Evolution in one form or another, skiing has existed for over 4,000 years. Thankfully, over time the technology has become more sophisticated: nowadays it’s unlikely that you’ll encounter someone with animal bones strapped to their feet hurtling down a mountain. As the popularity of winter sports continues, so too does the innovation.

Snowboarding, for example, was relatively unheard of until the 1980′s and considered a fad that would quickly die out. Today the sport is in rude health – it became a winter Olympic event in 1998 – and the disharmony between skiers and snowboarders has all but evaporated.

Such a shift in mentality is echoed in the perception of winter sports and their accessibility. Once considered the preserve of the rich and famous, the tough to beat enjoyment of swishing down a mountain for hours on end is an enjoyment open to everyone.

Of course places such as Gstaad in Switzerland and Aspen, Colorado retain an air of exclusivity, but with resorts springing up in all areas of the world, every budget can be catered for. Didn’t think you could ski in Morocco? Or India? Or Japan? Think again.

Over the next few pages we’ll look at such emerging destinations, as well as some old classics – the sort of high-end places where if the black runs fail to produce a surge of adrenaline and a faster heart rate, then your hotel bill or a glance in an estate agents window almost certainly will.

“Old” Europe
The French Alps are home to some of the most popular and spectacular ski resorts in the world. Chamonix and Courchevel are consistently regarded among the planet’s top ten places to ski and it’s not difficult to see why. Excellent, guaranteed snow, lively apres ski and proximity to the UK makes this area of France a popular choice among the British.

The Alps can be reached pretty easily by plane, train or automobile and the combination of ease, creamy landscapes, first class infrastructure and exhilarating runs mean that the chances of the Alps appeal fading are remote. Property prices in much of the area remain high, though they are stable and represent a good investment for the long-sighted buyer.

Elsewhere in France, Vaujany looks like a good bet. Ranked as the third best resort in the world to visit in the 2008 season by the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), it lies about an hour away from Grenoble Airport. According to AITO: “Vaujany is a hidden gem – it’s a village resort with world class skiing, having direct access to the entire Alpe d’Huez domain. It is still small, but has one of the largest cable cars in the world and skiing from 3,300m down to 1,100m”. It’s still relatively inexpensive and property prices have risen by about eight percent over the last year so if you’re looking to invest, it might be an idea to do so quickly. In this reporter’s experience, hidden gems don’t stay hidden for very long.

Switzerland
Across the border in Switzerland lies some of the most elite resorts on the planet. St Moritz, Klosters and Gstaad continue to attract film stars, royalty, and those with very heavy wallets. In Gstaad flats go for up to £20,000 a sq m and chalets from anywhere between #2.5m and #10m. Occasionally chalets have been known to attract prices nudging the £50m mark, but even if you happen to have that sort of money burning a hole in your pocket, you’re not guaranteed a property. The market in Gstaad is notoriously slow – once people have bought here, they tend not to want (or need) to sell. That’s not to say it’s impossible to buy in the area. Fifteen minutes from Gstaad lies Chateau d’Oex, David Niven’s old stomping ground and home to some reasonably priced property. Flats can still be bagged for around £300,000, though bare in mind that although regulations about foreigners buying have eased, there are still restrictions. Non-resident buyers are only allowed to purchase a property if it’s below 200sq m.

Head even further south and you’ll bump into glamorous Italians who can somehow manage to smoke, ski, and talk on the phone at the same time. The best skiing to be had is in Cortina d’Ampezzo, which hugs the Dolomite mountain range. Expect 87 miles of well-maintained runs that will challenge the very best skier. You can also expect a lively nightlife and the best-dressed people in Europe. ”

“New” Europe
Freed from the shackles of communist governments, much of Central and Eastern Europe is attracting serious interest from British ski enthusiasts. Slovakia, Slovenia and Bulgaria are all proving popular with foreign buyers who are either unable or unwilling to buy in the considerably more expensive areas peppering France, Italy and Switzerland. All three countries have economies that are becoming healthier by the day and as the economies improve, so does the infrastructure. Bargains can still be snapped up, though a little caution should be exercised. Bansko, in Bulgaria, is still undergoing a massive transformation and although studios typically sell for around £30,000, the over exposure and aggressive marketing of the place has left many property commentators wondering if Bansko represents a decent investment.

That said the facilities initiated for a 2014 winter Olympic bid are still in place, despite the country narrowly losing out to Russia.

Slovenia seems a wiser choice. Dubbed the “Switzerland of Central Europe” development is moving at a rapid pace: the well known Kranjska Gora region has world class facilities and the thriving property market shows no signs of slowing. Prices in the region are thought to have almost trebled in the last couple of years. In the north of the country, houses with decent access to slopes are still available for astonishingly low prices – from as little as O30,000 in some places.

In the more rugged Slovakia, prices are among the lowest in Europe, but could represent a decent – if slightly daring – investment.

According to Petra Gajdosikova, Managing Director of Slovakian Investment Property: “The largest Slovak resorts have been improving at an impressive pace, fuelled by the tens of millions of euros that has been invested on new ski gondolas, slopes and lifts. Slovak ski regions attract visitors because of the unspoilt nature [and the] thermal water parks, castles, caves, waterfalls and ancient towns”.

North America
Despite an ugly North American economy, the continents ski resorts are still attracting visitors. Lots of them. The 2007-2008 season was a splendid one, with plenty of resorts breaking snowfall records. Debates still rumble on as to which resort can lay claim to be “the best” in North America, but this reporter’s money is on Whistler Blackcomb, Canada.

Last year it benefited from a massive 46ft of snow, has the largest vertical drop around (5,280ft), and astonishing terrain. Small wonder then that it draws in more than 16,000 visitors a day during peak season and is considered the number one ski destination in the world by AITO. That British Columbia is some distance (and expense) away from UK might be off putting to some, but transport links are excellent and the future for Whistler is so bright that if you looked at it for too long, you could go snow-blind. It’s host to the 2010 winter Olympics, causing the already active housing market to get that bit busier.

At the time of
writing studios sell from around £120,000 and four-bedroom chalets from about £800,000 upwards.
Colorado is home to two of the most famous resorts in the world: Vail and Aspen. Aspen is slightly more upmarket and thought to have a stronger identity, though there are striking similarities between the two places. Both have a reputation for excellent skiing and beautiful topography. Both attract wealthy visitors and residents. Both have managed to dodge the vagaries of the US housing market and property prices have held firm. Vail is considered by some to be lacking in soul as it was “created” in the 1970′s, where-as Aspen’s history of a mining town is thought to give it more of an identity.

Frankly, such arguments are nonsense and the people who populate both Vail and Aspen are virtually interchangeable: if you plan to buy or visit either, be prepared to rub shoulders with the glitterati and come face-to-face with hefty bills. ”

China and Japan
Neither China nor Japan is heavily associated with the ski industry, but both are making huge strides forward. The statistics are cloudy, but it’s often reported that a decade ago there were thought to have been only 200 people in the country to have tried skiing; now it’s thought to be around one million. Such statistics smack of urban myth, but there’s no doubting the incredible rise in popularity. On the eastern tip of the country is Yabuli, one of the primary resorts in the country and recipient of 170 snow-filled days a year.

Like much of the skiing in China it can be bone-chillingly cold, but from an investment point of view, it could be well worth a punt if you’ve got nerves of steel.

Niseko, Japan, is one of those places that has rapidly transformed from the ski world’s best-kept secret to one that is on every die-hards to do list. On the northern island of Hokkaido, Niseko is especially popular with snowboarders who make up 80 percent of those zooming down the slopes. It’s been popular for some time with Australians and New Zealanders but now that British are also succumbing to its exotic, breathtaking charm, and package deals can be picked up for under £1,000.

The combination of spacious pistes, almost perfect powder snow, floodlit forests and raucous nightlife is a combination that many find too difficult to resist.

The unusual
It seems that you can ski just about anywhere these days. Even in Dubai, there’s a ski centre within the Mall of the Emirates, an astonishing achievement complete with black runs and a 90m quarter pipe for snowboarders. Two places that really stand out as being incongruous within the winter sports scene are Morocco and India. At present they are very much part of a niche market, but as enthusiasts become increasingly adventurous in their desire to ski unchartered territory, there is a real believe that such places could take off.
Gulmag, in the Kashmir region of India has been reinvented as a ski resort.

The quality and abundance of Himalayan snow is pretty much guaranteed – not least because you’ll be 4,000ft above sea level. The slopes here are gloriously empty – it’s estimated that only around 500 people visited last year – but if the rave reviews Gulmag is getting is anything to go by, expect that number to increase markedly.

Likewise, the words Morocco and skiing don’t trip off the tongue too easily. The land of snake charmers, belly dancers, searing heat and bustling markets is not a land where one would expect to ski. That could well change. The snow isn’t of the same quality you’re likely to find in the Alps, but it can be powdery and there’s a great deal of satisfaction in having a mountain to yourself.

Oukaimeden, high in the Atlas Mountains has the best slopes, most reliable winters and the most epic scenery. There are 12.5miles of runs as well as pretty interesting off-piste action – don’t be surprised though if one of the skiing world’s best-kept secrets quickly becomes one of its worst-kept.

Rather paradoxically many ski resorts are trying to reposition themselves as summer resorts too. As concerns grow about the impact of climate change on the environment, many are keen to highlight the potential benefits for the summer visitor. And what benefits.

Accommodation is considerably cheaper, the scenery is just as inspiring and there’s plenty to do – mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, and fishing are just a handful of pursuits that draw summer visitors to places such as Jungfrau and Davos in Switzerland and The Burgenland in Austria.