Skiers cherish uninterrupted powder, which is why the search for the longest ski runs can become a lifelong pursuit.
If you want to experience the longest ski runs in the world you will need to travel to the Alps where all of the top five are located.
Before going any further, it’s important to note that there are several ways of calculating the longest ski runs, either by vertical change or distance. And when you figure distance, do you count areas not marked as official slope, know as off-piste?
We decided to keep it simple and go by distance mostly while incorporating the other factors. Here are the top five longest ski runs in the world.
Chamonix, France
With 2,738 meters of vertical drop, Chamonix in the French Alps at the foot of Mount Blanc also has the longest run in the world called Vallée Blanche, which stretches an entire 14 miles. Talk about a burn! Chamonix is one of the most amazing ski areas in the world celebrating more than 150 years with some of the best views of the Alps you’ll find anywhere, and it just goes on and on.
Photo credit: Flickr
Zermatt, Switerland
At Cervinia, Italy, the ski runs are so long that they stretch into nearby Switzerland, offering one of the few places in the world where you can ski from one country to another. The resort with the longest run is at Zermatt lasting 13 miles in the shadow of the Matterhorn. Here you can ski 365 days a year.
Photo credit: Flickr
Alpe d’Huez, France
In terms of the longest official run, you’ll find that at Alpe d’Huez in France. Known as the island in the sun, the resort is famed for 300 days of sunshine per year. Here skiers can access the fifth largest ski area in France, including the Sarenne run that stretches 12 miles and drops 2,000 meters.
Photo credit: Wikimedia
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
An extremely large ski resort, Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland has 42 lifts covering more than 2,171 meters of vertical drop. The resort is nestled in a valley among some of the most impressive rock formations and mountains in the alps. With 72 thundering waterfalls, the area has been a winter destination for centuries, for extremely good reason. It’s longest run is more than nine miles.
Photo credit: Flickr
Davos, Switzerland
The Davos ski area offers five separate ski areas with the largest being Parsenn. Here you can take a cable car to 2,844 meter and enjoy more than 2,000 meter of vertical downhill turns. It’s truly a skiers dream as the powder seems to go on forever on one of the world’s longest ski runs.
Photo credit: Wikimedia
Featured photo credit: Wikimedia
