Are you a skier whose heart starts pounding in thrills by just the thoughts descending through the steepest snowy terrains? Are you someone who’s ready to push the limits when it comes to skiing?
If you are nodding right you have come just to the right place! Because we, here are ready with the list of top 10 most dangerous steepest ski slopes in the world that’d surely make you go overboard and do something extreme! What does this list factor in? From the narrowest runs to huge moguls; everything that’s gonna makes your ski run most terrifying- grooming, steeps, narrow chutes, vertical drops, bumps (except for jumping off a helicopter, duh!).
So, fasten your seat belt, mate. Because the intense rush of adrenaline is worth all the risk!
The Streif, Kitzbuhel, Austria
Cradled by the majestic peaks and green pine trees of the Alps, the Streif, Kitzbühel is considered one of the most dangerous and charming downhill courses in the world. It’s been gracing the bucket lists of skiers since forever.
You will ski several steep gradients at 90 miles/hour and hit 260-foot jumps here. And if you believe yourself to be an expert and are looking for the ultimate challenge, try the extreme ski routes filled with notoriously tricky conditions and sections with a maximum gradient of 85% coming up to a jump out.
Harakiri – Mayrhofen, Austria
Harakiri, the Japanese synonym for ‘suicide’, is one of the most popular skiing places in Mayrhofen, Austria doesn’t welcome your family and the novices. Why so rude? Well, it’s just the other way round! With a 78% gradient in some sections, Harakiri is the steepest groomed piste in the world.
Once you lose control and start falling down- there’s no going back, no stopping until you reach the slope’s bottom! Its icy condition makes the ski run shockingly difficult. You can only groom it by winching in a custom, 9-ton piste-basher. The name fits its features perfectly!
The Lauberhorn-Wengen, Switzerland
If you claim yourself to be a pro skier, the world’s longest downhill course is waiting for you here with a 2500m summit. An amazing Lauberhorn race is hosted here for seasoned skiers who have spent years perfecting their skills.
Here they can reach 160km per hour regularly. Besides, there are hundreds of more challenges like Hundschopf ( a scary 130-foot jump over a rock nose) here to face. So, only proceed if you have your confidence at its peak!
Corbet’s Couloir, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA
Nestled in the cusp of Wyoming, USA, Corbet’s Couloir, Jackson Hole is, in every way a fairytale ski resort- most desirable and apparently unattainable! Fox News entitled it to be “America’s scariest ski slope”. You’d get two options to start skiing here- by free-falling or by free-falling until you hit the snow after the 10-20 foot drop. Yeah, terror at the top!
The first option is full of rocks in the way of a 10- to 15-foot drop. You’ll be close to a lot of rocks if you don’t make a sharp turn upon landing. And the latter option is usually less time-consuming and free of rocks but has more or less, 20 feet drop. Besides, you gotta possess more than enough skill to not get hit directly on your face by the rocks!
Christmas Chute, Alaska
Nestled in the biggest ski resort in Alaska, Christmas Chute is said to be the holy place for passionate skiers! It is a 1,000-foot-long run with 1,610 skiable acres, and a 50-degree pitch- not for the noobs, mhm! And to reach it, you have to take Chair 6 to the highest lift at 2,800 feet.
Famous for its off-piste and extreme double-diamond trails, Christmas Chute is one of the most challenging ways to access the North Face of Mount Alyeska.
Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada
Don’t go by its name! Despite being a marvelous skiing area, Banff Sunshine village has to be reconsidered while planning a family holiday. Because Delirium Drive, one of the most dangerous slopes in the world, is located here. This slope’s conditions keep changing constantly.
So, do not forget to carry a shovel, an avalanche transceiver, and most importantly, a partner to save you at the eleventh hour!
Grand Couloir, France
France is full of scary terrains and the list starts with the terrifyingly ungroomed, Grand Couloir chute situated just beside the telepherique. It was once said to be the steepest black-diamond run in the entire world! Its route to the cable car station is so narrow and icy that it warrants monitoring for common people.
Champagne, Alpe d’Huez, France
Known as the longest black run in Europe at approximately 16km and with a vertical drop of over 2km, this particular ski zone’s certainly not for the faint-hearted! The locals named it Champagne ‘cause that’s exactly what you get a reward if you could survive down to the bottom without jelly-legs foiling your chances.
Apart from a mix of blacks and reds and the famous Le Tunnel run, make yourself ready for some heavy snow on the lower slopes as they get steep really fast. And once you fall, you fall hundreds of meters down the mountain.
Hakuba 47, Japan
Renowned for its marvelous views, great volcanic peaks, and a wide variety of thrilling runs, Hakuba 47 is one of the top-listed ski resorts in Japan. But at the same time enlisted as the most dangerous ski run too because of its abundant snowfall and avalanche. Pro and experienced skiers can choose from a wide range of double-diamond runs and hidden slopes. But beware when you are a novice!
Silver King Runs, Washington
Nestled in the cusp of Crystal Mountain, Washington, the infamous Silver King Runs are said to be the killer runs by the locals. Among them, 3 are shockingly dangerous because of their extreme narrowness and steepness- Brain Damage, PinBall, and Lobotomy. So, if you are looking for a sweet family vacation, you should rather google for some other skiing place.
