Travel News: Extreme Skiing Sites
ABC news recommended some of the following sites for Extreme Skiing:
1. RUBY BOWL, WHISTLER/BLACKCOMB, BRITISH COLUMBIA
“With over 7,000 acres of skiable terrain spanning the two flanks of 7,160-foot Whistler mountain and 7,494-foot Blackcomb mountain, there’s piste to satisfy every level of skier. Nearly 200 marked trails, a network of ultra-modern lifts, and legendary off-piste combine to cement Whistler/Blackcomb’s standing.”
2. CORBET’S COULOIR, JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING
“Take the temporary chairlift (which replaces the aerial tram until the new one is ready in 2008) and you’ll find yourself peering nervously over Rendezvous Mountain’s celebrated drops. Remember, too, there are plenty of other trails at Jackson for those who like their skiing raw and vertical; don’t simply assume that Corbet’s is all there is because it’s higher than the rest. Below the treeline, the Hobacks section of the mountain awaits the skier in search of extra bragging rights once Corbet’s has been tamed.”
3. HANGMAN’S HOLLOW, MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CALIFORNIA
“For once the hyperbole actually applies. A summit elevation of 11,053 feet and hefty 3,100-foot vertical drop are just some Mammoth stats that don’t need any embroidering by Bay Area marketing whiz kids. The mountain is served by 27 lifts that are numbered in the order they were built, giving a nod to in-the-know locals who are able to think in creative, non-linear ways.”
4. THE PALISADES, SQUAW VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
“Perched at Lake Tahoe’s northern end, Squaw Valley is the signature resort in a region blessed with alpine bounty — 14 downhill and seven cross-country centers spackle the Sierra Nevada range some 200 miles east of San Francisco. Host of the 1960 Winter Olympics, Squaw is hailed as the birthplace of American-style extreme skiing, born there in the eighties.”
5. LES GRANDS MONTETS, CHAMONIX, FRANCE
“You could just go to Chamonix for the views; tucked in a steep-walled valley, the resort is flanked by Europe’s highest mountains, among them the monumental slab of rock that is Mont Blanc. However, Chamonix is also the Never Never Land of “if you fall, you die” skiing. Needless to say, if you want get the best out of the area — or stay alive — hiring a mountain guide is well advised.”
via: ABC news
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