![\"Skier](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/skier-skiing-down-steep-edge-of-mountain_unsplash-760x1013.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBest black ski runs<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n1. La Face, Val d\u2019Is\u00e8re<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Val](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Val-dIsere-La-Face.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Val d’Isere Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nLa Face entered the hall of fame in the 1992 Winter Olympics, when just 0.1 of a second separated the top three places of the men\u2019s downhill. It\u2019s eye-poppingly steep and those moguls can become mightily monstrous. Thank heavens La Peau de Vache is halfway down for some encouragement (of the chocolatey kind in form of their mousse, or of the Dutch courage kind in form of genepi!) Find out more about Val d’Isere<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: A jaunt up to La Daille for some mountain madness at Folie Douce.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Harakiri, Mayrhofen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Mayrhofen](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Mayrhofen-Harakiri-2.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Mayrhofen Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAustria\u2019s steepest slope, the Harakiri in Mayrhofen<\/a> has a sharp average incline of 78% and is endearingly named after a type of Samurai ritual suicide. Number 14 on the piste map, the piste is marked with a skull and crossbones to signify its toxic nature. The whole thing\u2019s covered by snowmaking (as are the rest of Mayrhofen\u2019s pistes) and if you ski it on a Friday afternoon and they usually have a photographer to capture the moment after 1.5km of thigh-burning turns.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: Generous glugs of Gl\u00fchwein at Pilzbar.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Inferno, Murren<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Murren](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Murren-Inferno.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Jungfrau Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nClocking up almost 15km, Murren\u2019s<\/a> black #10 forms one of the longest runs in Switzerland. Starting at a heady 2900m, it features a crazily narrow gully, several flat sections and some slight inclines \u2013 before ending up in Lauterbrunnen at 800m. It has history: A posse of ski mad Brits decided to make the world\u2019s craziest ski race here in 1928, and sections of the run were used in 007<\/a>\u2019s storm down from the Schilthorn in On Her Majesty\u2019s Secret Service<\/em>. Hats off to anyone who skis the whole thing in under 40 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: A ride back up to the top of the Schilthorn for a Bond-themed feast and fine views of the Jungfrau peaks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n4. La Chavanette, Avoriaz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Avoriaz](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Avoriaz-Chavanette1.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Avoriaz Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nStarting on French land and dropping down the Swiss side, border-hopping doesn\u2019t get more dramatic than The Swiss Wall in Avoriaz<\/a>. At a pitch of over 50 degrees it’s one of the steepest descents in the world \u2013 stand at the top and you find yourself peering down into the abyss. In powder conditions, this is a beauty but its alter-ego is a devilishly icy mogul field, so make your prayers to the snow gods accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: A filling fondue at Champery\u2019s Restaurant Le Toupin.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n5. Saslong, Selva<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Selva](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Selva-Saslong-2.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Val Gardena Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSaslong\u2019s the second-longest run in the World Cup circuit, and has been since 1969 (they\u2019re currently prepping it for this year\u2019s Super-G on the 18th<\/sup> \u2013 19th<\/sup> December). Beginning at Ciampinoi above Selva<\/a>, it shoots down 3.5km into diddy St. Christina. Steeps are followed by flats, followed by steeps\u2026 And you can grab some serious air if you\u2019ve picked up enough speed. After hurtling over the notorious ‘Camel Humps’ it\u2019s onto extreme turns at the Ciaslat passage – where racers either come out tops or get defeated.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: A spot of La Dolce Vita at St. Christina\u2019s Caf\u00e9 Andy – gobble cake and sip spritz ’til suppertime.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n6. Grand Couloir, Courchevel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Courchevel](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Courchevel-Grand-Couloir1.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Courchevel & 3 Valleys Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nGC\u2019s the only one of Saulire\u2019s trio of couloirs that appears on the piste map (the others are too hairy for markers) and you need Mother Nature on side for it to even be open. Merely getting to the top brings up goosebumps, with an icy ridge to edge along for starters. Then after a steep, uneven, rock-edged chute, it opens up into a mogul-ridden powder field, where the descent gradually eases up with (slightly) kinder bumps. Find out more about Courchevel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: A Dom P\u00e9rignon Jeroboam at Les Caves or a good old beer at Le Bubble<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n7. Forcella Staunies, Cortina<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Cortina](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Cortina-Forcella-Staunies.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Cortina & Dolomiti Superski Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nStreaming down from 3000m, Forcella Staunies was built for the 1956 Winter Olympics as a backup slope in case of low snow-cover on other pistes \u2013 put simply, it\u2019s spectacular. Set off on the 3km descent and you soon come across the steepest stretch of piste in all the Dolomites: Its narrow track has a 64% gradient and is flanked by huge walls of craggy limestone rock. Find out more about Cortina<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: Some snazzy new ski gear from Corso Italia’s posh shops.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n8. La Sarenne, Alpe d’Huez<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Alpe](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Alpe-dHuez-Sarenne-2.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Alpe d’Huez Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBeginning at 3330m on the top of Pic Blanc and following a thigh-testing 16km, La Sarenne is the longest black run on record. Before you ski it, get an eyeful of the never-ending peaks that surround (including Mont Blanc, the Aiguilles<\/span> d\u2019Arves and Muzelle). Then you\u2019re off via an initially steep drop, which soon opens into a wonderfully wide trail. Unlike its terrifyingly technical neighbour Le Tunnel, this one\u2019s all about endurance – after meandering through the Gorges de Sarenne, things get so smooth they could almost be classified green.<\/span> Find out more about Alpe d’Huez.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: La Combe Haute\u2019s terrific tartiflette.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n9. Mont Fort, Verbier<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Verbier](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Verbier-Mont-Fort-2.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Verbier Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nEven if you strictly stick to blues, it\u2019s worth heading to the top of Mont Fort in Verbier<\/a> just for the sights: On a bluebird day, you can spot the Matterhorn in one direction and Mont Blanc in the other. For those who are tackling the descent, the hardest part\u2019s the narrow drop in. First, you have to pick between the steeper right-hand side (about 38 degrees) and the bumpier section on the left. Then you\u2019ve got glorious moguls as far as the eye can see.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: A drink or 10 at Farinet bar.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n10. Sache, Tignes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Tignes](\"https:\/\/www.sno.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Tignes-La-Sache-31.png\")
<\/a>Photo credit: Tignes & Val d’Isere Tourism<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nTignes <\/a>and Val d’Isere’s longest – and in fact one of the longest on the continent – Sache starts at L\u2019Aiguille Perc\u00e9e (home to the \u2018eye of the needle\u2019) and dives down the mountain for a good 10km into Les Br\u00e9vi\u00e8res. Pick it at the right time (first thing in the morning after an overnight dump) and it\u2019s yours to storm. Pick it at the wrong time and the narrow chute on the second half is like Piccadilly Circus (if you can imagine Piccadilly Circus being knee-knockingly mogulled).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nReward yourself with: Even more adrenaline, in the form of the Bun J Ride which combines ski jumping, bungee jumping and a zip wire.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nFind out more about the best ski resorts for expert skiers and snowboarders<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>La Face entered the hall of fame in the 1992 Winter Olympics, when just 0.1 of a second separated the top three places of the men\u2019s downhill. It\u2019s eye-poppingly steep and those moguls can become mightily monstrous. Thank heavens La Peau de Vache is halfway down for some encouragement (of the chocolatey kind in form of their mousse, or of the Dutch courage kind in form of genepi!) Find out more about Val d’Isere<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: A jaunt up to La Daille for some mountain madness at Folie Douce.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Austria\u2019s steepest slope, the Harakiri in Mayrhofen<\/a> has a sharp average incline of 78% and is endearingly named after a type of Samurai ritual suicide. Number 14 on the piste map, the piste is marked with a skull and crossbones to signify its toxic nature. The whole thing\u2019s covered by snowmaking (as are the rest of Mayrhofen\u2019s pistes) and if you ski it on a Friday afternoon and they usually have a photographer to capture the moment after 1.5km of thigh-burning turns.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: Generous glugs of Gl\u00fchwein at Pilzbar.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Clocking up almost 15km, Murren\u2019s<\/a> black #10 forms one of the longest runs in Switzerland. Starting at a heady 2900m, it features a crazily narrow gully, several flat sections and some slight inclines \u2013 before ending up in Lauterbrunnen at 800m. It has history: A posse of ski mad Brits decided to make the world\u2019s craziest ski race here in 1928, and sections of the run were used in 007<\/a>\u2019s storm down from the Schilthorn in On Her Majesty\u2019s Secret Service<\/em>. Hats off to anyone who skis the whole thing in under 40 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: A ride back up to the top of the Schilthorn for a Bond-themed feast and fine views of the Jungfrau peaks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting on French land and dropping down the Swiss side, border-hopping doesn\u2019t get more dramatic than The Swiss Wall in Avoriaz<\/a>. At a pitch of over 50 degrees it’s one of the steepest descents in the world \u2013 stand at the top and you find yourself peering down into the abyss. In powder conditions, this is a beauty but its alter-ego is a devilishly icy mogul field, so make your prayers to the snow gods accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: A filling fondue at Champery\u2019s Restaurant Le Toupin.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Saslong\u2019s the second-longest run in the World Cup circuit, and has been since 1969 (they\u2019re currently prepping it for this year\u2019s Super-G on the 18th<\/sup> \u2013 19th<\/sup> December). Beginning at Ciampinoi above Selva<\/a>, it shoots down 3.5km into diddy St. Christina. Steeps are followed by flats, followed by steeps\u2026 And you can grab some serious air if you\u2019ve picked up enough speed. After hurtling over the notorious ‘Camel Humps’ it\u2019s onto extreme turns at the Ciaslat passage – where racers either come out tops or get defeated.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: A spot of La Dolce Vita at St. Christina\u2019s Caf\u00e9 Andy – gobble cake and sip spritz ’til suppertime.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n GC\u2019s the only one of Saulire\u2019s trio of couloirs that appears on the piste map (the others are too hairy for markers) and you need Mother Nature on side for it to even be open. Merely getting to the top brings up goosebumps, with an icy ridge to edge along for starters. Then after a steep, uneven, rock-edged chute, it opens up into a mogul-ridden powder field, where the descent gradually eases up with (slightly) kinder bumps. Find out more about Courchevel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: A Dom P\u00e9rignon Jeroboam at Les Caves or a good old beer at Le Bubble<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Streaming down from 3000m, Forcella Staunies was built for the 1956 Winter Olympics as a backup slope in case of low snow-cover on other pistes \u2013 put simply, it\u2019s spectacular. Set off on the 3km descent and you soon come across the steepest stretch of piste in all the Dolomites: Its narrow track has a 64% gradient and is flanked by huge walls of craggy limestone rock. Find out more about Cortina<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: Some snazzy new ski gear from Corso Italia’s posh shops.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beginning at 3330m on the top of Pic Blanc and following a thigh-testing 16km, La Sarenne is the longest black run on record. Before you ski it, get an eyeful of the never-ending peaks that surround (including Mont Blanc, the Aiguilles<\/span> d\u2019Arves and Muzelle). Then you\u2019re off via an initially steep drop, which soon opens into a wonderfully wide trail. Unlike its terrifyingly technical neighbour Le Tunnel, this one\u2019s all about endurance – after meandering through the Gorges de Sarenne, things get so smooth they could almost be classified green.<\/span> Find out more about Alpe d’Huez.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: La Combe Haute\u2019s terrific tartiflette.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you strictly stick to blues, it\u2019s worth heading to the top of Mont Fort in Verbier<\/a> just for the sights: On a bluebird day, you can spot the Matterhorn in one direction and Mont Blanc in the other. For those who are tackling the descent, the hardest part\u2019s the narrow drop in. First, you have to pick between the steeper right-hand side (about 38 degrees) and the bumpier section on the left. Then you\u2019ve got glorious moguls as far as the eye can see.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: A drink or 10 at Farinet bar.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tignes <\/a>and Val d’Isere’s longest – and in fact one of the longest on the continent – Sache starts at L\u2019Aiguille Perc\u00e9e (home to the \u2018eye of the needle\u2019) and dives down the mountain for a good 10km into Les Br\u00e9vi\u00e8res. Pick it at the right time (first thing in the morning after an overnight dump) and it\u2019s yours to storm. Pick it at the wrong time and the narrow chute on the second half is like Piccadilly Circus (if you can imagine Piccadilly Circus being knee-knockingly mogulled).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reward yourself with: Even more adrenaline, in the form of the Bun J Ride which combines ski jumping, bungee jumping and a zip wire.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Find out more about the best ski resorts for expert skiers and snowboarders<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Harakiri, Mayrhofen<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>3. Inferno, Murren<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>4. La Chavanette, Avoriaz<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>5. Saslong, Selva<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>6. Grand Couloir, Courchevel<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>7. Forcella Staunies, Cortina<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>8. La Sarenne, Alpe d’Huez<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>9. Mont Fort, Verbier<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>10. Sache, Tignes<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a>