Reviews skis Slovakia Snow Snowboarding Tips & Tricks VolklMost Commented
Friends Of Our Community
Blogroll