Skiing the Planet

"Mongolia is kind of close, right?" Story about an attempt to ski everywhere in the world where there's snow. And in some places where there isn't. On and off-piste skiing on all continents, skiing into craters of live volcanoes, climbing, photography, and travel.

The blog about skiing around the world. The most recent blog articles can be found in Blogspot. This page lists all the skiing-related articles from this blog series.

Anti-Gravity Lift Towers
The Swiss are clever innovators. The latest example of this that I saw were the lift towers in Saas Fee. Floating in mid-air, not standing on ground like regular towers. Anti-gravity in action!
Full story
Alternate link

August 2016, Saas Fee, Switzerland; Eispavillon, Saas Fee, Switzerland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Glacier, Basic, Showtour)

South... but not so south
I wanted go far this summer, ski the untried countries. But it was not to be, because work. And because Peru was cancelled.
Full story
Alternate link

August 2016, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Hiking; Travel; Sauna (Normal)

Breithorn, 4164m
Third time's a charm! I finally managed to ski down from Breithorn. Two failed attempts... and what a wonderful third one, with a high speed ski run down. So much fun to pass the climbers on a long trek, me going at 80 km/h while screaming from the top of my lungs as I passed them :-)
Full story
Alternate link

August 2016, Breithorn, Zermatt, Switzerland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Climbing (Mountain)

Soleil à Saint-Sauveur
It is late May, and Saint-Sauveur is one of the only two open ski areas in the east. And I've already been to the other one, Killington. And what's more, all the ski crazies are here!
Full story
Alternate link

May 2016, Mont Saint-Sauveur, Quebec, Canada
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Sauna (Normal)

Mayday
Wappu, or first of May is a huge celebration in Finland, traditionally celebrated by hiking to a hill and drinking alcohol. This is very different from other festivities in Finland, where the part about the hill is omitted.
Full story
Alternate link

May 2016, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland; Saunalahden onkalo, Espoo, Finland; Suomenojan siirtolohkare, Espoo, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Basic, Rock, Morphology-Crystallization, Rock-Gneiss); Caving (Basic, Morphology-Boulders, Rock, Rock-Gneiss)

Snowing in May @ The Beast
The morning was warm and sunny both in Canada and US, as it should be in mid-May. Ted was planning to have a sunshine-filled ski day. But by the time we reached Killington, it was snowing. Winter conditions!
Full story
Alternate link

May 2016, Killington, Vermont, USA
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Bruxelles Ski de Plastique
Brussels has run out. They do not have enough for themselves, let alone for Greece. The Eurocrisis is getting worse. We're out of snow.
Full story
Alternate link

April 2016, Yeti Ski, Brussels, Belgium
Skiing (Outdoor, Plastic)

Paraguay on Miniskis
Have skis, can carry snow, will ski anything. First descent of Paraguay's highest mountain, Cerro Tres Kandu.
Full story
Alternate link

April 2016, Cerro Tres Kandu, Paraguay
Climbing (Mountain); Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Broken Ribs
I had an accident on a horse, skiing an ancient volcano in Africa. As people do. Broken ribs and a horseshoe-shaped bruise on my side. But I did manage to ski the remaining ski areas in Morocco. And ski down with the broken ribs.
Full story
Alternate link

March 2016, Michlifen, Ifrane, Morocco; Jbel Habri, Ifrane, Morocco
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking, Horse); Climbing (Mountain, Volcanoes); Riding

Cave Skiing
I like caves and skiing, of course, but it is rare that the two mix. But in Cervinia there's small cave that you can ski through. If you dare.
Full story
Alternate link

February 2016, Cervinia, Italy; Small cave, Cervinia, Italy; Small cave, Cervinia, Italy
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Skiing (Outdoor, Underground, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Rock-Granite, Morphology-Boulders, Morphology-Crack, Skiing)

Taking the Nysse to the Slopes
Tampere. A great destination for the winter vacation. But can you take the city bus to the slopes? Yes you can.
Full story
Alternate link

February 2016, Mustavuori, Tampere, Finland; Tampereen rinteet Hervanta, Hervanta, Tampere, Finland; Hirvi-Simunan luola, Lempäälä, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Rock-Granite, Morphology-Boulders, Basic)

Shit! Helsinki Parks.
I am envious of Tero, because he managed to ski on horse shit. I still haven't managed that.
Full story
Alternate link

January 2016, Kaivopuisto, Helsinki, Finland; Tähtitorninmäki, Helsinki, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Reminder about Paminne
Sun shines on Påminne, the southernmost ski area in Finland. The hill was in bright sunshine under a blue sky, even if the parking lot, the beginning of the lifts, and the rest of Finland was under cloudy skies.
Full story
Alternate link

January 2016, Paminne, Aminnefors, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Kekesteto
It was a cold night in HEL, -29 degrees at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. I felt like I needed to go south to find better skiing weather.
Full story
Alternate link

January 2016, Kekestetö, Hungary; Palvolgyi Cave, Budapest, Hungary
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Karst, Basic, Showtour)

Death Star Skier
He spends his days in meaningless office tasks, like shifting papers around or destroying planets. But he also has a dream... of skiing.
Full story
Alternate link

December 2015, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

It's a Cham!
Chamonix is open, and there's powder! And under all that light powder, there's ... rocks.
Full story
Alternate link

December 2015, Chamonix ski areas, Chamonix, France
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

This is the 14th set of articles. The previous sets were set 1, set 2, set 3, set 4, set 5, set 6, set 7, set 8, set 9, set 10, set 11, set 12, and set 13. The next sets are set 15, set 16, set 17, set 18, set 19, set 20, set 21, set 22, and set 23.

See also the Planetskier blog articles about caving, urban exploration, climbing, cycling, flying, swimming, and saunas. There is also a full list of all articles regardless of topic, a list of services "approved by the Planetskier, and a world map of all skiing related destinations from the blog series:

	Anti-Gravity Lift Towers The Swiss are clever innovators. The latest example of this that I saw were the lift towers in Saas Fee. Floating in mid-air, not standing on ground like regular towers. Anti-gravity in action! Full story Alternate link August 2016, Saas Fee, Switzerland; Eispavillon, Saas Fee, Switzerland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Glacier, Basic, Showtour)

	South... but not so south I wanted go far this summer, ski the untried countries. But it was not to be, because work. And because Peru was cancelled. Full story Alternate link August 2016, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Hiking; Travel; Sauna (Normal)

	Breithorn, 4164m Third time's a charm! I finally managed to ski down from Breithorn. Two failed attempts... and what a wonderful third one, with a high speed ski run down. So much fun to pass the climbers on a long trek, me going at 80 km/h while screaming from the top of my lungs as I passed them :-) Full story Alternate link August 2016, Breithorn, Zermatt, Switzerland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Climbing (Mountain)

	Soleil à Saint-Sauveur It is late May, and Saint-Sauveur is one of the only two open ski areas in the east. And I've already been to the other one, Killington. And what's more, all the ski crazies are here! Full story Alternate link May 2016, Mont Saint-Sauveur, Quebec, Canada Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Sauna (Normal)

	Mayday Wappu, or first of May is a huge celebration in Finland, traditionally celebrated by hiking to a hill and drinking alcohol. This is very different from other festivities in Finland, where the part about the hill is omitted. Full story Alternate link May 2016, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland; Saunalahden onkalo, Espoo, Finland; Suomenojan siirtolohkare, Espoo, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Basic, Rock, Morphology-Crystallization, Rock-Gneiss); Caving (Basic, Morphology-Boulders, Rock, Rock-Gneiss)

	Snowing in May @ The Beast The morning was warm and sunny both in Canada and US, as it should be in mid-May. Ted was planning to have a sunshine-filled ski day. But by the time we reached Killington, it was snowing. Winter conditions! Full story Alternate link May 2016, Killington, Vermont, USA Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Bruxelles Ski de Plastique Brussels has run out. They do not have enough for themselves, let alone for Greece. The Eurocrisis is getting worse. We're out of snow. Full story Alternate link April 2016, Yeti Ski, Brussels, Belgium Skiing (Outdoor, Plastic)

	Paraguay on Miniskis Have skis, can carry snow, will ski anything. First descent of Paraguay's highest mountain, Cerro Tres Kandu. Full story Alternate link April 2016, Cerro Tres Kandu, Paraguay Climbing (Mountain); Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Broken Ribs I had an accident on a horse, skiing an ancient volcano in Africa. As people do. Broken ribs and a horseshoe-shaped bruise on my side. But I did manage to ski the remaining ski areas in Morocco. And ski down with the broken ribs. Full story Alternate link March 2016, Michlifen, Ifrane, Morocco; Jbel Habri, Ifrane, Morocco Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking, Horse); Climbing (Mountain, Volcanoes); Riding

	Cave Skiing I like caves and skiing, of course, but it is rare that the two mix. But in Cervinia there's small cave that you can ski through. If you dare. Full story Alternate link February 2016, Cervinia, Italy; Small cave, Cervinia, Italy; Small cave, Cervinia, Italy Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Skiing (Outdoor, Underground, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Rock-Granite, Morphology-Boulders, Morphology-Crack, Skiing)

	Taking the Nysse to the Slopes Tampere. A great destination for the winter vacation. But can you take the city bus to the slopes? Yes you can. Full story Alternate link February 2016, Mustavuori, Tampere, Finland; Tampereen rinteet Hervanta, Hervanta, Tampere, Finland; Hirvi-Simunan luola, Lempäälä, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Rock-Granite, Morphology-Boulders, Basic)

	Shit! Helsinki Parks. I am envious of Tero, because he managed to ski on horse shit. I still haven't managed that. Full story Alternate link January 2016, Kaivopuisto, Helsinki, Finland; Tähtitorninmäki, Helsinki, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Reminder about Paminne Sun shines on Påminne, the southernmost ski area in Finland. The hill was in bright sunshine under a blue sky, even if the parking lot, the beginning of the lifts, and the rest of Finland was under cloudy skies. Full story Alternate link January 2016, Paminne, Aminnefors, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Kekesteto It was a cold night in HEL, -29 degrees at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. I felt like I needed to go south to find better skiing weather. Full story Alternate link January 2016, Kekestetö, Hungary; Palvolgyi Cave, Budapest, Hungary Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Karst, Basic, Showtour)

	Death Star Skier He spends his days in meaningless office tasks, like shifting papers around or destroying planets. But he also has a dream... of skiing. Full story Alternate link December 2015, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	It's a Cham! Chamonix is open, and there's powder! And under all that light powder, there's ... rocks. Full story Alternate link December 2015, Chamonix ski areas, Chamonix, France Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)