Snow report: The perfect season continues, with fresh snow falling in Austria, France, Switzerland and Italy. New dumps also fell in Scandinavia, the Balkans and Sierra Nevada, in Spain.
US and Canadian resort are well-covered and reporting great powder conditions. All six Scottish resorts are open with more than 50cm of snow.
For up-to-date snow conditions, see www.skiclub.co.uk.
Free six-day forecasts are also available at www.snow-forecast.com.
More than 4,000 webcams are on www.snoweye.com.
Resort of the week: Mayrhofen, Austria
At an altitude of just 630m, Mayrhofen is one of the lowest Alpine resorts. But what it lacks in altitude, it more than makes up in skiing range, atmosphere and nightlife. Mayrhofen has a hard-earned and deserved reputation as a party town, and its annual Snowbombing festival has become end-of- season party of choice for seasonaires from all over the Alps.
The town itself is traditionally rendered and laid out with hotels, bars and restaurants hunkered around a small centre.
The skiing is fantastic and ranges from tough on-piste blacks to an impressive array of challenging red runs – beginners aren’t overly welcomed, it seems, as the nursery slopes are fragmented and limited.
As for boarders, they will wallow in Vans Penken Park, one of the best and largest snowparks in Europe.
Its proximity to Innsbruck and Salzburg means that Mayrhofen is only a short train ride from these airports and perfect for a long, full-on weekend.
Resort height630m.
Range630m-3,250m.
Lifts51.
Total runs157 kilometres.
Longest runSix kilometres.
Best runHarakiri. With a gradient of 38 degrees, this is billed as the steepest run in the world. This black slope is designed for experts, but the start is regularly lined up with rite-of-passage young men, keen to test their bottle. Its width and well-groomed surface actually make it relatively straightforward.
SnowparksOne.
Season lengthDecember to late April.
Snow reliability***
Who goesYoung British and Irish snowboarders and freestylers. Austrian and German teenage thrill seekers and college students.
Value€€€. A wide variety of restaurants and bars with happy hours keeps the sustenance budget in check. Accommodation choices include four-star hotels in the centre of town or simple and cheap BBs up the valley.
Insider tipsAvoid the early morning town cable car queues in high season (they can be more than 30 minutes) and take the gondola up the mountain from Finkenberg. Register your ticket and get a computer readout of your lift usage and distances skied. www.skiline.cc.
AirportsSalzburg, Innsbruck.
Tour operatorsDirectski, Topflight, Crystal.
Kitwatch
Simple but wonderfully effective, the Smith Phenom Turbo Fan Goggles are one of smartest pieces of eyewear available. Goggles can get fogged up easily; excessive perspiration, snow soaking or sudden changes in temperature can cause them to mist over. Once it occurs it tends to reoccur, limiting the day’s enjoyment. A two-speed, mini-fan increases airflow and helps eliminate any fogging. They also look fantastic, sleek in both jet black and matt white.
Available for about €100 from www.skiingbum.comand other websites.
5 for powder
Niseko, Japan.
Chamonix, France.
St Anton, Austria.
Big Sky, Montana.
La Grave, France.
What’s on
Snow Jazz Gastein is the strained title of the annual festival held in the Austrian spa town of Bad Gastein. Featuring all things jazz (this year with a Latin theme), the 10-day event attracts ever more chin- stroking purists, ageing lounge lizards and, increasingly, us Paddies. Appearing this year are Havana Impacto and the Fernardo Tarres Quintet. www.jazz-im-saegewerk.com.
Twin tips
Beginners and rusty intermediates should always get new or top-up lessons before departure. Kilternan and Lurgan are Ireland’s two dry ski slopes; the Ski Centre in Sandyford, Dublin, is the indoor option.
www.skiclub.ie.
www.skicentre.ie.
www.craigavon.gov.uk/
leisure/ski.asp.
Don’t end the day with the most challenging run – you’re tired, the light is flat and the surface is icy. Tackle that taunting black mid-morning, not late afternoon.
And finally
Riding on a chairlift, many an experienced intermediate has found himself gazing forlornly across at graceful skiers bouncing through deep powder. Don’t regret, learn. Inspired to Ski runs intensive short off-piste learner courses in the French Alps. A five-day course costs from £380 (about €430). www.inspiredtoski.com.