Alternative Ski Resorts

Skiing is an incredible pastime, and it opens up a whole world of holidaying opportunities. However, it can also prove extremely expensive if you only head for the biggest and best known resorts. If you do only hit up the biggest and best then you are also missing out on a whole world of alternative ski resorts that offer something a little different. You could be skiing in Morocco or snowboarding in Lebanon, and you may well enjoy the experience even more than hitting up the ski chalets in Alps every year.

You will often find that alternative ski resorts have limited lifts, and few of the runs that you carve out for yourself will have been named. If off-piste is your preferred method for descending a mountain, then you should definitely turn your attention away from the tourist orientated European slopes and considering something completely different.

Marrakech probably isn’t the first city you think of when considering a skiing holiday, but once you’ve been to Oukaimeden just outside the city, you may change your mind. Do take the time to visit some of the local sites, and do be prepared to put in a little extra work for your skiing effort. If the chairlift is unavailable you will enjoy the experience of being lifted to the top on the back of a donkey, and you will almost certainly have to haggle for your equipment hire. On the flip side, this means that the more confident skiers can get really good prices, and lessons are cheap here too.

Gulmarg in Kashmir is not only alternative but really quite extreme. You will get around by pony, possibly have to avoid barbed wire, and you may even end up staying in a local house. What’s more, if you think the Alps are big, then you will be absolutely blown away by the sheer size, height, and scale of the mountains in Kashmir. Just about everything can be considered off piste, because even the marked runs are marked badly. If you do enjoy a challenge, and you enjoy finding your own lines, then Gulmarg is ideal.

There are many other alternative ski resorts, including Kiroro in Japan, which is usually free of queues and quite remote, Queenstown in New Zealand, ideal for skiing during the summer months, and even Hawaii in the US. If you’re not afraid to put in some extra effort, take a few risks, and steer clear of the more commercial resorts or ski chalets, you can find some absolute gems.