Chacaltaya is a glacierial mountain range in Bolivia with an elevation of 5421 m
(17,785 feet) and a view of Lake Titicaca in the distance. The glacier is about 30 km
from La Paz, near Huayna Potosí mountain. As it is one of the highest glaciers in
South America, Chacaltaya is also one of the first glacial ranges to decrease
markedly in size due to climate change. Although the glacier is over 18,000 years
old, over 80% of it has melted since 1987 and it is expected to disappear by 2008

The refugio and ski lift is run by the Club Andino Boliviano founded in 1939 by a
group of enthusiasts. The current ski lift and the skis available for rent date from the
seventies and the guys running the refugio are even older. Soon there will probably
be no more skiing on Chacaltaya as the glacier is melting due to global warming.
Rumors say they are planning a new lift on the larger mountain Mururata.

Going up to the mountain you’ll see the earth change to every color imaginable, with
the towering peaks of Huayna Potosi, Illimani and Mururata seemingly within reach.
This is a mining area and the many different metals in the ground makes for the
colorful scenery. In the distance you’ll see El Alto and La Paz and, on clear days,
even Volcan Sajama.

The glacier on Chacaltaya serves as Bolivia’s only ski resort. It is the world’s highest
lift-served ski area, the northernmost ski area in South America as well as the
world’s most equatorial. The rope tow, the very first in South America, was built in
1939 using an automobile engine; it is notoriously fast and difficult, housed in the
site’s original clapboard lodge where it is rumored currently to be inoperable. The
road to the base of the 200 m drop is reached by a narrow road, also built in the
1930s. Because it is too cold to ski in the winter, the lift operates exclusively on
weekends from November to March, making Chacaltaya the only ski resort in South
America to have a ski season corresponding to that of North America. The site was
developed and still operated by the Club Andino Boliviano, though increased
global-warming has diminished the annual snowfall and dramatically decreased
skiing areas

Ski Resorts

Beidahu is located 56 km from Jilin City and 128 km from Changchun Longjia Airport. A taxi ride from the airport should cost approximately ¥400 including highway fees and takes about 2 1/2 hours in good weather conditions. The hotel has minibus pick-up services from Jilin City that can be pre-booked (¥300).

There is a one-time ¥20 entry fee per person to enter the Beidahu area.Apart from skiing, there are few other treats for guests except enjoying long meals in local restaurants. There is a gaming room for card and mahjong players available in the hotel, but notably, there is not even a karaoke lounge to be found.

There are several restaurant within 5-10 minutes walking distance along the main road from the hotel which offer decent to excellent and inexpensive local Dongbei cuisine There are also food options inside the hotel, although less exciting.

Ski lifts are of international standard and operate from 8.30am – 4pm daily. Lift tickets cost ¥240 for a half-day pass (4 hours) and ¥320 for a full-day, which includes equipment rental. The equipment for rent are of good standard.

Accommodation are concentrated to one large hotel, the Beidahu Lodge (* 0432-4202021). Standard rates for a standard room run at ¥480 per night. The hotel may offer considerable discounts if your group will spend more than ¥10,000 in total for lift tickets and hotel nights.

Ski Resorts

Auli is a serene hill station. It offers good treks to nearby places and is a good ski resort from November – March depending on snowfall. The ropeway from Joshimath to Auli is one of the longest in India covering a distance of 4.15 km. Auli is acclaimed as one of Asia’s finest ski resorts, and has been credited with some of the finest powder in the world.

Auli is nestled in the lap of snow-capped peaks of Garhwal Himalayas, in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, near the world famous religious shrine of Badrinath. At an altitude of 2,500 to 3,050 m above sea level, Auli’s well-dressed slopes are flanked by coniferous and oak forests, which offer a panoramic view of mountains. If you are out for adventure,
fun and frolic this winter, find yourself in Auli, in the vicinity of the mountain peaks Nanda Devi and Mana Parbat. Feel the rush of air on your face, blaze a defiant trail as you go skiing on the well-dressed snow slopes. Or pelt each other with snow-balls on a blanket of snow. And if you’re a lover of natural splendour let your eyes feast on the breathtaking view of snow-capped peaks all around you.

Ski Resorts

Prior to 1946, the mountain had been the site of skiing using a crude boat lift, and by
the use of the jeep trails up the back side of the mountain on Midnight Mine Road.
The foundation of the ski area in 1946 was accomplished by the building of the
single-chair chairlift, Lift-1, which opened on December 14, 1946 as the longest
chairlift in the world at the time. Lift-1 was superseded in 1972 by two double
chairlifts, Shadow Mountain and Ruthie’s. Access to the mountain was radically
changed in 1986 with the installation of the Silver Queen Gondola, a gondola lift
which ascends to the summit of Aspen Mountain, with a vertical rise of 3,267 ft (996
m). The area’s lifts also include 1 high-speed quad, 1 high-speed double, 2 quads,
and 3 doubles.

The gondola is one of two lifts, along with the Little Nell chairlift, which ascend from
Gondola Plaza in the heart of the downtown Aspen. The configuration allows visitors
to ascend the mountain from the center of town, and ski down the Little Nell Run
back into town. The mountainside contains hidden and open remains of the intense
silver mining activity from the Colorado Silver Boom in the late 1880s and early
1890s. In January of 2001, it was decided to end Aspen Mountain’s long-time ban on
snowboarding. However, as a courtesy to season-pass holders, the resort was not
officially opened to snowboarders until April 1, 2001.

The longest run is 3 miles/4.8 km. The lift capacity is 10,755 riders per hour. The
average annual snowfall is 300 inches (7.6 m). It has snowmaking capabilities of
210 acres (0.8 km²), which comprises approximately one-third of the area. The
mountain is considered moderate-to-difficult with no “green” (beginner) runs. Novice
skiers must go to Snowmass, Buttermilk, or Aspen Highlands. Approximately 26% of
the terrain is considered expert. The season on the mountain ranges from late
November to early April. It is typically the last area, along with nearby Snowmass, in
the resort complex to close for the winter.

The ski area has a unique “homespun” culture that dates from its early foundation
as part of the Utopian social experiment in Aspen created by Walter Paepcke in the
1940s, retaining somewhat of a throwback culture in comparison to the other three
areas of the complex. The culture is reflected in the numerous homemade
memorials and tributes that dot the trees of mountains created in honor of famous
personages such as John Denver and Hunter S. Thompson.

Ski Resorts

The valley was first mentioned in 1091, when it was granted by the Count of the Genevois to the great Benedictine house of St. Michel de la Cluse, near Turin, which by the early 13th century had established a priory there. However, in 1786 the inhabitants bought their freedom from the canons of Sallanches, to whom the priory had been transferred in 1519.

In 1530, the inhabitants obtained from the Count of the Genevois the privilege of holding two fairs a year, while the valley was often visited by the civil officials and by the bishops of Geneva (first recorded visit in 1411, while St. Francis de Sales came there in 1606). But travellers for pleasure were very rare.

The first party to publish (1744) an account of their visit was that of Dr. Richard Pococke, Mr. William Windham and other Englishmen who visited the Mer de Glace in 1741. In 1742 came P. Martel and several other Genevese, in 1760 H.B. de Saussure, and rather later Marc Th. Bourrit.

The growth of tourism in the early 19th century led to the formation of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix in 1821, to regulate access to the mountain slopes (which were communally or co-operatively owned), and this association held a monopoly of guiding from the town until it was broken by French government action in 1892; thereafter guides were required to hold a diploma issued by a commission dominated by civil servants and members of the French Alpine Club rather than local residents.

Article Taken From – Ski Resorts

Beidahu is located 56 km from Jilin City and 128 km from Changchun Longjia Airport. A taxi ride from the airport should cost approximately ¥400 including highway fees and takes about 2 1/2 hours in good weather conditions. The hotel has minibus pick-up services from Jilin City that can be pre-booked (¥300).

There is a one-time ¥20 entry fee per person to enter the Beidahu area.Apart from skiing, there are few other treats for guests except enjoying long meals in local restaurants. There is a gaming room for card and mahjong players available in the hotel, but notably, there is not even a karaoke lounge to be found.

There are several restaurant within 5-10 minutes walking distance along the main road from the hotel which offer decent to excellent and inexpensive local Dongbei cuisine There are also food options inside the hotel, although less exciting.

Article Taken From – Ski Resorts

Auli is a serene hill station. It offers good treks to nearby places and is a good ski resort from November – March depending on snowfall. The ropeway from Joshimath to Auli is one of the longest in India covering a distance of 4.15 km. Auli is acclaimed as one of Asia’s finest ski resorts, and has been credited with some of the finest powder in the world.

Auli is nestled in the lap of snow-capped peaks of Garhwal Himalayas, in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, near the world famous religious shrine of Badrinath. At an altitude of 2,500 to 3,050 m above sea level, Auli’s well-dressed slopes are flanked by coniferous and oak forests, which offer a panoramic view of mountains. If you are out for adventure, fun and frolic this winter, find yourself in Auli, in the vicinity of the mountain peaks Nanda Devi and Mana Parbat. Feel the rush of air on your face, blaze a defiant trail as you go skiing on the well-dressed snow slopes. Or pelt each other with snow-balls on a blanket of snow. And if you’re a lover of natural splendour let your eyes feast on the breathtaking view of snow-capped peaks all around you.

Article Taken From – Best SKi Resort

Prior to 1946, the mountain had been the site of skiing using a crude boat lift, and by the use of the jeep trails up the back side of the mountain on Midnight Mine Road. The foundation of the ski area in 1946 was accomplished by the building of the single-chair chairlift, Lift-1, which opened on December 14, 1946 as the longest
chairlift in the world at the time. Lift-1 was superseded in 1972 by two double chairlifts, Shadow Mountain and Ruthie’s. Access to the mountain was radically changed in 1986 with the installation of the Silver Queen Gondola, a gondola lift which ascends to the summit of Aspen Mountain, with a vertical rise of 3,267 ft (996
m). The area’s lifts also include 1 high-speed quad, 1 high-speed double, 2 quads, and 3 doubles.

The gondola is one of two lifts, along with the Little Nell chairlift, which ascend from Gondola Plaza in the heart of the downtown Aspen. The configuration allows visitors to ascend the mountain from the center of town, and ski down the Little Nell Run
back into town. The mountainside contains hidden and open remains of the intense silver mining activity from the Colorado Silver Boom in the late 1880s and early 1890s. In January of 2001, it was decided to end Aspen Mountain’s long-time ban on snowboarding. However, as a courtesy to season-pass holders, the resort was not
officially opened to snowboarders until April 1, 2001.

The longest run is 3 miles/4.8 km. The lift capacity is 10,755 riders per hour. The average annual snowfall is 300 inches (7.6 m). It has snowmaking capabilities of 210 acres (0.8 km²), which comprises approximately one-third of the area. The mountain is considered moderate-to-difficult with no “green” (beginner) runs. Novice
skiers must go to Snowmass, Buttermilk, or Aspen Highlands. Approximately 26% of the terrain is considered expert. The season on the mountain ranges from late November to early April. It is typically the last area, along with nearby Snowmass, in the resort complex to close for the winter.

The ski area has a unique “homespun” culture that dates from its early foundation as part of the Utopian social experiment in Aspen created by Walter Paepcke in the 1940s, retaining somewhat of a throwback culture in comparison to the other three areas of the complex. The culture is reflected in the numerous homemade memorials and tributes that dot the trees of mountains created in honor of famous
personages such as John Denver and Hunter S. Thompson.

Article Taken From – Best Ski Resorts

Taking advantage of the Åreskutan fell, the major center for alpine skiing in Sweden has become (Åre (ski area)), sporting more than 30 modern ski-lifts. It hosted the Alpine World Championships in 1954 and 2007, and the annual Jon Olsson Invitational freeskiing competition, ending in 2007.

Åre would also have been the secondary site for the alpine events of Östersund in its bid for the organization of the XXII Olympic Winter Games, the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Åre has since the 1990-ies become the largest mountainbike resort in Sweden. In 1999 it was the host for the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships and it hosted the Nordic Championships 2007. There are numerous graded biking trails down the mountain. The Åre Bikepark is open from 1 May until 15 October and is the host for the Mayhem Festival.

During summer Åre can also sport hiking, paragliding, kayaking, and a golf course about 15 minutes form the village. In July every year there is a multisport competition in Åre – Åre Extreme Challenge. It counts as the Scandivian championship in multisport.

Article Taken From – Best Ski Resorts

Chacaltaya is a glacierial mountain range in Bolivia with an elevation of 5421 m (17,785 feet) and a view of Lake Titicaca in the distance. The glacier is about 30 km from La Paz, near Huayna Potosí mountain. As it is one of the highest glaciers in
South America, Chacaltaya is also one of the first glacial ranges to decrease markedly in size due to climate change. Although the glacier is over 18,000 years old, over 80% of it has melted since 1987 and it is expected to disappear by 2008

The refugio and ski lift is run by the Club Andino Boliviano founded in 1939 by a group of enthusiasts. The current ski lift and the skis available for rent date from the seventies and the guys running the refugio are even older. Soon there will probably
be no more skiing on Chacaltaya as the glacier is melting due to global warming. Rumors say they are planning a new lift on the larger mountain Mururata.

Article Taken From – Ski Resorts