Listopedia: Serious Snow Bunny Bucket List

Expedia Expert Dacey spends her holidays hunting out the good snow and she’s put together her Listopedia Bucket List for the ultimate snow bunny. Whether you’re an Aspen apres skier or a dare devil looking for the steepest runs in the world, there’s an alpine adventure for everyone in this Bucket List.

Heli Skiing in Canada

Every skier and boarder wants to be in Canada. Getting to large resorts like Whistler Blackcomb and Banff Lake Louise is easy but go the extra mile – these peaks are the perfect place for your first heli-ski. Tick this off the bucket list relatively easily.

Powder in Japan

Constant dry cold winds from Siberia help make Japan’s snow quality superb. It’s one of the few areas in the world that receives the fluffiest, softest and most consistent snow fall. Flight times and time-zones are a plus for Aussies and Kiwis, and it’s easy enough to throw in a Tokyo stopover on the way.

High altitude riding in the Himalayas

Who wouldn’t want to ride snow on the highest peaks in the world? Nepal’s Gulmarg resort has just one gondola (ascending 1350 vertical metres to over 4000m, that’s more vertical than any lift in the USA) and you’ll need to be avalanche-trained, an expert rider and have balls of steel to tackle these mountains! A guide helps too.

Steep skiing in Jackson Hole, USA

Jackson Hole is a  ski resort on steroids, serving up the highest and steepest runs in North America. The most notorious run, Corbet’s Couloir, is a mecca for skiiers wanting to prove their mettle (or watch others do so). The run is named for mountaineer Barry Corbet, who back in 1960 spotted a narrow crease of snow shaped like an upside-down funnel, high up on Jackson Hole. Said he: “Someday someone will ski that.” In 1967 someone did, and it became a permanent fixture on the trail map, and on every skiier’s bucket list.

Swishing down the slopes with celebs in Aspen, USA

Aspen is known for being the winter playground of the rich and famous, and with four main Aspen ski areas, it’s highly likely that you’ll share a gondola with a movie star or two.

French fun in Chamonix, France

Some of Europe’s most challenging terrain is found in Chamonix, the jewel of the Rhone-Alpes region. Test your stamina on the Valle Blanche, one of the longest ski runs in the world at 22km. The run itself isn’t particularly challenging (confident intermediates, just follow the guides and watch out for the crevasses!) but getting there is the scariest part. Take a gondola up to the Aiguille du Midi, marvel at the amazing views of the alps, then strap on a pair of crampons, clip onto the rope for a hike down the a steep, narrow cornice, known as the arête. Guide essential.

Get extreme in Pucon, Chile

Skiing at the foot of Volcano Villarrica Chile is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This mountain is an active volcano with a lava lake in the crater. The resort itself is mainly for beginners, but the main drawcard is Ski Pucon. Advanced and expert riders will tackle a 700 vertical metre ascent to the smoking crater of Villarrica at 2,840 metres. From the highest lift, the hike to the lip of the steaming Volcan Villarrica takes a few hours but is completely worth it.

Weekend break in Faraya Mzaar, Lebanon

The Middle East isn’t’ exactly known for snow, but the Faraya Mzaar mountains of Lebanon just outside of Beirut are popular with city-slickers squeezing in a quick ski in on weekends. It’s a known fact that you can get from the ski fields to the beach in less than hour!