The Kamikaze at Serfauss-Fiss-Ladis: Experts only
We talk a lot about ski resorts that are beginner-friendly and family-friendly, but we admit that it can sometimes be difficult to find a ski resort that’s expert-friendly. If you already feel at ease on your snowboard or skis and you’re looking for something to sink your teeth into, you’ll want to choose a ski area that has a high number of black pistes to tackle. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of ski resorts in Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy that offer dozens of black pistes with high gradients or other challenging features. Come on, it's time to get your adrenaline pumping with these exhilarating black slopes!
Davos Klosters is especially popular with experienced skiers, who can choose from 75km of black pistes. One of our favourite areas is the Parsenn ski area, with its long runs and challenging steeps – and don’t forget to try the black valley runs to Wolfgang.
Davos-Klosters
The otherwise beginner and family-friendly Italian ski resort of Kronplatz offers 29km of exciting black slopes, among them the infamous Sylvester, Hernegg, Pre da Peres and Erta pistes. Don’t miss the chance to prove your worth on the Piculin, one of the steepest pistes in Italy. Kronplatz is connected to Alta Badia, with a total of more than 500km of slopes.
Kronplatz
Ski Arlberg is one of Austria’s largest linked ski area, where experienced skiers will find more than 40km of black pistes to play on. The Langer Zug in Lech am Arlberg measures a whopping 6.5km and reaches a gradient of up to 80%. Not for the fainthearted!
Ski Arlberg
The French linked ski area of Tignes-Val d'Isère, formerly known as the Espace Killy, offers 72km of black pistes. Expert skiers should head straight to the Grande Motte glacier (3656m), which boasts incredible views, incredible steeps and incredible snow.
Tignes-Val d’Isère
Andermatt is located in the heart of the Swiss Alps and boasts no less than 65 black pistes. The Paradeberg Gemsstock is especially well-known as a freeride and off-piste paradise. Starting from the Gemsstock (2961m), you’ll have fantastic panoramic views of the mountains as you sail down the famous 4.3km-long Bernhard-Russi-Run.
Andermatt
This Alps hotspot has more to offer than just après-ski. Nestled in the Ötztal Alps, Sölden-Hochsölden-Vent offers around 30km of black pistes, including the aptly-named Mafia-Abfahrt. A nice place to start is the slope descending from the Hainbachjoch (2727m) towards the rest of the Sölden-Ötztal Arena ski area.
Sölden
When you think Engadin St. Moritz you think luxury jet-set reputation. But this linked ski area also boasts a hefty collection of 3000m-high mountain peaks and a whopping 63km of marked black pistes: paradise for expert skiers! A highlight is the Königsabfahrt, or King’s Run, in the Corvatsch ski resort. This 9km-long piste is known for its views over the Upper Engadine Lakes.
St. Moritz
The sprawling Italian-French Via Lattea ski area is renowned among expert skiers for its 85 black pistes. Several of the most challenging black slopes were created fairly recently in honour of the 2006 Winter Olympics, where the ski resort of Sestrière was one of the host villages. Experts with good technique should try the Sises piste.
Via Lattea
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is good proof that a ski area can cater to beginners and experts alike. This family-friendly ski area in Austria offers 28km of black pistes. Highlights include the Direttissima and the Kamikaze, where skiers must battle a steep gradient of up to 70%.
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
With 38km of black pistes, pros will also find something to sink their teeth into at Mayrhofen. The most famous black piste here is, of course, the legendary Harakiri, with a gradient of up to 78%. Don’t even think about trying this piste unless you are an excellent steep skier. Another great piste is black piste #12, otherwise known as the “Devil’s Run”.
Mayrhofen
The Kamikaze at Serfauss-Fiss-Ladis: Experts only
We talk a lot about ski resorts that are beginner-friendly and family-friendly, but we admit that it can sometimes be difficult to find a ski resort that’s expert-friendly. If you already feel at ease on your snowboard or skis and you’re looking for something to sink your teeth into, you’ll want to choose a ski area that has a high number of black pistes to tackle. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of ski resorts in Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy that offer dozens of black pistes with high gradients or other challenging features. Come on, it's time to get your adrenaline pumping with these exhilarating black slopes!
Davos Klosters is especially popular with experienced skiers, who can choose from 75km of black pistes. One of our favourite areas is the Parsenn ski area, with its long runs and challenging steeps – and don’t forget to try the black valley runs to Wolfgang.
Davos-Klosters
The otherwise beginner and family-friendly Italian ski resort of Kronplatz offers 29km of exciting black slopes, among them the infamous Sylvester, Hernegg, Pre da Peres and Erta pistes. Don’t miss the chance to prove your worth on the Piculin, one of the steepest pistes in Italy. Kronplatz is connected to Alta Badia, with a total of more than 500km of slopes.
Kronplatz
Ski Arlberg is one of Austria’s largest linked ski area, where experienced skiers will find more than 40km of black pistes to play on. The Langer Zug in Lech am Arlberg measures a whopping 6.5km and reaches a gradient of up to 80%. Not for the fainthearted!
Ski Arlberg
The French linked ski area of Tignes-Val d'Isère, formerly known as the Espace Killy, offers 72km of black pistes. Expert skiers should head straight to the Grande Motte glacier (3656m), which boasts incredible views, incredible steeps and incredible snow.
Tignes-Val d’Isère
Andermatt is located in the heart of the Swiss Alps and boasts no less than 65 black pistes. The Paradeberg Gemsstock is especially well-known as a freeride and off-piste paradise. Starting from the Gemsstock (2961m), you’ll have fantastic panoramic views of the mountains as you sail down the famous 4.3km-long Bernhard-Russi-Run.
Andermatt
This Alps hotspot has more to offer than just après-ski. Nestled in the Ötztal Alps, Sölden-Hochsölden-Vent offers around 30km of black pistes, including the aptly-named Mafia-Abfahrt. A nice place to start is the slope descending from the Hainbachjoch (2727m) towards the rest of the Sölden-Ötztal Arena ski area.
Sölden
When you think Engadin St. Moritz you think luxury jet-set reputation. But this linked ski area also boasts a hefty collection of 3000m-high mountain peaks and a whopping 63km of marked black pistes: paradise for expert skiers! A highlight is the Königsabfahrt, or King’s Run, in the Corvatsch ski resort. This 9km-long piste is known for its views over the Upper Engadine Lakes.
St. Moritz
The sprawling Italian-French Via Lattea ski area is renowned among expert skiers for its 85 black pistes. Several of the most challenging black slopes were created fairly recently in honour of the 2006 Winter Olympics, where the ski resort of Sestrière was one of the host villages. Experts with good technique should try the Sises piste.
Via Lattea
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is good proof that a ski area can cater to beginners and experts alike. This family-friendly ski area in Austria offers 28km of black pistes. Highlights include the Direttissima and the Kamikaze, where skiers must battle a steep gradient of up to 70%.
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
With 38km of black pistes, pros will also find something to sink their teeth into at Mayrhofen. The most famous black piste here is, of course, the legendary Harakiri, with a gradient of up to 78%. Don’t even think about trying this piste unless you are an excellent steep skier. Another great piste is black piste #12, otherwise known as the “Devil’s Run”.
Mayrhofen
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
