Snow Skiing Resorts
Top
10 International Ski Resorts:
- Whistler/Blackcomb
(Canada):
- 2874ha, 4 snowparks, 2 half pipes and also a kids only zone
- 200+ shops, 90+ bars, restaurants & cafes
- Jackson Hole (Wyoming, USA):
- long, steep runs breath-taking scenery & a resort full of
character
- Courchevel / Trois Vallees
(France):
- they say you can clip on your skis, take a helicopter to the most
remote corner & spend the next 3 days making your way back down,
stopping at restaurants & chalets to wine, dine & rest, equipped
with just a credit card in your pocket.
- Zermatt (Switzerland):
- while Gstaad & St Moritz are two of the world's most popular ski
resorts, Zermatt is clearly one of the most picturesque with the
Matterhorn, "the king of the mountains" holding show.
- a car-free environment; the world's 2nd biggest lift-served vertical
drop & a massive snowfall thanks to the resort's high altitude, all
make Zermatt one of the best places to ski.
- Cortina (Italy):
- Italy's most stylish ski resort, sitting on the southeast end of the
Dolomites Superski area which is possibly the biggest interconnected ski
area in the world.
- Arlberg (Austria):
- 440km of downhill runs; snowboard fun parks & permanent racing
circuits
- Aspen (Colorado, USA):
- stylish resort where the rich & famous come to play. 478km trails;
3 terrain parks; a super-pipe & a half-pipe;
- Vail (Colorado, USA):
- made up of 5 resorts which together have 6390ha of skiable terrain
with 2144ha at Vail itself.
- Val d'Isere (France):
- one of the world's classic ski resorts which is part of the Espace
Killy, a 10,000ha of snowfields
- one of the liveliest resorts, much-loved by the British
- Sun Valley (Idaho, USA):
- the grand old dame of American ski resorts, home of the world's 1st
chairlift;
- 2 main mountains - Baldy ( powder-filled bowls & massive runs)
& Dollar (more for beginners)
Australian
Ski Resorts:
- Victoria:
- Mt Buller 250km or 3hrs
from Melbourne via Yea, Mansfield, Merrijig & Mirimbah
- north-east region:
- Mt Baw Baw 2.5hrs
via Princes Hway or via Warburton
- Lake Mountain -
120km or 1.5hrs via Maroondah Hway & Marysville - cross-country
skiing and tobogganing only
- NSW:
Australian
snow trips:
- snow safety:
- choose a good snow vehicle:
- AWD, 4WD or electronic traction control system cars are better
than 2WD to handle the icy conditions
- front wheel drive is better than rear wheel drive as chains will
be fitted to the steering as well as driving wheels
- black ice warning:
- external temperature gauge
- black ice dash warning when external temp drops below 3degC
- anti-fogging of windows and mirrors eg. demisting external mirrors
- fog lights front and rear give others a better chance of seeing
you in the snow or in cloud
- staying warm:
- cabin heating fans
- luxury items:
- heated seats - leather seats can be very cold
- heated steering wheel
- keyless car entry systems
- automatically closing boot or tailgate
- tyre pressure monitors
- plastic cargo floor to make it easy to clean & to handle wet
clothing & boots eg. Nissan X-Trail or Ford Territory
- ski carriage options:
- rear seat hole to allow skis and plastic lining to protrude
from cargo hold eg. Audi
- split-fold rear seat
- recommended snow vehicles 2004:
- Subaru Outback - extra ground clearance, compact yet practical
size & flexible interior
- BMW X5 - luxury although small luggage area and need to check
you can fit snow chains
- Nissan X-Trail: easy to use switchable 4WD system;
plastic-lined luggage bay
- Ford Territory with AWD option: reversible cargo floor for wet
luggage
- Audi A4 1.8T Quattro: AWD and heated seats
- Range Rover: luxury
- Honda Accord Euro Luxury: stability system, split-fold rear
seat, heated front seats
- Mitsubishi Magna AWD:
- Volvo S40: smart traction system - great for slippery
conditions
- Saab 9-3: heated seats, demisting external mirrors, traction
control
- snow chains:
- all cars must carry snow chains - these can usually be hired at
towns nearby the snowfield
- recent regulations may require even AWD vehicles such as Subaru or
Audi to fit chains
- snow chains are fitted to the drive wheels thus:
- 2WD cars are fitted to front wheels if front wheel drive and
rear wheels if rear wheel drive
- 4WD instructions vary:
- Ford Territory & Holden Adventra - fir to rear wheels
- Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail - fit to front wheels
- Mercedes M-class - fit to all wheels
- some cars cannot be fitted with snow chains as:
- the wheel clearance is to low eg. Holden Commodore SS
- the chains are not big enough to fit 18" wheels eg.
Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5, although short term hire of 17"
wheels and matching chains may be possible at car dealers
- check car before heading to snow:
- battery fluid level optimal - low fluid levels predispose to
battery failure in cold conditions
- anti-freeze in radiator fluid
- tyre pressure
- engine & transmission oil
- front and rear wiper fluid
- snow chains - do you know how to fit them?
- ensure adequate clothing to keep warm and dry in case of breakdown
- check road conditions (see each snowfield for the phone number)