The World's 18 Strangest Ski Resorts

Tyrol, Austria

Background: The medieval downtown isn't just quaint in appearance: the two main streets are still largely made up of walls and cobblestone alleys built over 700 years ago, which explains why the town center is largely car-free. And while Kitzbuhel sits at a relatively low elevation, it is top-of-the-heap in a country filled with top-tier ski resorts. A giant ski region that connects seven separate ski areas with a single pass, you have access to 359 gondolas and lifts and more than 1081 trails. Tyrol mayor Franz Reisch imported the first pair of skis here in 1892 and the winter sports resort was born.

Why It's Unique: Kitzbuhel hosts the Hahnenkamm downhill, an annual race that attracts more than 60,000 international spectators. So steep in certain sections that it cannot be groomed by machine (Austrian soldiers stomp the surface with their boots). A slope called the Streif is also dowsed with water to level it out before the Hahnenkamm. It is the most feared downhill on the World Cup circuit, with a starting-gate drop of 5462 feet leading to the infamous Mausefall jump. The Streif has unsurprisingly been the site of many career-ending falls since the race began in 1931. Lucky for you, with the exception of Hahnenkamm weekend, the course is open to the public, though challenging weather often prevents it from opening completely.

Israel

Background:

Mount Hermon straddles one of the world's most infamously contested borders. On one side of the mountain is Israel, and on the other side are Syria and Lebanon. Israel took part of the southern slope, the Golan Heights, during the Six Day War, in 1967. Syria recaptured it on Oct. 6, 1973, the first day of the Yom Kippur War. Israel took it back two weeks later and has held it since.

Mount Hermon reaches 9232 feet, but its peak is actually located on the border between Lebanon and Syria. The Hermon Ski Resort is in Israel's Golan Heights.

Why It's Unique:

As you drive up to it through the Golan Heights, you pass blocked-off mine fields. The mountain is dubbed the Eyes of the Nation for the view it gives deep into Syria. The Israeli Defense Forces maintain an observation post there, patrolled by the specially trained Alpine Unit. The military base is visible from the ski area, and certain sections of the mountain are restricted to IDF use.

Skiing at Hermon offers an unusual link to the Judeo-Christian tradition. In the Bible it is referred to as Ba'al Hermon, Sion, Sirion and Senir. The Gospels say that Caesarea Philippi is located at its base, and the mountain is also thought to be the site of the Transfiguration.

Kashmir, India

Background: With its namesake flower-studded meadow, its 13,530-foot backdrop of Mount Apharwat and its untouched, impossibly long runs of backcountry powder, Gulmarg is one of India's premier resorts—a Bollywood favorite. It's at the western tip of the Himalayas, home to some of the world's highest peaks, in a range called the Pir Panjals. You can take in views of the 26,660-foot Nanga Parbat from Gulmarg's slopes. Each season, westerly and southwesterly storms hit the Pir Panjals first and unload on this lucky resort, blessing skiers and boarders with Gulmarg's so-called "curry powder."

Why It's Unique: The highest slopes of Gulmarg are accessible by a single gondola, which pick people up at 8,694 feet and drop them off at 13,058 feet. It is operated by the government-run Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation. Service is plagued by a spotty power supply and only intermittent ski patrol access to avalanche control explosives (the explosives program was still operating on a trial basis as of 2008). Few have the chops to ride the gondola's upper terrain, so those slopes are almost exclusively used by expert skiers and snowboarders.

(Photo by kruglov.com)

Hawaii

Background: Mauna Kea is the mother of all volcanoes. Located on the Big Island of Hawaii, it is the state's highest point—impressive, considering that the majority of it rests under water. Mauna Kea is 32,000 feet from top to bottom, with a 13,796-foot peak above sea level, making it Earth's premiere site for stargazing. No surprise, then, that the Mauna Kea Observatory is the largest astronomical observatory in the world, with thirteen telescopes along its summit, which are operated by eleven different countries.

Why It's Unique: A county road that exists to allow scientists access to the observatory also birthed Mauna Kea's skiers and boarders, locals who take advantage of Hawaii's rare exposure to snow. With no lifts, no trail maps and no ski patrol, the terrain is best left to the experts, who usually take turns picking the others up after each run. A surfboard has even been known to make an appearance when the famous pineapple powder comes calling. The Mauna Kea Snowboarding Championship was established in 1994 and still continues, weather permitting, to attract international competitors.

(Photo by beasy/flickr)

Araucania Province, Chile

Background: In the heart of Chile's lake district and next door to the Andes, Pucon contains some of Chile's best views and, at 9317 feet, its highest peak. Chile's ski season runs from late April to October—in America, the off-season.

Why It's Unique: Hike 2 hours from the top of the resort's highest lift to gain access to the peak of Pucon's at the edge of the Villarrica Volcano. Chile's most active volcano frequently spews smoke, and a trip to the peak provides a look at the bubbling magma inside. The lava-gouged half-pipes and treeless slopes you'll pass on your ride back down reveal evidence of past eruptions.

Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Background: Originally a log cabin built by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a rest point for horse trekkers in 1928, Sunshine Village added a rope tow and became a skiing destination. By 1934, a horse and sled were available, for $30, to drag travelers out to the village for a week-long stay. Sunshine's 3300 acres are spread across three mountains, all within Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. It tops out at an elevation of 8954 feet and a vertical rise of 3514 feet.

Why It's Unique: The 2011 season will mark the 83rd annual Sunshine Slush Cup, a full weekend of events to celebrate the closing of the mountain for the winter. The festivities revolve around the Slush Cup itself, a cold, half-melted pool that costumed skiers try to jump across. Judges award prizes to the skiers who clear the jump, and hand out additional awards for Awesome Air, Best Belly Flop, Excellent Enema and various other titles determined by each year's particular mishaps. Voted one of the top-three spring parties in North America by Skiing Magazine, it's a safe bet that with a little beer, everyone goes home a winner.

Copper Mountain, Colo.

Background: While it began as an extension of Camp Woodward, one of the first and most widely recognized action sports camps in the world, Woodward at Copper quickly gained attention in its own right with the opening of its indoor facilities. It is the first of Woodward's camps focused specifically on skiing and snowboarding, providing riders with both on- and off-hill training. Woodward Copper operates as part of the Copper Mountain resort, 2450 acres of terrain located in the White River National Forest in the Rocky Mountains.

Why It's Unique: While most snowboarding camps are able to function only during the winter months, Copper is a year-round affair. Opening in February of 2009, the Barn is a 19,400-square-foot indoor training facility featuring 6200 square feet of Snowflex. Unlike Liberty Mountain's Snowflex Centre, Copper's use of the material is focused on training for more specific skills; the material provides both jumps and cliff drops that lead into foam pits rather than full runs. Skiers and boarders can do day- or week-long camps (which run through summer) or drop-in sessions, where they are free to use the jump line, rail garden, quarter pipe, log jib or spring floor.

For more information go to the Colorado Ski Authority.

(Photo from coloradoskiauthority.com)

Liberty University, Va.

Background: Founded by televangelist Jerry Falwell in 1971, Liberty University is the world's largest Christian University and the largest private university in Virginia. The Snowflex Centre was completed in August 2009, the result of the University's desire to make a recreational space that utilized its 5000-acre mountain property.

Why It's Unique: Snowflex is the first snow-free ski park in North America. The name "Snowflex" refers to a terrain technology akin to white Astroturf: a monofilament fiber stitched into a carrier layer resting atop a foam shock pad. A sprinkler system sprays the material with friction-reducing Britonmist, produced by Snowflex manufacturer Briton Engineering Developments. The park hosts 500-foot runs, open to students and the public for year-round skiing.

(Photo from flickr/wondersighting)

Tarentaise Valley, France

Background: Besides encompassing the 1304 acres of ski area that constitute Courchevel Valley, the resort is also part of Les Trois Vallees, the largest linked ski area in the world. Most of Les Trois Vallees' 330 runs are above 5900 feet, with Courchevel's own peak coming in at 8990. It is broken into four separate villages, each named for its metric altitude. The highest, Courchevel 1850, is famous for its lavish accommodations and continuous roster of the rich and famous. The resort was originally commissioned by the Vichy government during Word War II as a state-controlled ski area. The designer, architect Laurent Lapis, began work on the plans as a prisoner of war in Austria.

Why It's Unique: While skiing the Alps may be a challenge, the real difficulty is in getting there. And though it's no surprise that this chunk of the largest ski area has its own airport, Courchevel is no beginner's course: Pilots must obtain certification before being permitted to land on the runway. The 1700-foot strip, with an 18.5 percent grade, requires planes to take off downhill and land going uphill. All this assumes that pilots first manage to successfully navigate through the Alps. Then, of course, you need some ski skills to handle the slopes once you arrive.

Middlebury, Vt.

Background: Middlebury College, founded in 1800, has owned the Snow Bowl since trails were first created there in 1934.

Why It's Unique: Only two colleges in the eastern U.S. still own ski areas, making the Snow Bowl a unique source of pride for the school. Snow Bowl Patrol is entirely staffed by student volunteers, who must receive both National Ski Patrol and Outdoor Emergency Care certification through a course run by the college. In addition to hosting a number of collegiate competitions, the Snow Bowl is home to the annual ski-down procession. The tradition, started over two decades ago, is the final event of a midwinter celebration in which graduating "Febs" (Middlebury students who began their freshman year in February) ski down the slope in their caps and gowns.

Pyrenees, France

Background: Pic du Midi is most famous for the namesake observatory at its 9439-foot peak. The first use of the mountain for research purposes began as early as 1774. In 1963, NASA funded a telescope to take pictures of the moon's surface in preparation for the Apollo missions.

Why It's Unique: A cable car transports both researchers and the public to the observatory, making Pic du Midi a desirable spot for extreme skiers and stargazers alike. While the terrain is advanced and completely unmonitored by officials, riders are required to sign a waiver before heading down the 3281 foot drop. In the past, use of Pic du Midi was forbidden without a professional mountaineer along for the ride, a recommendation that is still clearly posted on the site. Gear manufacturer Quiksilver has begun a partnership with the mountain to use it as an official test site for its extreme sports attire.

(Photo from flickr/jugurtha)

Telluride, Colo.

Background: With only 2000 acres of skiable terrain, 125 trails and a 4425-foot vertical drop, Telluride holds no records for size or steepness among North American resorts. But it impresses nonetheless. Its roots as a silver-mining camp and location at the heart of a box canyon make for a historically and culturally rich area with plenty of quirks and some of Colorado's best powder. Plus, it's passed only by Aspen for ski-slope celebrity spotting.

Why It's Unique: Telluride's main draw is its public transportation system: A free gondola that connects it to its sister town Mountain Village, and a midway point with access to hiking and ski trails. It's the only one of its kind in North America. Another superlative: The Telluride Regional Airport is the highest commercial airport on the continent. While you'll have to travel 45 miles before reaching the nearest stoplight, the city was actually the first in the world to have electric lights, as well as the world's first alternating-current power plant. And two more fun facts to leave you with: There is not a single chain restaurant or shop in the city (woo hoo!), and the first-ever bank that Butch Cassidy robbed, in 1889, was in Telluride. He walked away with $24,000.

Mt. Shuksan, Wash.

Background: Mt. Baker is one of those small mountains with a big location. An hour from the famed slopes of British Columbia and two hours from Seattle, it is a low-lying mountain that serves as a low-key alternative to the flashy and commercialized resorts of most of its neighbors.

Why It's Unique: At 647 inches of average annual snowfall, Mt. Baker receives more powder than other ski areas in the U.S. During its 1998 to 1999 season, Mt. Baker broke the world record for highest recorded yearly snowfall: 1140 inches. The mountain has no corporate sponsors, no TVs, no ATMs and no gondolas. Just snow. As host to the longest running snowboarding competition in the world, the Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom, it is also often referred to as the birthplace of snowboarding.

(Photo from flickr/tellytom)

Afghanistan

Background: You wouldn't expect Afghanistan to have a burgeoning winter sports industry, and you would be right. As of April 2010, downhill skiing debuted in Afghanistan and locals learned to do it. Now, they're the guides at Bamiyan. The site is infamous as the resting place of 5th century Buddhas, dynamited by the Taliban in 2001. Some of its Buddhist pacifism is restored, now, however, and the slopes are a safe haven from the war. The natural dams of Band-e-Amir, and other scenic attractions, may spur a year-round tourism industry.

Why It's Unique: While it's clearly not earning resort status anytime soon, Bamiyan offers the no-nonsense skier a unique anti-resort experience—don't expect to find chair lifts. Instead, hike up a hill and take a rare shot at entirely unexplored terrain, which of course comes with one big risk as well: watch out for avalanches. Niche travel companies are beginning to organize trips to Salang Pass, near Kabul, with stop-offs to Bamiyan using privately operating guides. Getting to Bamiyan involves a flight to Kabul and an 8-hour "road" trip via the Sibher Pass, however, it may be quite awhile before ecotourism finds a steady foothold.

(Photo from homeboyski.com)

New Zealand

Background: Mount Ruapehu is actually made up of two separate ski areas: Whakapapa on the northwestern slopes and Turoa on the southwestern side. Whakapaka is home to Happy Valley, an enormous, world-class beginners' facility with a separate ski school and cafeteria—an enticing feature for any non-beginners familiar with navigating past the bunny hill.

Why It's Unique: Mount Ruapehu is one of three active volcanoes that together form Tongariro National Park, which is also a World Heritage Site. Coming in at 9177 feet, it is the tallest of the trio and it's also a good deal more famous: You may remember Ruapehu as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings films. Ruapehu is the most active of the three volcanoes. During the last eruption, in September 2007, lava flowed down Whakapapa; a rock from the blast severed a climber's leg. There is now an advanced early warning system in place, and lifts and cafes have been moved out of the path of the lava.

(Photo from martinhunter.co.nz)

Dubai

Background: This completely indoor resort's five runs and 22,500 meters of year-round snow brought skiing to the Arabian peninsula.

Why It's Unique: There have been indoor ski runs in the past, but none has been as ambitious as Dubai's, which boasts the world's first indoor black diamond. Visiting the Middle East without snow gear? A lift ticket buys rental skis, snowboards, and suitable outerwear.

(Photo from flickr/twocrabs))

France

Background: The Chamonix Valley is actually composed of five separate resorts, which together form one of the most popular ski destinations in the world. It was home of the first Winter Olympics, in 1924.

Why It's Unique: Chamonix is home to the Vallee Blanche, the famous 20-km backcountry trail that takes riders through the glaciers and crevasses of the Alps. The Aiguille du Midi is the valley's storied cable car. Its first stage brings you to Plan des Aiguilles at 7425 feet, and those brave enough for the second, Aiguille du Midi station, will arrive at 12,405 feet with a 1970 foot climb between each tower. This is as close as you can get to Mont Blanc's peak without climbing. Either turn back here or continue to a third stage, which eventually arrives at Pointe Helbronner, Italy—no passport required.

Sierra-at-Tahoe, Calif.

Background: The Tahoe region of California has no shortage of fantastic skiing. With 400 inches of snowfall a year, you'd be hard pressed to find better powder in the U.S. than at one of the seven resorts here. Huckleberry Canyon was the area's best-kept secret—until Sierra-at-Tahoe scooped it up in 2009 and made the canyon part of its own.

Why It's Unique: Before the resort adopted Huckleberry into its boundaries, there was no official access to the area's 320 acres of expert-only terrain (including cliff drops, cornice drops, rock chutes and open bowls). Even with the addition of lifts opened up by the partnership with Sierra-at-Tahoe, it's still a trek to the top, and any route down the all-double-black-diamond canyon still requires a significant hike back out.