Dalvik, Iceland – There was enough to see in Iceland to occupy our 15 days spent on the island in March 2015, including several days with Arctic Heli Skiing. Alaskan heli-skiing is in many ways the closest available analogy to heli-skiing in Iceland. As in Alaska, Icelandic mountains are treeless and offer big vertical runs. … Continue reading Heli-ski Iceland
Zermatt, Switzerland – With a decent base of snow, we booked a trip to the charming Swiss ski resort of Zermatt for February 2014 with only three weeks’ notice through the Diamond Dogs ski club of New York City. With new snow immediately prior to arrival, and two storms while there, we experienced the best snow conditions that … Continue reading Zermatt, Switzerland: A Ski Resort Guide
Lech-Zürs, Austria – After bad weather delayed our airport transfer in London, my friend Richard and I didn’t arrive at the Hotel Sandhof in Lech until 11 p.m. local time. Knowing that we would miss dinner, the hotel’s staff thoughtfully laid out a spread of cold cuts, cheese and bread for us to help sate our appetite 12 … Continue reading A Resort Guide to the Arlberg
Cordova, AK – I had first met Points North owner Kevin Quinn at the L.A. ski show a decade ago, and we shared a ship to Antarctica in 2011 along with some of his guides and several of his customers where he helped my friend Liz and gave her a powder lesson one afternoon. So … Continue reading Points North Offers Alaskan Heli-Skiing Value
Ushuaia, Argentina – Antarctica is one of tourism’s final frontiers. The first tourist cruise to the frozen continent took place in 1969 but tourism remained rare there until the 1990’s. Nearly 7,000 tourists landed in Antarctica in 1992-93, growing to 13,900 in 1999-2000 and peaking at 33,000 in 2007-08, although economic conditions have limited tourist landings … Continue reading Antarctic Cruise Belongs on Any Skier’s Bucket List
Meadow Creek (BC), Canada – It’s been years since I signed up with Ski Plus Tours for my first ski vacation in the British Columbia interior, a guided road trip in 1997. Lead guide Brad Karafil operated on a flexible schedule, allowing him to follow weather patterns and utilize personal contacts to choose resorts or … Continue reading Snowcat Skiing with White Grizzly
Niseko, Japan – In January I spent three days skiing in Japan’s Hakuba Valley, site of the 1998 Olympic alpine events, and eight more days on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which over the past decade has attracted a growing number of powder skiers from all over the globe thanks to the world’s greatest … Continue reading Skiing Japan: Hakuba and Niseko
