BUCKET LIST LINES

SKIING

BUCKET LIST LINES

10 iconic ski runs to try before you die.

Words Abigail Butcher

Any skier or snowboarder who loves their sport has a dream – that classic, bucket-list run they’ve seen countless times in pictures and videos and which they aspire to ride in real life. Holders of the mighty Ikon Pass, which covers more than 50 mountains across the globe, can access many of these legendary lines using just one lift ticket. So, whether you want to time yourself against the elite of downhill skiing, experience bottomless ‘Japow’ in the Land of the Rising Sun or just cruise the piste while soaking up some of the world’s most stunning mountain scenery, here are a few of the very best.

With 50+ destinations across 11 countries, Ikon Pass is your access to the most iconic mountains around the globe. Explore Canada, the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Chile, all on one Ikon Pass.

Photo (left and above)

Courtesy of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING, USA

The Run: Corbet’s Couloir Terrain: Off-piste Stats: Jump in can be 25ft; max pitch 45 degrees Difficulty: Expert Ikon Pass: 7 days/Ikon Base Plus Pass: 5 days (B)

Located in the Teton mountain range – above the legendary resort of Jackson Hole – Corbet’s Couloir is dubbed ‘America’s scariest ski slope’. Ride the Aerial Tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain (3,185m) and, if it’s open, you can watch skiers drop into Corbet’s as you pass by. While that’s enough for some, if you’re brave enough to take it on then exit skier’s left from the cable car and the entrance is in front of you – a narrow funnel about ten feet wide, overlooking the town. Depending on the amount of snow, there’s a big or small drop off a cornice at the entrance (it can be up to 8 or 9 metres!), landing in a steep chute with rock walls on either side. Once you’ve negotiated the 45°section, the ski out through the couloir is more mellow, softening to an apron that’s usually stashed with powder thanks to its protection from the weather.

CHAMONIX, FRANCE

The Run: Vallée Blanche Terrain: Off-piste Stats: 20km long; 2000m vertical descent Difficulty: Advanced Ikon Pass: 7 days/Ikon Base Pass: 5 days

No matter how many times you’ve been before, the mountains around Chamonix will take your breath away. Not for nothing has this historic town cemented its place as a mecca for alpine adventurers of all stripes. The journey up the Aiguille du Midi cable car is a bucket list experience in itself; marvel at the audaciousness of those postwar engineers who constructed a lift station atop this sheer pinnacle of rock at a dizzying 3800m. From here, you can embark upon the famed Vallée Blanche – a 20km off-piste run through Chamonix’s extraordinary glacial landscape. There are four classic routes down; the main ‘voie normal’ navigates a massive variety of bowls, séracs and crevasses, all under the gaze of the mighty Mont Blanc. Depending on the snow levels, you can ski right down to town (with a lunch stop at the Refuge du Requin) or catch the funicular train at Montenvers above the jaw-dropping (though rapidly shrinking) Mer de Glace.

Photo Niseko Tourism | Alister Buckingham

NISEKO, JAPAN

The Run: The Peak Terrain: Off -piste Stats: Summit 1308m; 200-600m vertical descent Diffi culty: Advanced to expert Ikon Pass: 7 days/Ikon Base Pass: 5 days (B)

Situated on the northern island of Hokkaido, Niseko is the original home of ‘Japow’. Annual snowfall here averages a whopping 15 metres, and the best of the fl uff y stuff can be found at ‘The Peak’. You’ll need to earn those turns, though: access begins with a sizeable boot pack of 128 vertical metres above the King 4 lift, taking you to the summit of Mt Annupuri (1308m). It’s a popular hike known locally as the ‘Peak Procession’, and there’s plenty of competition to be the fi rst up after a storm. The views are worth it alone – catch it on a good day and you’ll enjoy a 360-degree panorama taking in Lake Tōya, the Sea of Japan, the Pacifi c and Mt Yotei. Then choose your way down – take the east side if you’re new to powder skiing, or the western face if you’re more experienced and have the right kit (and a guide). Research your route carefully – while the rewards are rich, many of the lines involve a hike out at the end and there’s no western-style rescue service in Japan. “Shadows and

STEAMBOAT, COLORADO

The Run: Shadows & Closets Terrain: Off -piste (inbounds) Stats: Summit 3165m; 580m vertical descent Diffi culty: Advanced Ikon Pass: unlimited/Ikon Base Pass: 5 days (B)

Colorado is home to the highest ski resorts in the USA and consequently enjoys bucketloads of fresh snow every winter – in fact, ‘Champagne Powder’ is literally a trademark of the resort of Steamboat. The best of it can be found on Sunshine Peak, at the top of the Sundown Express chair. From here, follow the route skier’s right to enjoy two of the fi nest tree runs anywhere in the world: Shadows and Closets. Both are a magical Narnia of perfectly gladed fi rs, spaced out well enough that you can open the throttle and occasionally disappear into your own spray without fear of slamming straight into the next trunk. Neither line is terrifyingly steep, so any reasonably experienced powder skier should be able to make it down safely, but with over 500m of vertical descent to navigate you’ll need strong legs! Better yet, visibility in the trees remains good even during storms; to be honest, that’s when these woods really come alive.

Closets are a magical Narnia of perfectly gladed fi rs”

Photo Hywel Williams

REVELSTOKE, CANADA

The Run: Kill the Banker Terrain: Off-piste (inbounds) Stats: 2000m long; 873m vertical descent; 35 degrees max pitch Difficulty: Advanced Ikon Pass: 7 days/Ikon Base Pass: 5 days (B)

Legend has it that Kill the Banker gained its name when the original financier of Revelstoke Mountain Resort was led down the run shortly before the lifts opened in 2007. “What are you trying to do? Kill me?!” he exclaimed. Like Corbet’s Couloir, it occupies a crowd-pleasing position right under the main gondola, and skiers tackle its pillows, cliffs and steeps in full view of everyone riding the lift. As with any run, conditions vary massively during the season, but you can drop into the line from just beneath the Mackenzie Outpost coffee shop and ride the trees all the way down to the bottom using the pylons as your reference point even in poor visibility (and this being British Columbia, storms are common). Just be prepared for eye-watering levels of thigh burn; Revelstoke boasts some of the most sustained steep descents in North America, and Kill the Banker is no exception.

CORTINA, ITALY

The Run: Dolomites Hidden Valley Terrain: Piste Stats: 7.5km long; 1730m vertical descent Difficulty: Intermediate Ikon Pass: 7 days/Ikon Base Pass: 5 days

The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage site, a unique chain of mountains that was once a tropical seafloor; indeed the rocks themselves are made from fossilised coral reef! To visit this beautiful corner of Italy is to take a mind-boggling trip into geology, and what better way to take it all in than with a descent of the famous Hidden Valley. Beginning at the top of the hair-raising Lagazuoi cable car (2,778m) this lengthy red run is not particularly challenging to ski – but that’s just as well, since your attention will be drawn to the incredible surrounding views of the Marmolada Glacier, Col Gallina and Cinque Torri. As you continue down, the piste winds under frozen waterfalls and past pink limestone cliffs to the tiny hamlet of Armentarola. Here, if you haven’t got your skins and don’t want to skate, you can grab a tow from one of the Noriker horse-drawn sleighs trailing knotted ropes for just a couple of euros.

Photo Sam Axness

ASPEN SNOWMASS, COLORADO

The Run: Highland Bowl Terrain: Off-piste (inbounds) Stats: Summit 3777m; max pitch 48 degrees Difficulty: Advanced to expert Ikon Pass: 7 days/Ikon Base Plus Pass: 5 days (B)

A rite of passage in Aspen Snowmass, the north-facing terrain in Highland Bowl offers a bounty of treats for those who can tackle the 45-minute hike up. It’s an off-piste zone but not (in American resort terms) out of bounds, which means it’s regularly patrolled and the avalanche risk is kept to a minimum. Although a snowcat runs every hour and cuts out about 15 minutes of the schlep, we wouldn’t bother – the run down will feel all the better if you tackle it with warm legs. Stop for a photo on the chairlift seat at the top and then pick your line; there are no fewer than 18 named ways down, from tree runs to chutes to wide-open powder fields. The most extreme terrain is found at Filip’s Leap (ideal for jump turn practice!); the mellowest line is known as G-5, and the steepest pitch is Go-Go Gully. When you’re done, go grab a drink and at Cloud 9 Bistro; it’s as much of an institution as Highland Bowl.

Photo Jeff Engerbretson for Big Sky Resort

BIG SKY, MONTANA

The Run: Big Couloir Terrain: Off-piste (inbounds) Stats: 426m vertical descent; max pitch 50+ degrees Difficulty: Advanced to expert Ikon Pass: 7 days/Ikon Base Pass: 5 days (B)

Search for “Big Couloir, Big Sky” and results include: “Is there a triple black diamond in skiing?” Big and Little Couloir are two of the steepest inbound runs in the US – the drop-in alone is 60 degrees – and the run is very tightly patrolled; you cannot go down alone, and only two skiers are permitted entry every 15 minutes. Big Sky resident and extreme skier Dan Egan describes Big Couloir as “undoubtedly one of the most iconic runs in the world. [It’s] visible from miles away. The chute drops 1400 vertical feet down the face of Lone Peak, with a moderate dog leg turn about halfway down – adventure skiers travel from around the world to see and ski it.” After navigating the knuckle-biting entry and rounding the turn, the chute opens into a wider section where the pitch drops off to a more moderate 35-40 degrees. From here, you can finally relax and enjoy the ride.

PALISADES TAHOE, CALIFORNIA

The Run: KT-22 Terrain: Off-piste (inbounds) Stats: Summit 2400m; 549m vertical descent Difficulty: Advanced to expert Ikon Pass: Unlimited/Ikon Base Pass: unlimited (B)

The late great Shane McConkey once said KT-22 is “the greatest lift in America.” Situated in the Sierras above stunning Lake Tahoe, this high speed quad sweeps skiers 1800 vertical feet in a matter of minutes, depositing them in a powder playground boasting every kind of feature from chutes and spines to pillows, cliff drops and gnarly steeps. In fact KT-22’s challenging terrain has birthed so many ski and snowboard careers – including JT Holmes and Jeremy Jones – that locals call it The Mothership. If you want to follow in their footsteps, though, you’ll need to get there early – it’s not unusual to see people lining up from before dawn after a fresh snowfall to get first tracks. If it’s your first time, head right off the chair and follow the ridge to enjoy a straightforward descent down the Saddle; if it’s dumping, go left and stick to the trees off Red Dog Ridge. Whichever route you take, be sure to doff your cap at the metal eagle placed in memory of McConkey on top of the famous twin spires, which you can see from the lift.

Photo Kitzbühel Tourism | Michael Werlberger

KITZBÜHEL, AUSTRIA

The Run: Hahnenkamm Terrain: Piste Stats: 3.3km long; max pitch 40 degrees; 860m vertical descent Difficulty: Intermediate Ikon Pass: 7 days/Ikon Base Pass: 5 days

Known as the world’s most dangerous downhill ski run, the ‘Streif’ at Kitzbühel is legendary for its high-speed jumps, steeps, curves – and even a short uphill section. A fixture on the World Cup calendar since 1931, any racer who completes it safely is considered a winner. If it’s open, you can ski parts of the Hahnenkamm down piste 21, a red run which happily skirts the more serious elements of the course making it more accessible to families and leisure skiers. When you reach the bottom, having negotiated the notorious twisting sections of Mausefalle, Steilhang, Brückenschuss and Hausbergkante, spare a thought for the professional racers who regularly reach speeds of more than 100kph – and imagine how fast Fritz Strobl must have been travelling in 1997 to set the course record of 01:51:58!