Longest Ski Runs

When it comes to boasting rights for the world’s longest ski runs Chamonix, France is the undisputed winner. High in the European Alps, the highest gondola--téléphérique--in Europe transports 60 passengers to the summit at 12,605 feet. From this vantage point skiers can view three countries: France, Italy and Switzerland.

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This breathtaking ride takes you from the base of Chamonix, the site of the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924, and finishes atop the granite needle whose shadow slices through white-domed Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in the Alps at 15,750 feet). Once off the top of the tram, skiers and snowboarders are confronted with the 13-mile-long Vallée Blanche, considered by some as the greatest ski run in the world.

There are many who would dispute whether or not Vallée Blanche is the greatest ski run in the world. While it may be the longest, there are plenty of ski run throughout the world that, depending on snow conditions, are worthy of that esteemed moniker.

The record for the longest ski run in Colorado is held by Vail, which has been named as the number one ski resort in the United States 14 out of the last 17 years by Ski magazine. Vail's Riva Ridge is a 4.5-mile leg buster that takes you from top to bottom with a variety of terrain. It switches from black to blue, to black to blue, then mellows out at the bottom where a simple green run takes skiers to the finish.

The Grand Tetons in western Wyoming are home to some of the steepest and deepest skiing in North America. Jackson Hole Ski Resort holds the record for the longest downhill ski run in the United States with a vertical drop of 4,139 feet down the slopes of Rendezvous Peak. To get to the top, skiers take a brand-new, $31 million, 100-person aerial tram that speeds to the top of the mountain and drops them at the apex of Rendezvous Bowl. From there, it is every man or woman for his or herself to navigate their way to the bottom.

Killington, Vermont which is the largest ski resort in eastern North America, boasts one of the longest runs on the east coast. A 10-mile behemoth, Juggernaut, is not one for the weak. Getting there and back isn't easy, but is definitely worth the effort. A shuttle system delivers skiers and snowboarders to various base areas and then back to their cars at the end of the day.

While skiing may not be the first activity that comes to mind when you think of Japan, this island country has some incredible mountains for winter sports. The resort of Myoko Suginohara has the longest run in Japan, about 5.3 miles. Residing at the base of Mount Myoko, where several other ski resorts converge, Suginohara is considered one of the top Japanese resorts for beginner skiing and is easily accessed from Tokyo, and sits at the base of Mount Myoko.

In the Snowy River Shire of New South Wales, Australia, Thredbo's longest continual run, approximately 3.5 miles long, stars at the top of Karel's T-Bar and ends at Friday Flat. This highly popular resort, located in Mt. Kosciuszko, is only a few hours drive from Canberra, and six hours from Sydney or Melbourne. It attracts around 700,000 visitors each year during the winter season.

Some of Eastern Europe's best-kept secrets are in the Bulgarian mountains where Chepelare has one of the most lengthy ski runs in Southeastern Europe. It is located in the Smolyan Province of Southern Bulgaria in the central part of Mount Rhodopes, which is the mythical birthplace of the Greek god Orpheus.

Whether you are up for challenging, mind-blowing vertical, or an easy-going groomer, there are so many reasons to try any one of these amazingly long ski run; if not for your own satisfaction, you will certainly have some bragging rights!

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