Aspen to Whistler: North America’s Top 5 Ski Areas

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Giant mountains, lots of dry powdery snow and often almost deserted slopes: this combination makes Canada and the United States a dream destination for many winter sports enthusiasts.

The winter wonderland between the Pacific Coast and the Rocky Mountains still promises guaranteed snow despite climate change. Sometimes ski resorts have twice as much snow as snowy alpine resorts. More than ten meters per season is not uncommon.

Plus, the ski areas of North America are real adventure playgrounds. In addition to the huge freestyle snow park, they offer more variety than the ski areas in the Alps. You are not allowed to leave the slope there; In North America, the entire area within the ski area is open to traffic and is monitored by avalanches.

The borders of Canada and the United States have been open to people who have been re-vaccinated since November. This clears the way for these Top 5 Ski Areas:

Aspen: Hollywood-style Nobel ski resort

Perhaps the most famous ski area in North America. Around Christmas time, the former mining town in Colorado is transformed into a white stage for Hollywood stars.

St. Moritz America” ​​is not only the most glamorous ski resort on the other side of the pond, but one of the best: Aspen offers four ski mountains in snow-fixed elevations between 2,422 and 3,780 meters.

This is where the Aspen Mountain Gondola begins. Snowmass, the largest ski area, can be reached by ski bus in 20 minutes. In the middle is the Buttermilk Family Ski Area, where the world’s best ski acrobats compete in the X-Games and Highlands.

Banff Lake Louise: National Park Ski Adventure

In a true picture book landscape – surrounded by steep mountain peaks, frozen lakes and seemingly endless forests. The city of Rocky Mountains is one of the most famous ski destinations in North America, although it does not have a ski area.

There are three at the door to the right: Mount Norquay is ten minutes away, Banff Sunshine 20 and Lake Louise is about 45 minutes away by car. Holidaymakers mostly overlook the smaller Mount Norquay and drive straight for Sunshine. With peaks of up to 2730 metres, Canada’s highest ski area manages without artificial snow until May despite its long season. The motto is Pure Nature.

There is also a lot of enjoyment of nature and skiing in Lake Louise. Every year at the end of November, the Alpine Ski World Cup sees the fastest men and women run across the front of the mountain.

Freeriders dive into the gorgeous off-piste run past the 2672-metre-high Mount Whitehorn.

Park City: Olympic Ski Area with Western Style

Since the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in 2002, only 45 minutes away, is a newcomer to ski resorts in the United States. At that time, all ski races as well as bobsleigh competitions and Nordic disciplines took place at and around an altitude of 2103 m above sea level. After the closure of the previous silver mines, it almost turned into a ghost town. Ski tourism kept Park City alive and eventually made it prosperous.

The Olympic boom was spurred by the merger of Park City with the neighboring Canyon Ski Area a few years ago. It is now the largest ski area in the United States: more than 330 slopes, a skiable area of ​​approximately 30 square kilometers.

On site, they take even more pride in the quality of the snow than the larger size. Utah proudly claims the “Largest Ice on Earth,” which is the largest amount of ice on Earth.

Vail: Heart of the Ski Giant

About two hours west of Denver on Interstate 70. But the place in the Rockies is still perfect for skiers and snowboarders: Vail is huge and known for its wide variety of slopes, mountain-top service, and exceptionally beautiful huts.

The three neighboring ski areas are Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge. All four can be used with a ski pass. Vail alone will provide enough variety for more than one ski vacation in Colorado.

Whistler-Blackcomb: A Real Giant

The largest ski area in North America is huge in every way. Nowhere are there more slopes, more cross-country runs, more cat- and heli-skiing, more activities besides skiing – and more choices of hotels, restaurants and bars.

The Canadian Coast is about an hour and a half drive north of Vancouver in the mountains. The resort became known worldwide as the Alpine and Nordic center of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Whistler Village is located at the foot of two ski mountains Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb.

With approximately 33 square kilometres, Whistler-Blackcomb offers more skiable areas than any other ski area on the continent. Another trump card is often more than ten meters of snow per season.

Info Box: Ski Resorts of North America

Admission and Formalities: Borders for holidays from Europe to Canada and the United States are open again from November. Travelers must be fully vaccinated or recovered and must also have a negative PCR test that should not be older than 72 hours. German citizens also need a valid passport and an electronic travel authorization (esta for the United States, eta for Canada), which must be applied for in advance.

Information: www.travelalberta.com, www.hellobc.de, www.coloradoski.com, www.visitutah.com

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 211203-99-241356/3 (dpa/tmn)