So, you are a winter sports junkie unable to satisfy your need to ski, snowboard, and barrel down the half-pipe at breakneck beats. What do you do when there is no snow on the ground? You travel to the southern hemisphere or a northern hemisphere locale at high altitude; a place where you will find plenty of snow even as all of your friends back home are suffering through those up and down summer temperatures.
Despite being the end of summer 2015, we thought it would be a good idea to help you start thinking about next year. As soon as the winter ski season in Europe is over, you can begin making plans to travel south. In this blog and the next, we will look at eight winter sports destinations to put on your summer calendar.
1. Portillo – Los Andes, Chile
The Portillo ski resort in the Andes tops most similar lists across the internet. Why? Because this small and intimate resort in the Valparaiso region of Chile only hosts 450 guests. Combined with wide-open slopes, a limited number of guests means there is rarely a wait time for the lift. You are also not falling over everyone else on the slopes. You will enjoy lots of white powder along with fantastic views and plenty of room to move.
2. Perisher – New South Wales, Australia
Australians love to come here during their winter to get out of the unpleasant weather. Why not swap places? They have an awesome ski resort in New South Wales known as Perisher. The resort is actually made up of four different villages located in various areas scattered throughout the mountains. Each of the villages is interconnected for easy movement between them. And as with everything Australian, the environment is incredibly laid-back and easy-going. You will never look at Australia the same way again after skiing Perisher.
3. Zermatt – Switzerland
Our next destination is not in the southern hemisphere, which way make it the immediate favourite for UK skiers. It is the resort town of Zermatt Switzerland. It is an excellent summer skiing destination that owes its summer snow to a high altitude. What's more, this resort town sits in the shadow of the legendary Matterhorn. You can take a cable car ride (just for viewing, of course) to the top from May through until November. And by the way, Zermatt offers guests a year-round snow guarantee.
4. Las Lenas – Mendoza Province, Argentina
Las Lenas is another Andes skiing destination stretching across two provincial areas in Argentina. What is most striking about this particular resort is the variety of landscapes you will encounter. From gentle slopes to dangerously plunging ravines, you'll see the Andes in all of its raw power. The resort is only a 90-minute flight from Buenos Aires.
We hope you will check back with us very soon for the second part of this series. There is plenty of great summer skiing to be found if you know where to look.