Check Out National Geographic’s 100 ‘Ski Destinations of a Lifetime’
National Geographic’s new travel book, ‘100 Slopes of a Lifetime,’ aims to please with photography, travel tips, and reviews of some of the best places in the world to ski.
Looking for information and travel tips on where to find the best skiing and snowboarding on the planet? Look no further than “100 Slopes of a Lifetime,” which is helpfully broken down into sections on intermediate, advanced, and cross-country skiing, with both resort and backcountry options.
National Geographic’s latest travel book release is written by Gordy Megroz, former editor for Outside magazine. It also has a foreword by legendary Olympian Lindsey Vonn, stunning ski photography from experts like Calvin Hall, Scott Markewitz, and more.
Book Excerpt From ‘100 Slopes of a Lifetime’
Before we dive into the content of the book, here’s a brief excerpt from the introduction:
“There are also destinations in this book where you might never have known ski areas existed, like Oukaïmeden, a resort in Morocco with just one chairlift. As I was writing about Oukaïmeden, I was surprised to find out that despite it being the warmest continent on Earth, there are even a handful of ski areas in Africa.
In fact, though I’ve written extensively about snow sports for various magazines for close to 20 years, as I was working on 100 Slopes of a Lifetime I realized there was still a lot I didn’t know about skiing and snowboarding. Were you aware, for example, that one person, a Frenchman named Émile Allais, was responsible for creating several of the world’s most beloved trails? Or that there are meteorological and geographical factors that help support the claim printed on Utah’s license plate: “Greatest Snow on Earth”? Or that the first machine used specifically for grooming alpine ski trails was invented in Winter Park, Colorado?
I hope that as you read, you’ll be as captivated by the history, culture, and terrain of these slopes as I was while writing about them — and that this book will make you want to go ski some of these trails yourself. I hope to see you out there.” — Gordy Megroz, “100 Slopes of a Lifetime,” page 9.
‘100 Slopes of a Lifetime’: 12 New Ski Slopes to Explore
For any snow enthusiast, it’s a lifelong dream that we get the chance to explore 100 different mountains across the world on skis. If you’re trying to narrow down the options (or maximize your time on the slopes), here are the top 12 ski areas from Nat Geo’s ‘100 Slopes’ I’m hoping to check out one day.
From the well-known Swiss Alps off-piste favorites to the lesser-known cross-country Olympic Track in Austria, Nat Geo’s new ski destination page-turner has something for everyone.
1. Deer Valley Resort, Park City, Utah, USA
Skiable terrain: 2,026 acres; Must-try run: Stein’s Way
2. Ski Gulmarg, Gulmarg, India
Skiable terrain: 3.2 acres; Must-try run: Hapat Khued Bowl
3. Skookum Glacier, Alaska, USA
Skiable terrain: 4 miles; Must-try run: Glacier Crust Skiing (cross-country)
4. Rosa Khutor, Caucasus Mountains, Russia
Skiable terrain: 63 miles; Must-try run: Crazy Khutor
5. Matterhorn Ski Paradise, Zermatt, Switzerland
Skiable terrain: 224 miles; Must-try run: Klein Matterhorn to Testa II
6. Highlands Bowl, Aspen Highlands, Colorado, USA
Skiable terrain: 1,040 acres; Must-try run: G-8
7. Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Skiable terrain: 4,200 acres; Must-try run: ER3
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8. Mount Hutt Ski Area, Canterbury, New Zealand
Skiable terrain: 902 acres; Must-try run: Muesli Bowl
9. Niseko Resort, Hokkaido, Japan
Skiable terrain: 129 acres; Must-try run: Strawberry Fields
10. Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii, USA
Skiable terrain: unknown; Must-try run: Mauna Kea volcano
11. Alta Badia, Dolomites, Italy
Skiable terrain: 80 miles; Must-try run: Gran Risa
12. Ski Portillo, Los Andes, Chile, South America
Skiable terrain: 1,235 acres; Must-try run: Lake Run
Book Availability and Details
For each ski area featured, the book features notes and info on its size of terrain, terrain difficulty, annual snowfall, operating season, where to stay, what runs to try, and more. Plus, more pro tips like how to find the best backcountry terrain in Jackson Hole, or what to eat when ski touring in the Dolomites.
This 400-page tome retails for $35 and is available now.
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