Surprising places you can ski in June
The winter is over, the snow has melted and we’re all feeling a tiny bit miserable. June isn’t exactly a month that screams “SKIING!”, and unless you’re headed down south to Oz, New Zealand or South America, the next hit of snow is a good 7 months away.
Yet it is actually possible to hit the pistes in the mid-season – but you might need an unlimited pot of money to do so! Check out these amazing venues as an antidote for your post-season blues.
Morocco
When you think of Morocco, you probably imagine sprawling bazaars, incredible food and warm temperatures. Yet just outside of Marrakech in the High Atlas mountains is the country’s best kept secret – a ski resort!
Oukaimeden ski resort contains just 5 runs but rises to a height of 3,258m and boasts impressive views of Jbel Angour. It even has its own mogul field (well one official one anyway). The pistes are not groomed and can be quite lumpy, so with the old-fashioned rental skis supplied in resort you’ll have a real challenge on your hands! But when lift passes are £7 and you can hire an instructor for £8 an hour, it’s an irresistible day trip if you find yourself in Marrakech this summer.
Dubai
You’ve probably heard of this one – the infamous Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East. But did you know that although it is nestled within a shopping mall, it has enough room for its very own chairlift, a snow cavern, toboggan run, a cafe, a zip-line and on a daily basis, a penguin march. Actual penguins. Marching. In Dubai.
Squaw Valley
Most people have heard of spring skiing, but not many have heard of summer skiing! The winter season has been so successful in California’s Squaw Valley that the resort has pledged to keep lifts running in the Alpine Meadows area until Independence day, 4th July 2017.
“In 2017 alone, since January 1, we’ve had 460 inches,” said Sam Kieckhefer, a spokesperson for Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. “Our season average is 450 inches. We received more snow since the start of 2017 than our average season.”
China
China recently announced it would build the largest indoor ski resort in the world. Since Beijing was announced as the host for the 2022 Winter Olympics, the country has been hard at work improving the logistics of its ski resorts and building brand new indoor ones!
Another centre – being built in Guangzhou, near Hong Kong – will be the country’s 7th indoor ski area. This means that China has more square-feet of indoor snow than any other nation, with 72,600sqm of indoor snow and six separate slopes. So there will be plenty of places to shred regardless of the time of year!
Chamonix
As Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe, it holds snow all year round. It’s great news for the residents of Chamonix below, who take advantage of the extended season with their own brand of “alpinism’ – touring, ice-climbing and mountaineering.
One of the most famous areas to ski is the North face of the “Pain Sucre” (sugar loaf). It was first skied on June 1st 1990, and has been tackled by many freeskiers since, including Jules Berger. Check out their amazing adventure and descent here.
It’s certainly the most local of skiing spots this June, but a word of warning – people like Jules know these mountains like the back of their hands, so if you do decide to go skiing in the off-season, make sure you have all the safety training you need and make sure to take a guide.
The Desert
When you think of Peru, you probably picture Llamas, ponchos and the Andes. It’s true that you can ski in Peru during their winter months, but in the inter-season, there’s another, less traditional type of skiing to be had!
Dune-skiing has taken off in the last 15 years – there are now sand ski locations all around the equator.In the deserts of Namibia and the UAE you can find professional Sand Schools which offer one-on-one tuition and full day packages.
Since sand dunes have a habit of moving with the wind, chair lifts aren’t an option, so you can hire a company to take you to the top in a buggy, or you can stick to good old-fashioned touring.
