It鈥檚 something every skier or rider anticipates more than anything else as school starts back up, the leaves start to turn, and there鈥檚 a crisp chill in the air: ski season. You don鈥檛 want to miss a single second of fresh powder and the bright mountain sunshine on your face, and why would you?
Luckily, there are many Education Abroad dream destinations for the ski and board Buffs who just can鈥檛 get enough. These eight cities are near all kinds of spectacular slopes and mountain getaways.
Photo courtesy of Maddy Choate |听Interlaken, Switzerland,听2017
Switzerland has the highest percentage of skiers in the world, coming in at an impressive 37% of its population. When you鈥檙e not studying international policy at the U.N., take some time for fresh powder and alpine air. Nearby skiing is under 90 minutes from Geneva for day trips, and when you have a little extra travel time, Swiss and French ski towns such as Zermatt, Verbier, Gstaad, Val d鈥檌s猫re听and Chamonix are readily accessible by train.
Vienna is a city full of rich culture and arts, but when you鈥檙e ready for a weekend away hitting the slopes, it鈥檚 just a quick flight to most Austrian ski resorts. Austria is home to world-famous ski towns such as Kitzb眉hel, Lech, St. Anton, Innsbruch, Saalbach, Alpbach听and S枚lden. If you love watching elite races, attend the annual Hahenkamm downhill race in Kitzb眉hel (January听2020).
New Zealand is the outdoor enthusiast鈥檚 dream鈥攁nd the skiing and听boarding there is no different. Ski in scenic New Zealand Southern Alps, about four to five hours outside of Dunedin by bus.
There are several runs for more advanced skiers, but if you鈥檙e not quite up to the black diamond slopes, not to worry, there鈥檚 a great range of skiing for the less experienced too. Snowboarders can get their thrills on New Zealand鈥檚 only Olympic-sized super pipe between Wanaka and Queenstown, and Christchurch is just a stone鈥檚 throw away.
Christchurch is perfect for the student who can鈥檛 bear to be too far from the mountains. Mt. Hutt, Mt. Olympus, Mt. Cheeseman, Mt. Dobson, Mt. Lyford听and New Zealand鈥檚 tallest, Mt. Cook, are all within one to four hours of Christchurch with听great skiing鈥攏ot to mention the resorts, basins and valleys in between. The Southern Alps aren鈥檛 too far away, either, for a weekend trip to experience the Wanaka-Queenstown skiing scene.
This list wouldn鈥檛 be complete without a destination in Northern Italy! Not only is Milan near all of the skiing in Alps-bordering countries, it鈥檚 also near excellent Italian ski towns and the famous Dolomites. Spend听your down time in scenic towns such as Cortina D鈥橝mpezzo, Cervina听and Madesimo. These towns have a unique multicultural atmosphere in addition to rich historic roots dating back to ancient times.
Uppsala is a great choice for the skier looking for a day-to-day smaller town vibe and a university setting. On days off, it鈥檚 a little bit of a journey to the slopes, but well worth the travel time. Boasting 90 pistes, night skiing, snow parks, World Cup events听and a lively town scene, Uppsala is six to seven听hours from 脜re, the biggest ski resort in Sweden. Or try out Kl盲ppen, Vemdalen听or S盲len, some of which have more than 100 different slopes.
Chile may not be the first location that comes to mind for snow sports abroad, but Santiago offers a proximity to adventurous and unique South American ski experiences. Under 90 minutes from Santiago is (and we鈥檙e totally serious) El Colorado, offering a variety of slopes from beginner to expert.
Chile also boasts several skiable active volcanoes, including Llaima, Lonquimay, Villarrica, Mocho听and Choshuenco, as well as opportunities for more rugged cat skiing and eco-skiing in Patagonia.
Living in vibrant, metropolitan Tokyo may not be the instinctive choice for students looking to hit the slopes abroad. However, Japan is well known for its light, fluffy powder听and is a haven for international skiers. Tokyo is four听hours from the famous Hakuba Valley, which has nine听resorts, endless miles of runs听and excellent facilities after hosting the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Further away, Niseko in Hokkaido is听great for skiers looking for a fusion of the resort and traditional Japanese experience鈥攕everal resorts have to warm up in after a long day in the cold.
