Marmot Basin, Canada

Freeriders looking for powder should check out Eagle East where the bowls are full on. This area is avoided by the vast majority of punters, so the snow stay for days after a storm. The area is covered in trees but they are well spaced so you can let rip. Take the Kiefer T-Bar or the Paradise Chair to check out Caribou Ridge which offers an abundance of testing terrain with bumps and hits for both the freerider and freestyler. Intermediates who know what they are doing will also like this area and can ride most of the mountain one way or another. If you have the energy, advanced freeriders can hike up to Marmot Peak which yields an amazing ride down through powder bowls. The trees in the lower sections are pretty cool, but if you have the balls, check out Knob Bowl off Knob Chair for a taste of heaven.

Freestylers have plenty of good natural terrain for catching air, but check out Rock Garden for some of the best hits. There are lots of trees here and if you look out, you will find the odd log to slide. You wouldn't come to Marmot just to ride the Terrain Park, however it's still fun. There's a couple of table tops, rails and a quarter pipe but nothing too scary. Here, grommets can catch air all day without bothering anyone else.

Piste lovers have some good opportunities to lay out nice, big arcs on the kind of prepared piste that carvers delight in. For some demanding riding, Exhibition is the place to visit, while the more sedate rider will like Dromedary trail.

Beginners will note one clear thing about Marmot Basin and that is how good it is for cutting their first tracks. The slopes are accessible with the easy stuff at the bottom and some good progression runs found higher up, which allows for long and gentle riding back to base. What’s more, novices can get around the slopes without having to use any T-bars thanks to the way the chair lifts have been set out. Snowboard instruction services are good with a number of tuition packages available for all levels and styles of riding. There are even lessons available with video analysis to quicken your progression. A two hour group lesson costs from C$50 with lift pass and full equipment hire.