The World's 18 Strangest Ski Resorts



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Tyrol, Austria



The Mount Hermon Ski Resort




Mount Hermon reaches 9232 feet, but its peak is actually located on the border between Lebanon and Syria. The Hermon Ski Resort is in Israel's Golan Heights.

Why It's Unique:


Skiing at Hermon offers an unusual link to the Judeo-Christian tradition. In the Bible it is referred to as Ba'al Hermon, Sion, Sirion and Senir. The Gospels say that Caesarea Philippi is located at its base, and the mountain is also thought to be the site of the Transfiguration.

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Kashmir, India



(Photo by

Mauna Kea


Background: Mauna Kea is the mother of all volcanoes. Located on the Big Island of Hawaii, it is the state's highest point—impressive, considering that the majority of it rests under water. Mauna Kea is 32,000 feet from top to bottom, with a 13,796-foot peak above sea level, making it Earth's premiere site for stargazing. No surprise, then, that the Mauna Kea Observatory is the largest astronomical observatory in the world, with thirteen telescopes along its summit, which are operated by eleven different countries.

Why It's Unique: A county road that exists to allow scientists access to the observatory also birthed Mauna Kea's skiers and boarders, locals who take advantage of Hawaii's rare exposure to snow. With no lifts, no trail maps and no ski patrol, the terrain is best left to the experts, who usually take turns picking the others up after each run. A surfboard has even been known to make an appearance when the famous pineapple powder comes calling. The Mauna Kea Snowboarding Championship was established in 1994 and still continues, weather permitting, to attract international competitors.

(Photo by beasy/flickr)

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Ski Pucon

Araucania Province, Chile

Background: In the heart of Chile's lake district and next door to the Andes, Pucon contains some of Chile's best views and, at 9317 feet, its highest peak. Chile's ski season runs from late April to October—in America, the off-season.

Why It's Unique: Hike 2 hours from the top of the resort's highest lift to gain access to the peak of Pucon's at the edge of the Villarrica Volcano. Chile's most active volcano frequently spews smoke, and a trip to the peak provides a look at the bubbling magma inside. The lava-gouged half-pipes and treeless slopes you'll pass on your ride back down reveal evidence of past eruptions.

Slush Cup at Sunshine Village

Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada


Why It's Unique: The 2011 season will mark the 83rd annual Sunshine Slush Cup, a full weekend of events to celebrate the closing of the mountain for the winter. The festivities revolve around the Slush Cup itself, a cold, half-melted pool that costumed skiers try to jump across. Judges award prizes to the skiers who clear the jump, and hand out additional awards for Awesome Air, Best Belly Flop, Excellent Enema and various other titles determined by each year's particular mishaps. Voted one of the top-three spring parties in North America by Skiing Magazine, it's a safe bet that with a little beer, everyone goes home a winner.

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Woodward at Copper

Copper Mountain, Colo.



For more information go to the Colorado Ski Authority.

(Photo from

Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre

Liberty University, Va.

Background: Founded by televangelist Jerry Falwell in 1971, Liberty University is the world's largest Christian University and the largest private university in Virginia. The Snowflex Centre was completed in August 2009, the result of the University's desire to make a recreational space that utilized its 5000-acre mountain property.

Why It's Unique: Snowflex is the first snow-free ski park in North America. The name "Snowflex" refers to a terrain technology akin to white Astroturf: a monofilament fiber stitched into a carrier layer resting atop a foam shock pad. A sprinkler system sprays the material with friction-reducing Britonmist, produced by Snowflex manufacturer Briton Engineering Developments. The park hosts 500-foot runs, open to students and the public for year-round skiing.

(Photo from flickr/wondersighting)

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Tarentaise Valley, France


Why It's Unique: While skiing the Alps may be a challenge, the real difficulty is in getting there. And though it's no surprise that this chunk of the largest ski area has its own airport, Courchevel is no beginner's course: Pilots must obtain certification before being permitted to land on the runway. The 1700-foot strip, with an 18.5 percent grade, requires planes to take off downhill and land going uphill. All this assumes that pilots first manage to successfully navigate through the Alps. Then, of course, you need some ski skills to handle the slopes once you arrive.

Middlebury College Snow Bowl

Middlebury, Vt.

Background: Middlebury College, founded in 1800, has owned the Snow Bowl since trails were first created there in 1934.

Why It's Unique: Only two colleges in the eastern U.S. still own ski areas, making the Snow Bowl a unique source of pride for the school. Snow Bowl Patrol is entirely staffed by student volunteers, who must receive both National Ski Patrol and Outdoor Emergency Care certification through a course run by the college. In addition to hosting a number of collegiate competitions, the Snow Bowl is home to the annual ski-down procession. The tradition, started over two decades ago, is the final event of a midwinter celebration in which graduating "Febs" (Middlebury students who began their freshman year in February) ski down the slope in their caps and gowns.

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