FREERIDING RESORTS

Give in to your cravings for the deepest powder and glide through the backcountry on your snowboard.

Sauze d'Oulx has lots of tree-lined runs. The Rio Nero's wooded piste in particular has won a legion of fans – though if you follow it all the way down, you'll have to get a bus back to the lifts.

Val Thorens, the highest resort in Europe, has six glaciers and hides pockets of untouched powder all over. There's also a boardercross course and massive snow park in the Plateaux sector.

If there's a heaven for powder lovers, it probably looks like Whistler after a heavy fall of snow. It's got glorious glades, gnarly couloirs and backcountry bowls that'll even test experts.