Best snow-sure ski areas

As global warming begins to strike, skiers across the world are struggling with increasingly poor snow conditions. If you’re sick of restricting your winter activity holidays to December and fancy trying a resort where snow is a certainty, here are a selection of the best.

In Lapland
Lapland may not have featured on your ski radar as yet, but the area boasts some well-groomed slope with excellent snow conditions as late as June. Try Levi in Finnish Lapland for great off-piste skiing and a host of après-ski activities on offer, or head to Bjorkliden in Swedish Lapland for plenty of family fun. Serious sportsmen looking for challenging runs open most of the year should head to Riksgransen inside the Arctic Circle.

In France
Some of the French ski resorts are feeling the heat; but at 2,100 metres, Tignes is an exception. As well as having access to the Grande Motte glacier, the resort has direct lifets to the Espace Killy area, with its 300 kilometres of slopes ranging from 1,550 to 3,455 metres. For great ski holiday conditions, it’s also worth checking out the French resort of Cal Thorens – the highest resort within the Three Valleys area, it is known equally for its skiing and its nightlife.     
The one disadvantage of skiing in the French Alps is that it can be expensive. Minimise cost by booking in advance and by comparing prices on a site like Alpine Elements.

In Italy
Climate change has rendered some of Italy’s lower altitude slopes unreliable, but Cervinia on the majestic Matterhorn is still holding up. Visitors can expect direct access to the Klein Matterhorn glacier, as well as some excellent off-piste skiing for powder junkies.  

In Norway
Imagine guaranteed snow, stunning scenery, and twinkling slopes lit by the aurora borealis. This is what you can expect in Norway, where the ski industry is really beginning to take off. Advanced skiers will be delighted by the vast area given over to pistes, while the cross-country terrain is simply second to none. Best of all, you can combine your ski holiday with tobogganing, ice fishing and even dog sledding.

With these winter gems to choose from, skiers of all levels can experience winter fun on thickly-covered slopes.