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.

Hello, Hestra!
I was determined to find a few hours on some evening, even if my meeting seemed to be running from 8am to at least 8pm or even 10pm... but then the local ski hill closed.
Full story
Alternate link

January 2018, Isaberg ski area, Hestra, Sweden
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Croatia!
Europe... the continent of many countries. So many that it is difficult to ski all of them... but on Christmas break I was able to visit Croatia, and finally ski its nice ski areas. What a wonderful experience to ski on mountains towering above the Adriatic Sea, sunshine, powder...
Full story
Alternate link

December 2017, Sljeme ski area, Zagreb, Croatia; Platak ski area, Soboli, Croatia
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

GoExpo Freeskiing, Nalle Hukkataival, and Catherine Destivelle
I visited the "GoExpo" this weekend, the merge of previously separate Vapaalaskuiltamat (Freeskiing Festival), Helsinki Adventure Night, and SkiExpo.
Full story
Alternate link

November 2017, Messukeskus, Helsinki, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Climbing (Mountain)

Black Snow Apocalypse. Now.
Imagine bright, white snow, gently covering a mountain. Now imagine all that snow black, dirty. Melting hard ice, covered by an accumulation of pollution and dust from air. This is reality.
Full story
Alternate link

August 2017, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Health; Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool)

The Closed Ski Areas Tour
Plenty of snow. Greatest snow! Biggest snow. How is skiing in Quebec today, on the third week of May?
Full story
Alternate link

May 2017, Mont Saint-Sauveur, Quebec, Canada; Mont Saint-Sauveur Versant Avila, Quebec, Canada; Mont Habitant, Quebec, Canada; Ski Chantecler, Quebec, Canada
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Woven Stone. And Cave Under.
I am making turns on a fresh norwegian moss, when I see something strange. A dramatic outgrowth of moss on a rock? No, it was art wrapping! The Woven Stone by Lise Wulff, a norwegian ecoartist. And a cave underneath!
Full story
Alternate link

May 2017, Woven Stone, Hemsedal, Norway
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Rock-Granite, Morphology-Boulders, Basic)

Biking to the ski hill, in boots
This morning I woke up and asked myself what would be the most stupid thing I could do today. Can you bike to a ski hill, on your ski boots? Turns out the answer is yes. Although maybe not advisable...
Full story
Alternate link

May 2017, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Biking (Bike-Road, Track-Road, Outdoor)

Meeting a Friend at Killington
Patrick and I share the same hobby: skiing in as many different places around the world as we can. We had run into each other in the Internet and chatted often. But I had never met him. In spring 2016 I finally got an opportunity to do that *and* go skiing in Killington for the first time.
Full story
Alternate link

May 2017, Killington, Vermont, USA
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Skiing with a drone
A few weeks ago I got a present from my IETF friends: a Mavic Pro drone. Thank you! We've already played a lot with it, me, Olli, Janne, and many of our friends, with everyone having loads of fun with the device!
Full story
Alternate link

April 2017, Peuramaa, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland; Sahara, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Equipment; Flying

I love Norway!
Norway: No wet rain, no darkness, no sign of summer
Full story
Alternate link

April 2017, Hemsedal, Norway
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Wisconsin
Welcome to the US, the land of lawyers and liability wavers! I had to sign a long liability waiver for just getting the ski pass for the day. Not seen that for mere tickets, though it is of course standard for hiring guides and the like.
Full story
Alternate link

April 2017, Granite Peak, Wisconsin, USA
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Japan!
Finally, the long awaited trip to Japan is starting. Janne and I are sitting on the Finnair plane at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport, and ready to fly to Tokyo, and then continue on to Sapporo, and finally Niseko. There are two bus trips along the way, but hopefully we'll get there without problems.
Full story
Alternate link

March 2017, Helsinki-Vantaa, Vantaa, Finland; Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan
Travel; Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Backcountry Onsen
Sometimes skiing isn't just about the skiing. I can also be about hot springs in the middle of the backcountry skinning trip. We climbed Mt. Niseko Annupuri (1308m), skied the backside of the mountain and found an onsen, a Japanese hot spring.
Full story
Alternate link

March 2017, Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Swimming (Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool, Thermal-Bath)

Der Après-ski Zug
This is a brilliant idea. The Matterhorn-Gotthard Bahn doesn't just take you to the ski slopes, it also serves beer and after-ski music on the way there. Even on the 9:30am train.
Full story
Alternate link

February 2017, Nätschen, Andermatt, Switzerland; Oberalppass, Switzerland; Sedrun, Switzerland; Disentis, Switzerland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Afterski

Kinderskilift
We took an airplane. A train. And hiked. For this? A kid slope half the size of my home slope in Grani. But it turns out we got to ski a route down liike no other: down the railroad tracks. And collect seven more ski areas.
Full story
Alternate link

February 2017, Obergoms, Switzerland; Realp, Switzerland; Gemsstock, Andermatt, Switzerland; Nätschen, Andermatt, Switzerland; Oberalppass, Switzerland; Sedrun, Switzerland; Disentis, Switzerland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Backpacks Are DEATH
"It is not about your experience with backpacks, it is about PEOPLE DYING". The ski patrol's inexplicable rule prohibits me to take my backpack to the ski hill in New York.
Full story
Alternate link

February 2017, Thunder Ridge, New York, USA
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

This is the 13th 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, and set 12. The next sets are set 14, set 15, set 16, set 17, set 18, set 19, set 20, set 21, set 22, set 23, and set 24.

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:

	Hello, Hestra! I was determined to find a few hours on some evening, even if my meeting seemed to be running from 8am to at least 8pm or even 10pm... but then the local ski hill closed. Full story Alternate link January 2018, Isaberg ski area, Hestra, Sweden Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Croatia! Europe... the continent of many countries. So many that it is difficult to ski all of them... but on Christmas break I was able to visit Croatia, and finally ski its nice ski areas. What a wonderful experience to ski on mountains towering above the Adriatic Sea, sunshine, powder... Full story Alternate link December 2017, Sljeme ski area, Zagreb, Croatia; Platak ski area, Soboli, Croatia Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	GoExpo Freeskiing, Nalle Hukkataival, and Catherine Destivelle I visited the "GoExpo" this weekend, the merge of previously separate Vapaalaskuiltamat (Freeskiing Festival), Helsinki Adventure Night, and SkiExpo. Full story Alternate link November 2017, Messukeskus, Helsinki, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Climbing (Mountain)

	Black Snow Apocalypse. Now. Imagine bright, white snow, gently covering a mountain. Now imagine all that snow black, dirty. Melting hard ice, covered by an accumulation of pollution and dust from air. This is reality. Full story Alternate link August 2017, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Health; Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool)

	The Closed Ski Areas Tour Plenty of snow. Greatest snow! Biggest snow. How is skiing in Quebec today, on the third week of May? Full story Alternate link May 2017, Mont Saint-Sauveur, Quebec, Canada; Mont Saint-Sauveur Versant Avila, Quebec, Canada; Mont Habitant, Quebec, Canada; Ski Chantecler, Quebec, Canada Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Woven Stone. And Cave Under. I am making turns on a fresh norwegian moss, when I see something strange. A dramatic outgrowth of moss on a rock? No, it was art wrapping! The Woven Stone by Lise Wulff, a norwegian ecoartist. And a cave underneath! Full story Alternate link May 2017, Woven Stone, Hemsedal, Norway Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Rock-Granite, Morphology-Boulders, Basic)

	Biking to the ski hill, in boots This morning I woke up and asked myself what would be the most stupid thing I could do today. Can you bike to a ski hill, on your ski boots? Turns out the answer is yes. Although maybe not advisable... Full story Alternate link May 2017, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Biking (Bike-Road, Track-Road, Outdoor)

	Meeting a Friend at Killington Patrick and I share the same hobby: skiing in as many different places around the world as we can. We had run into each other in the Internet and chatted often. But I had never met him. In spring 2016 I finally got an opportunity to do that and go skiing in Killington for the first time. Full story Alternate link May 2017, Killington, Vermont, USA Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Skiing with a drone A few weeks ago I got a present from my IETF friends: a Mavic Pro drone. Thank you! We've already played a lot with it, me, Olli, Janne, and many of our friends, with everyone having loads of fun with the device! Full story Alternate link April 2017, Peuramaa, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland; Sahara, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Equipment; Flying

	I love Norway! Norway: No wet rain, no darkness, no sign of summer Full story Alternate link April 2017, Hemsedal, Norway Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Wisconsin Welcome to the US, the land of lawyers and liability wavers! I had to sign a long liability waiver for just getting the ski pass for the day. Not seen that for mere tickets, though it is of course standard for hiring guides and the like. Full story Alternate link April 2017, Granite Peak, Wisconsin, USA Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Japan! Finally, the long awaited trip to Japan is starting. Janne and I are sitting on the Finnair plane at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport, and ready to fly to Tokyo, and then continue on to Sapporo, and finally Niseko. There are two bus trips along the way, but hopefully we'll get there without problems. Full story Alternate link March 2017, Helsinki-Vantaa, Vantaa, Finland; Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan Travel; Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Backcountry Onsen Sometimes skiing isn't just about the skiing. I can also be about hot springs in the middle of the backcountry skinning trip. We climbed Mt. Niseko Annupuri (1308m), skied the backside of the mountain and found an onsen, a Japanese hot spring. Full story Alternate link March 2017, Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Swimming (Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool, Thermal-Bath)

	Der Après-ski Zug This is a brilliant idea. The Matterhorn-Gotthard Bahn doesn't just take you to the ski slopes, it also serves beer and after-ski music on the way there. Even on the 9:30am train. Full story Alternate link February 2017, Nätschen, Andermatt, Switzerland; Oberalppass, Switzerland; Sedrun, Switzerland; Disentis, Switzerland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Afterski

	Kinderskilift We took an airplane. A train. And hiked. For this? A kid slope half the size of my home slope in Grani. But it turns out we got to ski a route down liike no other: down the railroad tracks. And collect seven more ski areas. Full story Alternate link February 2017, Obergoms, Switzerland; Realp, Switzerland; Gemsstock, Andermatt, Switzerland; Nätschen, Andermatt, Switzerland; Oberalppass, Switzerland; Sedrun, Switzerland; Disentis, Switzerland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Backpacks Are DEATH "It is not about your experience with backpacks, it is about PEOPLE DYING". The ski patrol's inexplicable rule prohibits me to take my backpack to the ski hill in New York. Full story Alternate link February 2017, Thunder Ridge, New York, USA Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)