| United States | Western ghost resorts Stagecoach was the largest of about 137 Colorado resorts, jumps, lifts and rope tows to disappear over the years - victims of competition, scanty snowfall and lack of snowmaking, or just poor business decisions. And yet like many others, it has not really disappeared. | |
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| Canada | Knockout at Kicking Horse High above the Columbia River, in British Columbia's Dogtooth Mountains, Arnie Wilson launches himself down a magnificent bowl, with a pitch of about 35 to 40 degrees, into fresh powder and a scattering of small spruce saplings. | |
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| China | Great leap forward Skiing in China is about to come of age, or at least to be born again, for it was in China that some of the most ancient specimens of primitive skis were discovered, dating back to around 2,500BC. | |
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| Japan | Among ice monsters Arnie Wilson had broken the golden rule of Japanese ski resorts: don't ski off piste. And equally important, don't take your instructor off piste either in case he loses his job. | |
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| Salt Lake | Olympic gold lies in silver land The Olympians in search of gold will gather in Salt Lake City in February accompanied by massive security precautions. | |
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| Online bookings | All tangled up in the net A search for "cheap flights" throws up dozens of websites. And things worked out for Peter Millar successfully and cheaply. But with a sting in the tail. | |
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| Flights | Ample pickings for low-cost lines While Virgin Atlantic and British Airways pull in their horns, Go, Buzz, EasyJet and Ryanair have been quick to announce new routes, fare cuts and even bids for some of the bigger players' slots. | |
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| Euro and Americas update | Made to measure Regular FT ski writer John Westbrooke provides a wealth of tips for the season. | |
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| France | Need to correct downhill slide For almost three decades in alpine skiing, the French have watched smaller winter sports nations dominate, in particular the Swiss in the 1980s and the Austrians since. | |
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| Utah | The life of Brian Sooner or later the knowledge that there is a ski resort called Brian provokes an irresistible urge to ski it. No one is sure how or why it got its name. Or who Brian was. | |
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| Chamonix | Saudi on the slopes On the vast, snow-covered moraine of Argentiere's Grands Montets, Bandar Bin Khaled Al-Faisal Bin Abdulazziz, tore about leaving Arnie Wilson in his slipstream. | |
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| Finnish Lapland | Hitting the high spots Much as I enjoy skiing Bichlalm, Austria, Mount Lacrosse, Wisconsin, or Porter Heights, New Zealand, there is little danger of losing your bearings, writes Arnie Wilson. But Finnish Lapland presents a challenge. | |
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| Montana | Big Mountain flaunts its charm Arnie Wilson can vouch for the fact that Big Mountain, just across the border from the Canadian Rockies in north-western Montana, is exhilarating. | |
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| Andermatt | Turning back the Swiss clock Arnie Wilson returned to Hospental, a village near the Swiss resort of Andermatt but scarcely recognised a single feature, although the same old T-bar which he had recklessly ridden to the top of the mountain just below the Winterhorn, seemed to be still in situ. | |
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| Boarding | 'Outlaws' no longer repelled Who would have thought there could be such a palaver about people being allowed to slide down Aspen's most venerated mountain on one board instead of two? | |
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| Whistler | Meet my friend Speed and his companion Pain Whistler and neighbouring Blackcomb's reputation for steep-and-deep slopes, with a network of challenging couloirs and bowls, attracts snowboarders from around the world. | |
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| With the kids | Thin line from danger We take the kids halfway up a mountain and tell them to have no fear as we give them a smart shove downhill. We tell them that this is called skiing and urge them to experience the thrill. | |
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| Chalets | Top ten for the winter break This winter, more than ever, there is a superb choice of top chalets in top resorts across the world. The quality of both staff and accommodation has been rising markedly. | |
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