Study Identifies 97 Countries Where Downhill Skiing Possible

A new study has attempted to quantify the number of countries where it is possible to ski.

The study, by ski resort research company Snow24 which has been collating ski resort data since the early 1990s, came up with five separate totals depending on which measurement you choose to use.

The biggest number was 97 countries but that figure includes every country with snow cover for at least three months of the year, usually and also includes nine countries with only indoor snow centres – like Dubai (UAE), or only dry slopes, like Ireland.

However it does not include sand skiing destinations like Namibia where you can ski on 300m high sand dunes or Oman and Qatar! Adding sand skiing on sand dunes would take the 'skiing countries' total up to 100.

Limiting the total to only countries with snow to ski on, indoors or out, the figure drops to 92, and for outdoor 'normal' snow the figure drops further to 86.

76 countries have ski lifts but that again includes some with only dry slopes or indoor slopes – the countries with regular outdoor ski areas served by lifts total 70.

Comparatively new countries to offer snow skiing with lifts include North Korea, Kosovo (the ski area is old but the country new) and Albania, where there has been skiing for many decades but the first lift was only recently installed. Eight countries were found to only have skiing on offer at all because of indoor snow centres or dry slopes.

Countries that once offered lift-assisted skiing but no longer do, include Columbia and Bolivia, which used to operate the world's highest lift. It is one of seven countries on the list which the report highlights as likely to lose all skiable snow due to climate change by 2030.

Ski areas with lifts were found on all seven continents. The country totals were Africa 4, Asia 21, Antarctica (1 permanent lift in the Chillean sector), Australasia 2, Europe 40, North America 5, South America 4.

Ski areas with lifts were found on all seven continents. The country totals were Africa 4, Asia 21, Antarctica (1 permanent lift in the Chillean sector), Australasia 2, Europe 40, North America 5, South America 4.

Surprised Africa has 4 and even more surprised that NA has 5. Besides the obvious 2 in NA are there actually lifts in central American countries?

The four in Africa are Morocco and Algeria in the north and Lesotho and South Africa in the south - only continent with ski areas in two hemispheres so fresh snow year round, kind of. North America has snow skiing with ski lifts in Canada, USA and Greenland and artificial surface slopes in Puerto Rico (at a US military base) and Mexico. Mexico also had snow on high peaks and proposed various ski areas over the years but to date the only ski lifts serve an artificial ski slope http://www.monterreal.com/index-4.html which does very occasionally get natural snow eg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bosques_de_Monterreal_Coahuila_Mexico.JPG (looks like ski slope at the back). No lifts in Central America although the report mentions Nicaragua has highest peak with snow sometimes so if you wanted to walk up and timed it right you might be able to say you skied there...