What's your top-5 of ski runs worldwide?

[Cheizz]

Criteria: they have to be marked and named.

I'll kick things off:

Selva di val Gardena, Italy - black no. 3 "Ciampinoi"
Pila, Italy - red no. 2 "Renato Rosa"
Val d'Isère, France - red "Orange"
Val di Fassa, Italy - black no. 6 "Ciampac"
Val di Fiemme, Italy - red no. 35 "Cinque Nazione"

 

[Tony S]

I started trying to do this. Impossible.

 

[François Pugh]

I can't give you world-wide; I haven't been worldwide. But I want to play too. 2nd Problem: I don't really have a favourite, now that I've expanded skiing. I can give you what used to be my favorite run on Vancouver Island circa 1985 (before Mt. Washington opened up the Outback) though.

Map: https://jollyturns.com/resort/canada/mount-washington-alpine-resort/maps

Favourite: Start off with a cliff at Top of the World Chutes then into west basin, get back to the lift on Choice of Sunset, Parkway or Riptide, but not Whitecap and not Good Time Glades; Whitecap's moguls were too much like whitecaps I was carrying too much speed to be sure not to kill someone by not being able to avoid them through not seeing them in time in the trees. There may have been some fun lines in the area now called the "The OutBack", but there were only back-country lines back then and they required too much hiking to and back for my tastes (no lift), plus I was asked to avoid them when they ramped up construction.

Might have been favorite if they would have had a lift back then: North Bowl

The last time I was there, I enjoyed Good Time Glades as much as anything else. I like everything now.

Details: https://jollyturns.com/resort/canada/mount-washington-alpine-resort/skiruns-double-black

 

[geepers]

The one I'm on at the time #1. Well, it may be an average run but it sure beats not being on a ski run.

 

[Bad Bob]

The true favorite is always the next run, but these are some that stick out from memory. These are the ones I see when thinking about skiing with my eyes closes. Definitely not in order. The weather is always good, and the snow of course.
Alyeska, South Face, learned to ski loose snow there.
Snowbird, Mineral Basin; so many really good lines.
Crystal Mountain, Powder Bowl, ski it once on the right day and you will remember it.
Alyeska, Max's Mountain, best served from a copter (this was often a bonus run during my short stint copter guiding) 3,000'+ of a natural playground. It was the beer run.
Sun Valley, Limelight; when bumpy, very bumpy.

The best view! Hillberg ski area Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage. At the right moment when the alpenglow hits, you are pretty much at sea level looking at 20,000' of Mount McKinley painted in whites, pinks, and blues. It made skiing on a 250' mole hill unforgettable.

 

[Nathanvg]

There are tons of great runs all over but a few that stand out in my mind right now are:

1. Funnel, Crested Butte - rarely is a run very steep for so much vertical (2.2k total vert, >1k vert very steep)
2. High Rustler, Alta - lots of great runs at AltaBird but if I had to choose one it is High Rustler. (1.8k total vert, 600 vert very steep)
3. Rocky Mountain High to Sneakys to Powderhorn, Snowmass. A lot less challenging than the others on this list but a great mix of fast groomers, bumps and high quality vert. (4.3k vert)
4. Palmyra, Telluride - the overall experience is great. It's a long hike, great views from 13k feet and you'll have a great run to yourself on the decent.
5. Highland Bowl, Aspen Highlands - another significant hike but well worth it with high quality steeps (1k very steep, 2.5k total vertical) You'll see a few dozen people at the peak on a nice day so pretty crowded for a hike to run but the bowl is big.

A lot of great runs missed the cut including many in western Canada (my favorite ski region), European and S. American runs.

 

[Tony S]

Criteria: they have to be marked and named

Maybe lift-served would be good to add?

 

[John Webb]

Bear Creek Canyon -Telluride Out of bounds but legally open. Lift served from top lift but no lifts or exit
all way down to a lift in town 3000 vertical. Perfect snow the day I did it 10 years ago. beyond incredible !

Top third untracked steep 2 foot very light powder.
Middle third about half untracked. 1 ft deep light pow.
Bottom third to lift in Telluride more medium snow but skiable 8 inches.
One run took half the day (they made you hike up several blocks) but I thought i'd died and gone to heaven !!

 

[Cheizz]

Maybe lift-served would be good to add?

Sure! Good addition.

 

[raisingarizona]

I can’t add anything for lines outside of the states but here, in the USA I think the best lift served side country tour has got to be the Cody > No Name > 4 Pines in Jackson. 2nd for me would be the previously mentioned Bear Creek Canyon run at Telluride.

 

[djetok]

There are tons of great runs all over but a few that stand out in my mind right now are:

1. Funnel, Crested Butte - rarely is a run very steep for so much vertical (2.2k total vert, >1k vert very steep)

love this one , its a hard choice funnel or banana

 

[Jim Kenney]

There are tons of great runs all over but a few that stand out in my mind right now are:

1. Funnel, Crested Butte - rarely is a run very steep for so much vertical (2.2k total vert, >1k vert very steep)
2. High Rustler, Alta - lots of great runs at AltaBird but if I had to choose one it is High Rustler. (1.8k total vert, 600 vert very steep)
3. Rocky Mountain High to Sneakys to Powderhorn, Snowmass. A lot less challenging than the others on this list but a great mix of fast groomers, bumps and high quality vert. (4.3k vert)
4. Palmyra, Telluride - the overall experience is great. It's a long hike, great views from 13k feet and you'll have a great run to yourself on the decent.
5. Highland Bowl, Aspen Highlands - another significant hike but well worth it with high quality steeps (1k very steep, 2.5k total vertical) You'll see a few dozen people at the peak on a nice day so pretty crowded for a hike to run but the bowl is big.

A lot of great runs missed the cut including many in western Canada (my favorite ski region), European and S. American runs.

Thanks! Excellent. Now I don't have to think, just dig up relevant photos
Funnel:

High Rustler:

Snowmass:


Telluride:

Highland Bowl:



A few More fun places:

Delirium Dive, Sunshine Canada

Blackcomb Glacier, Whistler:

The High Alpine terrain at Breckenridge:

The hike-to terrain at Taos, NM:

backside of Mt. Bachelor, OR:


Watching other people drop into Corbets Couloir at Jackson Hole:


...somebody stop me!

 

[dbostedo]

Snowmass:

Specifically, I believe that's the hike to, and the run, Long Shot, right?

 

[Jim Kenney]

Specifically, I believe that's the hike to, and the run, Long Shot, right?

Yes, a fun bit of side country that can be enjoyed by skiers and boarders of a wide range of skills.

 

[dbostedo]

...a fun bit of side country...

Well not really side country in the typical sense, as it's still in-bounds. But it does require a hike and is sort of walled-off/isolated from the rest of the resort.

 

[East Coast Scott]

Thanks! Excellent. Now I don't have to think just dig up relevant photos
Funnel:
View attachment 133422
High Rustler:
View attachment 133423
Snowmass:
View attachment 133425
View attachment 133424
Telluride:
View attachment 133426
Highland Bowl:
View attachment 133427


A few More fun places:

Delirium Dive, Sunshine Canada
View attachment 133428
Blackcomb Glacier, Whistler:
View attachment 133429
The High Alpine terrain at Breckenridge:
View attachment 133430 View attachment 133432
The hike-to terrain at Taos, NM:
View attachment 133433
backside of Mt. Bachelor, OR:
View attachment 133435

Watching other people drop into Corbets Couloir at Jackson Hole:
View attachment 133436

...somebody stop me!

I wish these cameras would show how really steep places like Corbets is. I'll take some pics of a run I'm on and the camera makes it look like a green trail, lol.

 

[Tony S]

I wish these cameras would show how really steep places like Corbets is. I'll take some pics of a run I'm on and the camera makes it look like a green trail, lol.

Jim is pretty good with that. It appears to me that in the case of the Corbet's pic it's exceptionally filled in with snow and thus has a relatively friendly entrance. @Jim Kenney ?

 

[Doug Briggs]

Wait. What!? Trails have names? I just point'em and go.

I am pretty partial to Powder 8s (my name for it) to CJ's, although last Thursday 8s to Y was pretty plush, too. Wonderland, Ptarmigan, Tom's Mom and E.S.P. are all faves.

Powder 8s

Edit: I'll concede I had to look at a ski area map to remind me of the names of some of these runs.

 

[Kyle]

For my list, I decided I would only focus only on runs that I have skied more than three or four times. This eliminates a lot of potential runs and focuses only on areas I have skied more than a couple of days.

Easter Bowl/Shooting Star--Snowbasin (this was the hardest for me since I have skied many hundreds of days at Snowbasin over the years but this is my single favorite run/area when the snow is fresh and the conditions are right).

Limelight to Greyhawk--Sun Valley (my favorite run combo at one of my favorite places)

Hobacks/Sublette Ridge--Jackson (the size and uncrowded nature of these areas are an awesome combination when the conditions are right)

Westward Ho--Alta (I skied this general area many, many times in some great snow conditions primarily during my college years--lots of great memories)

Franz's--Whistler (I have not been to Whistler/Blackcomb for a number of years and there are a lot of great candidates but I remember the first few times I skied this long cruiser at high speed with all the pitches, rollers, etc. that I felt like I had found the fountain of youth)

 

[Jacob]

Sure! Good addition.

Maybe lift-served would be good to add?

If we’re doing lift-served, then I’ll start with the Valluga down to Zürs.

(Not my video)