Valluga
St. Anton, Austria

Popular with Brits since the 1920s, St. Anton boasts Tyrolean charm, lively aprčs-ski, and some of the most cherished expert terrain in Europe. Perched in the heart of Austria's Alberg region, the resort enjoys better-than-average European snowfall. The town itself is a cluttered collection of modern and traditional buildings, infused with colorful charm and more than its share of carefree ski bums.

Many head to St. Anton purely for the teeth-whitening lure of 9,400-foot Valluga and its scattering of expert-only, off-piste terrain. Accessible from either the Schindlergrat chair or the last leg of the Valluga cable car (running all the way from the village in the valley below), these steep gullies can be classified in any number of ways; as exhilarating, terrifying, or sheer madness—depending on your frame of mind.

There might be more intimidating runs in the world, but when it comes to monster powder runs, few can out-deep Valluga. Here you'll thunder your way through some towering fields of moguls, most notably down the expert-only Schindlerkar gulley or the Mattun run, both a right turn off the Schindlergrat chair. The only drawback of Valluga's steepest pitches are their south-facing aspect, causing the snow to melt rapidly and leaving you with ice and slush to complete the trickiest ride of your life.