Great uncrowded ski resorts: Red Mountain, Whitewater, Whitefish, Minakami, Alagna and High1

DEFAULT
  • FINALIST: First summit sunset of the season. Photo: @elise_young_
    of
  • FINALIST: Smashing laps at Hotham. Photo: @maxybon12
    of
  • FINALIST: Hooker Valley Track. Photo: @man.meets.wine
    of
  • FINALIST: Field of snow monsters. Photo: @john.n.kellie
    of
  • FINALIST: Skiing the rooftop. Photo: @willhauserman
    of
  • FINALIST: Perisher awesome as always. Photo: @pomiejohn
    of
  • FINALIST: Freshly groomed. Photo: @patchono
    of
  • FINALIST: Mountains were made to punch the sun. Photo: @laraboyle
    of
  • FINALIST: Banger of a day. Photo: @ameliakerr
    of
  • FINALIST: Waist deep. Photo: @chriswhitehall
    of
  • FINALIST: Snow selfie. Photo: @caitysamantha
    of
  • FINALIST: Mountain Monday. Photo: @ashwoodlane
    of
  • FINALIST: So lonely. Photo: @marvinstarvinzombie
    of
  • FINALIST: Cold and alone. Photo: @matthewtvogl
    of
  • Ah the serenity. Photo: @sallyfitridge
    of
  • Whirlwind. Photo: @kookie_h93
    of
  • Fire in the backyard. Photo: @ripsnortta
    of
  • No pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Photo: @edenrosedunnit
    of
  • Waist deep #skimaxholidays #misssnowitall Photo: @chriswhitehall1/Instagram
    of
  • Chopper #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @pondyrock/Instagram
    of
  • Clouds closing in #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @quidditchboy/Instagram
    of
  • Loving the summit at Falls Creek #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @jocurtis
    of
  • Once you reach the summit #thredbo #skimaxholidays #misssnowitall Photo: @kookie_h93
    of
  • Whatever your adventure #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @terry_mccullagh/Instagram
    of
  • Hooker Valley track Mt Cook #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @man.meets.wine/Instagram
    of
  • Back in Hotham! #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @jodog99/Instagram
    of
  • Canada #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @kaneisable84/Instagram
    of
  • The fine specimen I get to holiday with #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @ellegatehouse/Instagram
    of
  • Days like these #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @slbegg/Instagram
    of
  • Smashing laps in the Hotham trees #skimaxholidays #misssnowitall Photo: @maxybon12/Instagram
    of
  • One day I hope to do this in Nepal #skimaxholidays #misssnowitall Photo: @kimberley_v88/Instagram
    of
  • #skimaxholidays #misssnowitall Photo: @g686/Instagram
    of
  • Nothing beats barefoot snow walking after a river crossing #skimaxholidays #misssnowitall Photo: @jamesgarner/Instagram
    of
  • The days are getting longer at Falls Creek. Photo: @harriprescott
    of
  • Mountains were made to punch the sun at Thredbo. Photo: @laraboyle
    of
  • There is nothing in life as sweet. Photo: @snowitlikealocal
    of
  • We miss being buried in snow. Photo: @alisoninglis
    of
  • \Sunday mornings at Perisher. Photo: @jacq_in_a_box
    of
  • Heavenly Valley at Hotham. Photo: @svenna14
    of
  • White out days still shredding. Photo: @crushed_lollypop
    of
  • That moment you see smoke from the volcano you were skiing a moment ago. Photo: @joscellewebb
    of
  • Middle of the day in Lapland. Photo: @john.n.kellie
    of
  • The Weekend Release. Photo: @jeremysimons
    of
  • Boris the wombat. Photo: @m.murrayyy
    of
  • The best lines are the ones ... in runs. Photo: @ashwoodlane_
    of
  • Does it get any better? Photo: @globe__trottr
    of
  • Reindeers!  Photo: @nofunnn
    of
  • Freshly groomed. Photo: @patchono
    of
  • Taking a break at The Remarkables. Photo: @ptr_pan
    of
  • In Come The Clouds #chamonix #skimaxholidays #misssnowitall.jpg Photo: @rickygoodman/Instagram
    of
  • Goodnight Mt Buller #skimaxholidays #misssnowitall.jpg Photo: @ellieek/Instagram
    of
  • It's just a mountain. Until you are standing at the bottom of it. Face to face with it. Until you take your first step on top of it. Until you reach the summit and stand eye level with the setting. Photo: @live.the.wild.life/Instagram
    of
  • Explore. Adventure. Ignore the rules. Be reckless. Climb wobbly abandoned piers #skimaxholidays #misssnowitall Photo: @controlledchaosadventures/Instagram
    of
  • Backcountry #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays.jpg Photo: @aliceadamson/Instagram
    of
  • First summit sunset of the season. Photo: @elise_young_/Instaggram
    of
  • Perisher awesome as always. Photo: @pomiejohn/Instagram
    of
  • Miss Snow It All Instagram photo competition 2016. Photo: @incidentallyactive/Instagram
    of
  • Hanging Lake in Winter #colorado #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @sim_cozens/Instagram
    of
  • Winter is back #canterbury #misssnowitall #skimaxholidays Photo: @snowtimelikenow/Instagram
    of
  • @orsochristina 
    of
  • @john.n.kellie 
    of
  • @lifesajyebeach 
    of
  • @tommykenyon26 
    of
  • @sasch__o 
    of
  • @caitysamantha 
    of
  • @dj_mpire 
    of
  • @ameliakerr 
    of
  • @fezzamactaggart 
    of
  • @emcroberts84 
    of
  • Bye bye. Photo: @caitlinhosken
    of
  • Snow and sun. Photo: @controlledchaosadventures
    of
  • Falls Creek snow play. Photo: @snowboardervb
    of
  • NZ night sky. Photo: @pondyrock
    of
  • Bag are packed. Photo: @krizzy31
    of
  • Winter is Coming. Photo: @becksta2481
    of
  • So wronery. Photo: @marvinstarvinzom
    of
  • Back in my happy place. Photo: @embamford
    of
  • Is it snowing in the mountains yet? Photo: @carolinepemberton
    of
  • Fox village. Photo: @bellelame
    of
  • Skiing the rooftop of the World. Photo: @willhauserman/Instagram
    of
  • Getting sprays @bjn_42 Photo: @ellegatehouse/Instagram
    of
  • My friends are strange... selfies with Snow Monkies at Nagano, Japan. Photo: @russelmurton/Instagram
    of
  • #takemeback Photo: @orsochristina/Instagram
    of
  • Snowed in yassss. Photo: @kristen1100/Instagram
    of

  • You may also like these photo galleries

    Crema Catalana.

    Do not miss these Mediterranean culinary masterpieces

    An elevated view of villagers sorting out chillis in the drying field of Rajasthan, India.

    The Big Picture competition: Readers' top travel photos

    Singapore Airlines' jumbo jets through the ages: In 1976, Singapore Airlines redesigned its first class upper-deck to ...

    Once 'queen of the skies', the iconic 747 will soon be just a flying truck

    A Ponant ship sails into New Guinea.

    The world's next big cruising destination

    The 2016 Oktoberfest at Theresienwiese in Munich came to a close on Sunday. The 2016 event took place under heightened ...

    Nine countries that like a drink even more than Aussies do

    Singapore's Chinatown draws locals and visitors alike to its eateries (Smith Street is often referred to as Food Street) ...

    Six of the coolest Chinatowns in Asian countries that aren't China

Advertisement

It may be easier to travel than ever before but it is harder to find those intrepid ski resorts that few people are yet to discover. Remember, Whistler was a hidden gem once.

"Undiscovered" is relative but there are still decent places to ski far from the madding crowds, where lift lines are non-existent and beer is poured by locals. You don't have to scrimp on terrain size either.

Try any of these on for size.

Red Mountain, BC Canada

There's an inner circle of elite skiers who would rather I didn't tell you about Red but they really have kept the mountain to themselves for too long now. Red Mountain isn't easy to get to but when you do you'll find 110 runs across three mountain peaks with 1085 skiable hectares of terrain plus 890 metres of vertical.

You won't get bored here: the terrain is varied enough to keep you on your toes, from groomers to tree runs to powder bowls and their legendary steeps. Need more? Aussie Kieren Gaul owns the local Big Red Cats cat skiing operation. Spend a day with him getting fresh powder tracks and thank us later. Redresort.com

Whitewater, Canada

If you made it all the way to Rossland to check out Red, you may as well take a quick trip to Whitewater, near Nelson, while you're there. Whitewater has cult status among powder seekers and an average of 12 metres of snowfall a season. The 480 hectares of terrain are divided into 10 per cent beginner, 32 per cent intermediate, 47 per cent advanced and 11 per cent expert. This is a mountain for those who know how to ski it. The Fresh Tracks on-mountain cafe is legendary in these parts so remember to both dine and take home a copy of its bestselling Whitewater Cooks coffee table recipe book. Skiwhitewater.com

Whitefish, Montana

Some of the best powder tree skiing in the US is found at Whitewater. The mountain sits above the town of Whitewater, deep in the heart of cowboy country. The 1200 hectares offer amazing amounts of bowl and tree skiing to keep your thighs burning for days. Of the terrain, 47 per cent is intermediate, 42 per cent advanced and 6 per cent for experts. There's even a giant Jesus statue on the top of the ski hill and the plate of nachos at the ski-in Hell Roaring Saloon is as big as the moose heads found in this region. Skiwhitefish.com

Minakami, Japan

Minakami is theoretically a town but it is a town that accesses nine resorts including Minakami Kogen and Minakami Houdaigi. Houdaigi is known for having the steepest run in this region and nearby Tanigawadake Tenjindaira (known as Tenjin) will give backcountry enthusiasts a thrill with steep chutes and open bowls and almost 17 metres of annual snowfall. Beware of avalanches and take a guide.

Alagna, Italy

This resort has it all. Groomers, off-piste, heli-skiing, ski touring, need I go on? Alagna is loved by free riders, who come here for the off-piste powder. The resort is in the Monte Rosa region and is connected within three valleys and six mountain resorts that together boast 180 kilometres of pistes. Expect Italian charm and those jaw-dropping European vistas that the Alps serve up so well. Alagna.it

High1, Korea

The world will know about skiing in Korea come the 2018 Peyong Chang Winter Olympics but before then you can schuss down the slopes of High1 four hours from Seoul and boast about it later. The peak of High1 is 1345 metres, the highest in the country and the runs are up to 1800 metres long. Don't expect the steeps and deeps of Europe and North America but do check out Kangwon Land Casino while you're there if you need more adrenalin rushes. The casino is the only one in Korea that allows both foreigners and Koreans to gamble together. High1.com

INSTAGRAM COMPETITION: ENTRIES CLOSED

Entries in our Instagram competition have now closed. Check out all the best entries in the photo gallery at the top of the page. The finalists will be announced next week and the winner, thanks to Ski Max Holidays, will win a ski and snowboard trip to Whistler Blackcomb for two. Flying from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne to Vancouver, the winner will have two nights at the harbourside five-star Pan Pacific Hotel and take in the city's sights, including the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and FlyOver Canada. Then spend five nights in luxury at the Westin Resort and Spa at Whistler Blackcomb with ski-lift passes for two for the week you're there.

Stay tuned next week for your opportunity to vote for the winner.

Follow Rachael Oakes-Ash on Twitter & Instagram @misssnowitall and on facebook.com/misssnowitall

DEFAULT
Traveller

Comments