THE WORLD’S BEST BACKCOUNTRY RESORTS

Not all mountains are created equal. While you can find great off-piste in a lot of places if conditions are right, there are a handful of ski resorts around the world that always seem to deliver the goods. Some of the names listed here are legendary, etched into skiers’ collective consciousness by the starring roles they’ve played in ski films down the years. Others are less well-known. But whether it’s the steepness of the terrain, the depth of the snow, the vibe of the village, or a combination of all three, these resorts offer something truly special for serious powder hounds. Now go fetch!

LA GRAVE, FRANCE

La Grave is like a ski resort stripped back to its bare essentials. A collection of unpretentious chalets, bars and shops clustered around a single lift, the town is a no-frills kind of place. It’s all about the skiing here. The cable car whisks you straight up a ludicrously-steep face, over seracs, crevasses and endless, pow-filled couloirs. From the top, there are any number of epic high-alpine lines, most offering around 2,000m of descent in a single run. ‘Grave’ translates to ‘serious’ in English, which feels about right. This place is no joke.

Corbet’s Couloir is a must for anyone heading to Jackson Hole

SILVERTON, COLORADO

Imagine an old western mining town plucked straight from a John Wayne movie, and plonked in the middle of some of the most epic terrain anywhere in North America. That’s basically Silverton. The mountains in this southern stretch of the Colorado Rockies, known as the San Juans, are steeper than elsewhere in the state, and with a single chairlift as the only access point, this is a ski-tourer’s paradise. Groups must ski with guides, who manage the terrain carefully, ensuring that whenever you visit, you’re basically guaranteed fresh tracks.

ANDERMATT, SWITZERLAND

Despite its proximity to Zurich, Andermatt remains something of a hidden gem, even among Swiss skiers. Partly, this has to do with the terrain on off er, which is definitely better suited to freeriders than weekend warriors up from the city. The iconic Gemsstock peak looms over the village, its steep-sided fl anks off ering a whole plethora of powdery lines. In December 2018, a new £20 million lift connected the resort to the neighbouring Sedrun-Oberalp area, adding a whole new dimension to the domain’s backcountry.

JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

Jackson Hole, as the much-photographed sign on the iconic red tram lift has it, “is like nothing you have skied before”. Higher and steeper than much of the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Teton range also seems to attract consistent snowfall. Up top, there’s terrain that rivals much of Europe, including the in-bounds Corbet’s Couloir, a must for any backcountry bucket-list. Lower down, the loosely-spaced pine forests create the kind of pillow lines made famous by snowboarder Travis Rice and fi lm-maker Jimmy Chin, both of whom call Jackson home.

VERBIER, SWITZERLAND Verbier is vast, with almost 100 lifts, 400km of pistes, and huge amounts of easilyaccessible backcountry terrain. Size isn’t everything, of course, but it does mean there’s a huge amount of variety here: from technical tree runs to screaminglyfast, open powder faces. The resort is also rightly famous for its steeps - the fi nale of the Freeride World Tour is held here on the frankly insane Bec des Rosses face. It’s easily the most famous backcountry descent in Switzerland, but not for the faint-hearted.

NISEKO, JAPAN

If you’ve not heard of the legendary levels of powder that cake Hokkaido each winter, then you might be reading the wrong magazine. 14 metres in Niseko is just an average season, and with the snow falling near-constantly, you’re basically guaranteed fresh tracks. The terrain here tends to be less steep than in other legendary backcountry resorts, and it’s mostly below the treeline, but there’s so much to ride - and more in the neighbouring resorts of Moiwa and Rusutsu too, both of which are well worth a day trip.

Niseko is a must for any serious skier’s bucket list.

VENT, AUSTRIA

Vent, a small village at the end of one arm of Austria’s Ötztal valley, might look like small fry compared to the other globally-recognisable names on this list - but therein lies its secret. The resort only has two chairlifts and a handful of pistes, but if you’re prepared to strap your skins on, you can access a huge array of uncrowded ski-touring itineraries from here, both day trips and hut-to-hut excursions. Book more than three days on the lift pass, and you get access to the whole Ötztal area too, including Sölden, Obergurgl and Hochgurgl.

CHAMONIX, FRANCE Arguably the most famous ski resort in the world, Chamonix has been the place to go for backcountry skiing - and in fact, skiing full-stop - since the first-ever lift was installed here in the 1920s. Steep terrain, and legendary descents mean that it’s a must for any self-respecting powder lover at some point, but its incredible reputation has a downside. The crowds can be killer, and especially on a powder day, you’ll have to be up before the crack of dawn to find fresh tracks.

PASSO DEL TONALE, ITALY

Another well-kept secret, Passo del Tonale in Italy’s Trentino region offers the same kind of lift-accessible, high altitude terrain as the other alpine resorts on these pages, with just a fraction of the crowds. There are several classic off-piste itineraries down from the top of the Presena Glacier at 3,016 metres, or you can stick your skins on and head off into the Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta, taking advantage of the refugio network for a multiday tour. Of course, this being Italy, the food served in these huts is second to none, too.

REVELSTOKE, BRITISH COLUMBIA

No list of the world’s best backcountry resorts would be complete without an entry from British Columbia. We could have opted for Whistler, which is undoubtedly worldclass, but we reckon you’re more likely to find the mythical BC powder (and you’ll have to work less hard to get it) a few hours to the east, in Revelstoke. Located off a stretch of road known as the Powder Highway, this small mining town has undergone a lot of redevelopment in the past ten years, but it still maintains its original charm.

4 OF THE BEST RESORTS TO DRIVE TO

LA CLUSAZ, FRANCE

Distance from Calais: 860km / 7h52m This pretty little village is not hugely high, topping out at 2,600m, but the modern lift system off ers access to 125km of trails and some world-class off -piste, including its famous gullies. None other than Candide Thovex grew up here - need we say more?

LES 7 LAUX, FRANCE

Distance from Calais: 913km / 7h54m A lesser-known gem, Les 7 Laux is further south than the other resorts listed here, but its proximity to Grenoble, and the motorway, means it’s one of the quickest to get to. The lifts only take you to 2,400m, but open up a huge amount of un-patrolled backcountry terrain - especially if you’re prepared to hike or tour.

LES GETS, FRANCE

Distance from Calais: 865km / 7h58m The fi rst French resort you get to on the main road into Morzine, Les Gets off ers access to the enormous Portes du Soleil area. There’s plenty to enjoy here, including several descents on the Mont Chery side which you may well have to yourself after a fresh dump. .

OBERSTDORF, GERMANY

Distance from Dunkirk: 928km / 9h2m If you want to try something a bit diff erent take the ferry to Dunkirk, cut across Belgium, and blast down the autobahns to Oberstdorf. The resort itself is fairly small, but the dramatic Nebelhornbahn cable car opens up access to some challenging backcountry terrain.

4 MORE INTREPID DESTINATIONS

KARAKOL, KYRGYZSTAN The Soviet Union’s answer to Chamonix, this small mountain town has welcomed generations of Russian climbers and ski mountaineers. The three-lift resort to the south of town isn’t worth more than a day or two of your time. But bring your skins for the mountains around it, which top out at 400m higher than Mont Blanc.

AMIRSOY, UZBEKISTAN Built from scratch in world-record time, Amirsoy is a modern ski resort with Frenchmade lifts in the heart of Central Asia’s Tien Shan mountains. The snow in this range, which extends into Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, rivals Japan’s, and Amirsoy off ers the easiest way to access it. The tour access is great and heli-skiing is cheap too.

SVANETI, GEORGIA Georgia, on the eastern shores of the Black Sea, is nearly all mountains. There are no fewer than seven ski resorts in the country, including the 15-lift operation at Gudauri, which is relatively large by regional standards. If you want to make the most of the high Caucasus, however, we’d recommend a skitouring trip to Svaneti, further west.

POPOVA SAPKA, NORTH MACEDONIA Popova Sapka may not merit a mention in its own right, but it’s home to Europe’s oldest catskiing operation. Eskimo Cat Ski takes groups of guests outside the bounds of the resort and into forests where bears, wolves and lynx still roam. The slopes are steep, the powder is plentiful and the local fi rewater is good and strong. What more could you want?