Skiing in the summer? While many ill-informed people might think that it is impossible or can’t be any good, summer-skiing can be no joke.
*Average snowfall is for the summer season
**This list is for skiing between the months of June and October
1. The Andes Mountains, Chile/Argentina
Best resorts: Portillo, Valle Nevado, Las Lenas
Average snowfall: ~150"-250"
Pass access: Valle Nevado (Ikon)
The Andes are a popular choice among professional skiers during the summer months. In particular, Portillo and its iconic yellow hotel are well known by most in the skiing community. Also notable is Las Lenas and the iconic Marte chair, which unofficial networks even compared to KT-22.
2. The Southern Alps, New Zealand
Best resorts: Queenstown resorts, Club fields, Mt Hutt, Treble Cone
Average snowfall: 150"-250"
Pass access: Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt Hutt (Ikon)
It isn’t news to most people that the south island of New Zealand is home to what may be the Southern hemisphere’s best skiing. While it isn’t the same caliber as North American or European skiing, some of the New Zealand ski areas manage to impress expert skiers with their fairly solid terrain. New Zealand’s club ski fields also offer a view into the unique ski culture present on the island.
Also notable are the ski fields of Turoa and Whakapapa on the North Island volcano of Mt Ruapehu, however they don’t get as much snow as their south island counterparts.
3. Australia
Best resorts: Perisher, Mt Buller, Thredbo
Average snowfall: 60"-100"
Pass access: Thredbo, Mt Buller (Ikon) and Perisher (Epic)
If you happen to find yourself going to Australia this summer, it might be worth packing the skis. While the mountains here aren’t quite the same caliber as their southern hemisphere counterparts, they have the benefit of being much more accessible, being only a few hours from Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.
4. European glacier skiing
Best resorts: there’s a lot of them..
Average snowfall: N/A
Pass access: Zermatt (Ikon)
I can’t talk about every European ski area with a glacier, because that’s what this article would turn into. You’ll have to explore them individually yourself. Glacier skiing in Europe isn’t skiing at its best, but it also isn’t skiing at its worst.
5. Timberline Lodge, OR
Average Snowfall: N/A
Timberline Lodge is best known for its iconic Palmer snowfield and summer operations, often staying open late into the summer. It may be a small step down from the glacier skiing in Europe, but at least you don’t need a passport (if you are American).
