6 Trending Ski Destinations to Visit This Season
Rapidly exceeding its beginnings as a sport for intrepid mountaineers, skiing is now a standard winter holiday activity for families. And holiday ski destinations have kept up with the demand, with facilities like hotels, restaurants, après-ski entertainment and all indoor and outdoor recreation. What matters to skiers is definitely the snow, and the terrain of the mountainsides.
According to a study done by Health Fitness Revolution, Skiing has many health benefits and below are some of them:
- Improves proprioception. Proprioception is defined as one’s ability to feel the position of different body parts and the effort that goes into moving them. In other words, when you hold your hand in front of your face with your eyes closed, you still know your hand is there even though you can’t see it.
- Strengthens bones and joints. Your knees must endure the tension and weight from your body as you turn and move quickly downhill, so they are being strengthened when you ski.
- Boosts your mood. Skiing not only boosts overall happiness and well-being, but it is beneficial to an individual’s physical and mental health, despite the frequency or duration of the activity.
- Improves balance and core strength. Because you are constantly working to stay balanced while skiing, you core is engaged at all times.
A lot of considerations go into choosing the best ski destination for your holiday, but for this list, the ski experience itself — the variety and challenge of the terrain, the snow conditions, and lift access — predominate in selecting these top choices for any serious skier's bucket list.
Courchevel is the ultimate holiday destination for serious skiers looking for snow thrills of a lifetime. Part of Les 3 Vallées region, the world's largest alpine ski domain, with 600 kilometers of interconnected ski runs across 10 summits higher that 2,500 meters, Courchevel offers 150 kilometers of alpine ski terrain accessed by 60 lifts. The yearly average of four meters of natural snow is meticulously maintained and groomed, and the off-piste skiing is legendary.
Black runs include one corridor (couloir) that's considered one of the most difficult black runs in the world; there's also a good choice of steep black mogul runs. For tight tree skiing, head for Jockeys and Jean Blanc pistes, from the top of Col de la Loze to Le Praz.
One of the Best Hotels in Courchevel
Have you seen that mountain drawn in Toblerone chocolate cover? Well, this is Matterhorn mountain in Zermatt, Switzerland. The small town of Zermatt is a place that skiers dream about. It's the highest winter sports area in the Alps, and it has the greatest vertical drop in Switzerland, plus the magnificent peak of the Matterhorn can be seen from almost everywhere on its 350 kilometers of trails and slopes.
New for the 2019 season is the world's highest 3S Lift, carrying 2,000 skiers an hour to the Matterhorn Glacier, at 3,883 meters altitude, where you can ski year-round. The Matterhorn's southern face is in Italy, and skiing over the Theodul Pass leads you into the immense trail system of Breuil-Cervinia, in Italy's Val d'Aosta.
There are cable cars that deliver you to the perfect skiing area over the mountains. You can reach the town via scenic train routes that connect it with the outside world. When illuminated, the town transforms into a picture perfect Christmas postcard that is bound to make your winter holidays in Switzerland extra special.
One of the Best Hotels in Zermatt
Niseko is known for having tons of light powder snow, spectacular backcountry and a large number of foreigners - especially Australians - who in recent years have been responsible for popularizing the resort area with the skiing/snowboarding community outside of Japan. Although it's famed for its glades and off-piste alpine skiing, Niseko rates more than two-thirds of its trails for beginners and intermediate skiers.
One of the Best Hotels in Niseko
Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains are a skiers’ dream destination, the ultimate in big mountain experiences. The area has over 8,100 acres of snow-covered slopes, 16 alpine bowls, 3 glaciers, world-class terrain parks and 200+ marked trails. In addition, you have easy access to the base Village with accommodation, shops and an unbeatable après-ski scene located slopeside. Just two hours north of Vancouver by road lies Whistler, where the natural beauty and unique mountain lifestyle offer an escape like nowhere else.
Visit any season of the year and you’ll be welcomed like family, swept up by the unique energy in the Village and have opportunities to go on adventures that inspire and challenge you – or simply relax and soak up the stunning scenery. However you decide to spend your time in Whistler, when you find yourself in the mountains, breathing in the wild air, you will realize there is as much to be discovered inside of you, as outside.
One of the Best Hotels in Whistler
The Mountain: When it comes to skiing in Colorado, Vail is the biggest name around. Vail is enough to occupy skiers for a whole season, and you could certainly spend an endless amount of time right there. This is if you manage to drag yourself off the long-groomed runs, which stretch along the front side, overlooking the town of Vail. And certainly, there are people who never do venture into the back bowls.
The extensive and varied terrain means the resort can easily accommodate all ski levels, from beginners to experts, and you can almost always find good conditions somewhere on the mountain regardless of the weather.
The Town: At the base of the mountain, just off Interstate 70, is the town of Vail. It caters largely to high-end travelers, with luxury accommodation, fine dining, and upscale shopping. By ski village standards, Vail is big. Along the interstate, you'll see exits for East Vail, Vail Town Center, and West Vail. Vail Town Center, including Lionhead Village immediately to the west of, and essentially joining Town Center, is where all of the action is located.
One of the Best Hotels in Vail
Don't Know How to Ski?
Many people who are living in one of the GCC countries have never tried skiing before, which makes them hesitate on trying it when they plan their holidays. So, if it is your first time going for skiing and you don’t know how to ski, you still did not miss the chance to try it before taking it to the next level.
Located inside Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai is the world's third largest indoor ski slope and the first to open in the Middle East. With a chair lift and a t-bar, 6,000 tons of snow are at your disposal. Whether you just want to learn the basics, or get good enough to fly off a 10 ramp, their qualified instructors will help you improve your skills and have you carving up the powder in no time! You can practice jumps, ramps and tricks in the dedicated freestyle zone. In addition, you can now see Snow Penguins in an up close and personal one-of-a-kind intimate encounter that the whole family will love! Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai are dedicated to teaching youngsters and adults about the nature of this remarkable colony of Gentoo and King Penguins through engaging and interactive programmes.
One of the Best Hotels in Dubai
