I first tried skiing on a dry slope in Norwich in 1987. I practised a few times on the dry slopes in Gloucester, before my first foray onto snow in 1990 at Folgarida (Italy) with my brother. Here's my complete skiing history:
| Country | Area | Base | Resorts | Date | Duration | Comments |
| Italy | Trentino | Folgarida | Folgarida, Marilleva |
25_Feb_1990 to 02_Mar_1990 | 6 days | Folgarida and Marilleva are also linked to Madonna di Campiglio but, since I was a beginner at the time, I didn't upgrade my lift pass to cover the extra area. I did six two hour lessons with the Italian Scuoli di Ski which gave me a good foundation for the rest of my skiing life. The resort area is quite small without Madonna di Campiglio, but good for a beginner. |
| Canazei | Canazei, Selva Val Gardena, Arabba, Corvara |
16_Mar_1997 to 21_Mar_1997 | 6 days | Canazei is one resort on the Sella Ronda, a 40km ski route around a central massif. One of the detours off the route is the Val Gardena downhill run which is a superb black run from the top of the resort down into the town of Selva. A very good area for touring, but make sure you don't miss the last lift back to your starting point. | ||
| 08_Mar_1998 to 13_Mar_1998 | 6 days | |||||
| Torino | Sestriere | Sestriere, Claviere (France/Italy), San Sicario (Italy), Sauze d'Oulx (Italy), Montgenèvre (France) |
29_Mar_1999 to 03_Apr_1999 | 6 days | Part of a large, loosely-linked ski area, the skiing is quite varied. | |
| France | Les Trois Vallées | Val Thorens | Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Méribel, Mottaret, Courchevel, La Tania |
15_Feb_1992 to 21_Feb_1992 | 7 days | A superb, large, linked, ski area, the Three Valleys area suffers a bit in warm weather or in thin snow because the crossing points in the central valley (Méribel/Mottaret) bottle-neck through the two village centres. Val Thorens is high and snow sure, but well above the tree line; the view from the Cime de Caron should not be missed. Mont Valon at the head of the central valley is superb if it's open. The Saulire couloirs at the top end of Courchevel 1850 are worth a visit, but the route along the ridge to get to them is hazardous. Val Thorens was also the venue for the 2008 Ariane Slalom. |
| 24_Dec_1999 to 29_Dec_1999 | 3 days | |||||
| Christmas 2002 | 8 days | |||||
| January 2008 | 2 days | |||||
| Méribel | 30_Dec_1993 to 07_Jan_1994 | 9 days | ||||
| Courchevel 1650 | March 2001 | 6 days | ||||
| March 2002 | 6 days | |||||
| Reberty 2000 | December 2001 | 6 days | ||||
| Espace Killy | Val d'Isère |
Val d'Isère, Tignes |
09_Mar_1996 to 15_Mar_1996 | 6 days | Val d'Isère and Tignes together form a large area with plenty of varied skiing. The 1992 Olympic downhill run (Le Face de Bellevarde) is a long black run not to be missed, although nowadays the downhill goes down a different run into La Daille; while "Le Face" of the Tignes glacier is shorter but a more dangerous off-piste route. | |
| Tignes | 17_Dec_2000 to 22_Dec_2000 | 6 days | ||||
| Christmas 2005 | 6 days | |||||
| 20_Mar_2011 to 26_Mar_2011 | 6.25 days | |||||
| Savoie | Montgenèvre | Montgenèvre, Claviere (France/Italy), San Sicario (Italy), Sauze d'Oulx (Italy), Sestriere (Italy) |
29_Jan_1998 to 31_Jan_1998 | 3 days | See Sestriere (above) | |
| - | Les Arcs 1800 | Les Arcs (1600/1800/2000) | February 2001 | 6 days | Les Arcs 1800 is a family oriented resort, so is mainly self-catering apartments. A short hop over the ridge gives access to Les Arcs 2000 including the famous Aguille Rouge and the Flying Kilometre speed ski run (made for the 1992 Winter Olympics). Les Arcs 1800 also links to La Plagne via Vallandry. | |
| Les Arcs (1600/1800/2000), La Plagne |
February 2004 | 6 days | ||||
| February 2006 | 6 days | |||||
| 23_Dec_2013 to 28_Dec_2013 | 6 days | |||||
| La Plagne | 03_Mar_2013 to 08_Mar_2013 | 6 days | - | |||
| Les Portes Soleil | Morzine | Morzine, Avoriaz, Chatel, Les Gets |
February 2003 | 6 days | Les Portes Soleil is a huge ski area taking in several resort villages in France and Switzerland. On the Swiss side of the ridge at the top end of the Avoriaz area is a black itinerary called "The Wall" or "Chavanettes" (also sometimes known as "the Widow Maker"). This is a 1000' (330m) vertical bump run with a 36° entry. | |
| February 2005 | 6 days | |||||
| Albertville | Les Sept Laux | Les Sept Laux | January 2004 | 7 days | A small resort near Albertville used for the 2004 Ariane Cup Slalom. | |
| Chamonix | Chamonix | Chamonix, Argentiere |
March 2004 | 6 days | The Chamonix valley is dominated by Mont Blanc (4840m) and the Aiguille du Midi (3840m) which boasts the highest cable car in Europe. Even if you're not climbing or skiing, the restaurant at the top is worth a visit. From the top of the Aiguille du Midi, skiing the vast Vallée Blanche glacier is possible, but take a guide, and rope, and avalanche transceivers, and avalanche probe(s), and snow shovel(s), and at least one set of crampons. The ridge down to the top of the glacier is a treacherous knife edge with a 5000 foot drop. The glacier itself, like most untreated glaciers, has many crevasses and a guide will be able to lead you across the snow bridges. Start early and take a packed lunch since it'll take you about four hours. | |
| Modane | La Norma | La Norma, Val Thorens |
January 2005 | 6.5 days | A small resort near Modane used for the 2005 Ariane Cup Slalom. | |
| - | Les Deux Alpes | Les Deux Alpes | January 2006 | 5.5 days | Used for the 2006 Ariane Cup Slalom. | |
| 20_Feb_2010 to 27_Feb_2010 | 6 days | - | ||||
| Grande Massif | Hameau de Flaine | Flaine | February 2009 | 6 days | Part of the Grande Massif area, poor visibilty stopped us exploring the entire area. Good runs especially the Diamante Noire at 85% slope (about 42°). | |
| - | Le Grand Bornand | Le Grand Bornand | 16_Jan_2013 to 20_Jan_2013 | 4.25 days | 2013 Ariane Slalom. | |
| USA | Colorado | Breckenridge | Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Vail, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone |
14_Feb_1993 to 19_Feb_1993 | 6 days | Breckenridge is almost 10,000 feet above sea level. Being at that altitude is dehydrating. Breckenridge has its own brewery. Drink lots of water to avoid a hangover (even if you don't drink alcohol). The skiing can be cold, but the snow can be 'champagne powder'. Skiing China Bowl at Vail was the reason I bought powder trails (the next day) - powder snow above the knees. |
| Wyoming | Jackson Hole | Teton Village, Snow King |
22_Feb_1993 to 26_Feb_1993 | 5 days | Jackson is featured in the Clint Eastwood film Any Which Way You Can, albeit in the summer. It's certainly a town with character. The skiing is very good, but can suffer from 'Jackson Crud', a crusty top surface that you can ski over until you put some weight in a turn when it breaks through to heavy powder underneath - a trap for the unwary. Look out for days when people are doing Corbet's Couloir. Watch, but don't do unless you're a complete expert. | |
| California, (Nevada) |
Lake Tahoe |
Alpine Meadows, Palisades Tahoe (then known as Squaw Valley), Northstar at Tahoe, Heavenly Valley |
24_Dec_1994 to 05_Jan_1995 | 12.5 days | We were hit by big snow storms with some sunny gaps. Mammoth had 30 feet of snow before Christmas. Snowboarders aren't allowed at Alpine Meadows, they dominate at Tahoe Donner. Squaw Valley is often regarded as the home of extreme skiing and has a lift map but no marked pistes - you can ski anywhere. Look out for The Face, KT22 and the Granite Chief area. Night skiing has no speed restrictions and you'll need to do the 3.6 mile run in about four minutes or miss the cable car. The back bowl at Northstar is mainly black diamond territory. Heavenly is just that, allowing you to ski in California and Nevada without taking your skis off. | |
| Canada | Alberta | Banff | Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Norquay |
30_Jan_1995 to 04_Feb_1995 | 6 days | - |
| 14_Jan_1999 to 19_Jan_1999 | 6 days | |||||
| British Columbia | Whistler | Whistler, Blackcomb |
06_Feb_1995 to 11_Feb_1995 | 6 days | - | |
| 07_Jan_1999 to 12_Jan_1999 | 6 days | |||||
| Switzerland | - | Crans Montana | Crans Montana | 25_Dec_1998 to 03_Jan_1999 | 10 days | - |
| Zermatt | Zermatt, Cervinia (Italy) |
25_Jan_2008 to 30_Jan_2008 | 6 days | - | ||
| Interlakken | Wengen | 26_Feb_2017 to 04_Mar_2017 | 6 days | - | ||
| Kitzbühel | Kitzbühel | 2020 | 6 days | - | ||
| New Zealand | Canterbury | Christchurch | Mount Hutt | 23_Jul_1999 and 30_Jul_1999 | 2 days | - |
| Porter Heights | Jul or Aug 1999 | 0.5 day | - | |||
| Austria | - | Saalbach Hinterglemm | Saalbach Hinterglemm | 12_Mar_2000 to 18_Mar_2000 | 6 days | - |
| Arlberg | St. Anton | St. Anton, Lech, Zürs | 24_Mar_2003 to 29_Mar_2003 | 6 days | - | |
| 24_Mar_2014 to 29_Mar_2014 | 6 days | |||||
| Friedrichshafen, Germany | Zürs | December 2005 | 0.5 day | - | ||
| Silvretta Nova | 0.5 day | - | ||||
| Andorra | - | Pas de la Casa | Grandvalira (Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, Soldeu, El Tarter, Canillo, Encamp) | 14_Mar_2016 to 19_Mar_2016 | 6 days | - |
| Toulouse/Pas de la Casa | 24_Feb_2018 to 25_Feb_2018 | 2 days | ||||
| 24_Mar_2018 to 25_Mar_2018 | 2 days | |||||
| Toulouse | 19_Feb_2017 | 1 day | ||||
| 11_Feb_2018 | 1 day | |||||
| 18_Feb_2018 | 1 day | |||||
| 04_Mar_2018 | 1 day | |||||
| 18_Mar_2018 | 1 day | |||||
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I am a member of The Ski Club of Great Britain. They have snow reports on their website.