A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing , snowboarding , and other winter sports . In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area –a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North America , it is more common for ski areas to exist well away from towns, so ski resorts usually are destination resorts , often purpose-built and self-contained, where skiing is the main activity.
18-688: Serre Chevalier ( French pronunciation: [sɛʁ ʃəvalje] ) is a major ski resort in Southeastern France , near the Italian border , located in the Hautes-Alpes department , Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region . Situated to the northeast of Écrins National Park in the French Alps , the resort encompasses a large skiing area, with 250 km (155 mi) of slopes and favourable weather, boasting 300 days of sunshine
36-458: A " destination resort " that provides accommodations and activities or a "resort town" that offers amenities near outdoor areas. They include winter sports like skiing , snowboarding , and ice skating and summer activities such as hiking , golf , and tennis . Sightseeing and related activities, such as leaf peeping to appreciate fall colors, are also common where foliage turns. In hot climates, hill and mountain resorts are visited for
54-524: A basic first aid facility, and some kind of ski patrol service to ensure that injured skiers are rescued. The ski patrol is usually responsible for rule enforcement, marking hazards , closing individual runs or areas as conditions require, and removing (dismissing) dangerous participants from the area. The typical ski area base includes a ticket office, ski lodge , ski school , equipment rental/repair shop, restaurant/bar, shopping, shuttle bus stop and parking. Some ski resorts offer lodging options on
72-587: A derivation of the Old Norse skíð via Norwegian , the choice of French is likely attributed to the early popularity of such activities in the French Alps , with which it was then linked. As rising temperatures, receding glaciers and declining snowfall affect the environment, resort development and operations also have an environmental impact on land, lakes, streams, and wildlife. Amenities and infrastructure such as concrete buildings, ski lifts, access roads, parking lots, and railways have contributed to
90-740: A large slope. They also need to receive sufficient snow (at least in combination with artificial snowmaking , unless the resort uses dry ski slopes ). High concentrations of ski resorts are located in the Alps , Scandinavia , western and eastern North America , and Japan . There are also ski resorts in the Andes , scattered across central Asia , and in Australia and New Zealand . Extreme locations of non-indoor (at least one ski lift outside) ski resorts include: The ski industry has identified advancing generations of ski resorts: The term ski station
108-551: A year. In Serre Chevalier, 80 km (50 mi) of the slopes are covered by snow cannons to supplement natural snowfall . The resort is owned by Compagnie des Alpes . Serre Chevalier consists of the city of Briançon , the villages of Chantemerle in Saint-Chaffrey and Villeneuve in La Salle-les-Alpes , as well as Le Monêtier-les-Bains . World Cup champion ski racer Luc Alphand was born and lives in
126-450: Is a term for entertainment, nightlife or social events that occur specifically at ski resorts. These add to the enjoyment of resort-goers and provide something to do besides skiing and snowboarding . The culture originated in the Alps, where it is most popular and where skiers often stop at bars on their last run of the day while still wearing all their ski gear. Though the word "ski" is
144-455: Is also used, particularly in Europe, for a skiing facility which is not located in or near a town or village. A ski resort which is also open for summer activities is often referred to as a mountain resort . Ski areas have marked paths for skiing known as runs, trails or pistes . Ski areas typically have one or more chairlifts for moving skiers rapidly to the top of hills, and to interconnect
162-708: The Himalayas and in mountainous areas of South India known as "hill stations", where they could escape the summer heat of the plains. In the 18th century, in China , the emperors of the Qing dynasty built the Chengde Mountain Resort as a retreat from the summer heat of Beijing . In Pakistan , the Galyat areas are a popular summer destination. They are also a favorite spot for a cold snowy experience in
180-411: The urbanization of mountainous zones. In recent years, the use of snow cannons by many ski resorts has increased to compensate for reduced levels of snowfall. In order to sustain good quality snow coverage, snowmaking requires large amounts of water and sometimes the creation of artificial lakes . Snow cannons also introduce a noise element. The required infrastructure can affect erosion through
198-484: The cooler temperatures at higher elevations. In the United States and Canada the term "mountain resort" usually denotes a resort visited all year round, both for winter sports and summer activities, such as hiking , golf , tennis , and mountain biking . Some North American mountain resorts - both resort towns and individual venues - include: In British India , the colonial rulers developed resorts in
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#1732776205716216-624: The increased area of impervious surfaces , redirecting the flow of water runoff . Many resorts are taking steps to reduce their energy and water consumption and waste production, increase recycling, and restore habitats. Initiatives aimed at addressing environmental concerns include: Mountain resort A mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in an elevated and typically at least relatively isolated area. The term resort implies integral hotel or inn accommodations, restaurants, and either or both sports facilities or scenic attractions like birdwatching . These can be part of
234-413: The slopes themselves, with ski-in and ski-out access allowing guests to ski right up to the door. Ski resorts often have other activities, such as snowmobiling , sledding , horse-drawn sleds , dog-sledding , ice skating , indoor or outdoor swimming and hot tubbing , game rooms, and local forms of entertainment, such as clubs, cinema, theaters and cabarets . Après-ski (French for after skiing )
252-610: The summer Serre Chevalier is enjoyed for hiking, cycling, mountain biking, climbing, rock climbing, sledding, kayaking, paragliding and sightseeing. Four lifts are open to take hikers and mountain bikers up the mountain. There are 10 trails between 2500 and 1350m. Serre Chevalier organised the MTB French championships in 2008, the MTB Trial French championships in 2009 and the BMX European games in 2010. The location
270-729: The valley below the resort. The maximum elevation for skiing is at Telesiege Yret at 2,800 m (9,190 ft) above sea level , and the minimum is 1,200 m (3,940 ft), a total vertical drop of 1,600 m (5,250 ft). One of the outstanding features of Serre Chevalier is the wooded nature of the slopes. The timber line is at 2,150 m (7,050 ft), yielding about 700 m (2,300 ft) of vertical drop of tree-lined slopes. The slopes are managed by Compagnie des Alpes. There are 61 lifts: 1 cable car , 5 gondola lifts , 20 chairlifts in total, 10 high-speed detachable chairlifts , 10 fixed-grip chairlifts , 28 surface lifts , 3 ski tows, as well as 4 magic carpet lifts. In
288-499: The various trails. Rope tows can also be used on short slopes (usually beginner hills or bunny slopes). Larger ski areas may use gondola lifts or aerial tramways for transportation across longer distances within the ski area. Resorts post their trail map illustrating the location of lifts, trails, services and the ski area boundary, and during the ski season issue a daily snow conditions report listing open trails, operating lifts and weather status. Ski areas usually have at least
306-656: The winter. Murree, Ayubia, Nathiagali, and Kalabagh are some of the popular places. Other places like the Northern Areas which include Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir are also a choice. In the Philippines , the American colonial government built its first summer capital in Baguio to escape Manila 's heat. In Turkey , city dwellers traditionally spent summer vacations at mountain resorts known as yaylas to escape
324-561: Was also used in the 2011 Tour de France when Stage 18 finished at the summit of the nearby Col du Galibier . Luxembourg climbing specialist Andy Schleck won the stage with a long solo breakaway 60 km (37 mi) from the finish and finished the Tour second overall, losing to Australian cyclist Cadel Evans . Ski resort Ski resorts are located on both Northern and Southern Hemispheres on all continents except Antarctica . They typically are located on mountains , as they require
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