Big Sky, Montana, U.S.A

The lesser known cousin of the infamous Jackson Hole, Big Sky offers acre upon acre of endless terrain (5500 acres to be precise), an average snowfall of 35ft per season, and over 4350ft of vertical! With zero queuing! It’s nigh on guaranteed to satisfy even the most ravenous of powder hound.

Big White, B.C., Canada

Notice a trend appearing yet? Big White over in B.C. boasts some of the finest, driest, fluffiest, Canadian powder around! After a fresh snowfall it is more than commonplace to hear people whooping, laughing, and high fiving each other at the end of every run. Expect burning legs at the end of the day, but that’s no problem if you’re on one of our ski instructor courses where you’ll be able to soak your weary limbs in your own private balcony hot tub!

Niseko, Japan

We’ve all heard tales of Japan’s unbelievable powder but it really is something that has to be seen to be believed! Most resorts over in Japan offer fantastic powder but we’ve picked Niseko because not only is it slightly more geared towards the English speaking traveller but you can also get balls-deep in pow at night under Niseko’s floodlights!

Verbier, Switzerland

Verbier is well known throughout Europe as a backcountry mecca, hosting numerous freeride events both for skiing and snowboarding on some of the most challenging terrain around. The Bec des Rosses widely regarded as one of the hardest faces in the world to conquer, and is certainly not worth setting foot on without a well-qualified guide!

Kicking Horse, Canada

Kicking Horse is relatively unknown on the world stage, but perhaps this is because it’s one of Canada’s best kept secrets! And who can blame our Canadian friends when they have a resort that offers so much steep and deep. Arguably one of the best resorts to float down pant-wettingly steep descents!

Chamonix, France

Chamonix offers a great mix of easily accessible and not-so-easily accessible backcountry terrain, or as the hardcore backcountry fans would refer to it “slackcountry vs. backcountry”. Here you can take part in week-long backcountry tours where you’ll be getting fresh tracks until last light, sleeping in mountain huts, and then setting off for more before dawn watching the sun rise as you go! There are also shorter one-day tours on offer but as the saying goes… go big or go home!

We’d love to hear about where your favourite backcountry resort is… obviously we couldn’t include all of them in this post, so drop us a reply and let us know

I lived a season in Chamonix, the problem is the powder gets shredded really quickly unless you want to go and do some of the more extreme, out of the way, stuff.

What I look for in a powder resort are:

i. powder ! (not too much of that last season in France)
ii. a “family” resort where people don’t go off piste much
iii. not too far away so I can get there when the conditions are good
iv. reasonably stable conditions - so not somewhere high on a windy ridge line like Val d’Isere

I’ve skied excellent powder in all the local resorts at times, somewhere like allevard you can always ski off the back bowls and find powder but even some of the big areas like la Plagne can be great.

Of course if I were doing a season I might change my mind a bit. You need some like minded people around the place and a big area to play in.

Fair point Davidof! I think it’s fair to say that if the right conditions are present you can ski decent powder at almost any resort.

I was over in Meribel this season and on the rare occasions that we had decent snowfall the powder was awesome!

The saying “no friends on a powder day” definitely did not apply, there’s nothing better than skiing/riding powder with your mates!

I have been skiing in various resorts in the Northern and Southern Alps. However, the best I have come across for ‘available’ powder and terrain is Montgenevre (in Southern French Alps). Easy access off-piste, trees, wide open faces, couloirs, etc. Best of all though, you can wake up at 9am, have breakfast, get out on the slopes at 10.30am and still get a freshies all the way until 5.00pm. In addition, great backcountry tours available in the sorrounding region!

Thanks for the input Jeremy, I haven’t personally been to Montgenevre myself, but I might have to make a trip there now!