More Extreme Skiing, Snowboarding and Other Active Winter Sports

Advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders thrive on pushing their limits, but most accept they should learn to ski or ride in deep powder, on steep slopes and through mogul fields before tackling extreme terrain. Routes to learning these skills rarely are taught in traditional ski school lessons. Here are top places where you can learn how...

Skiing or snowboarding in Mount Washington's Tuckerman Ravine is a "Rite of Spring" for many Easterners. They come here, usually mid-April into May, for extreme skiing in the ravine, where the pitches range from 30- to 60 degrees. Here's where to find advice on everything from weather conditions to what's needed to be prepared.

What is heli-skiing? Heli-skiing is skiing on remote mountainsides that are reached by a helicopter. Skiers and snowboarders board a helicopter for the ride to this off-piste terrain. It's popular in the Canadian Rockies

When you go heli-skiing with Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing, expect the helicopter to drop you off atop powder runs in alpine bowls, slopes or glades, somewhere in the 1.2 million acres of terrain this company has access to in Canada’s Bugaboo and Monashee mountains.

The Sheraton Steamboat Resort’s metamorphosis was completed this winter, turning a shabby, ageing hotel with a slopeside location into a trendy lodging choice.

Seeking uncommon adventure travel/ Would you like to go heli-skiing with Tommy Moe and party with him in the evening? How about riding big waves and hanging out with surf legend Larid Hamilton? EpicQuest, a new adventure travel company, offers clients exciting adventure travel experiences across a range of sports and with award-winning pro...

Heli-skiing is flying to remote slopes or mountainsides in a helicopter, to go downhill, telemarking or cross country skiing. Many companies that offer heli-skiing also take snowboarders.

Even if you aren't skilled enough to explore the extreme terrain inbounds at many ski resorts, these images evoke what it's like to have total freedom backed by serious skiing and snowboarding skills.

Looking for places where you can find extreme backcountry-style skiing or snowboarding experiences but inbounds at resorts so there's avalanche control and ski patrollers around? Look no farther: Here's a list of some of the best places that expert skiers and riders love to explore.

Backcountry skiing or snowboarding is exploring ungroomed and unmarked terrain either just outside ski area boundaries or in remote areas. In Europe, this is often called “off-piste” skiing. This is definitely one version of "extreme" skiing and riding.

Whistler Blackcomb not only has some of the longest vertical in North America, it also has a lot of the most challenging terrain at ski resorts on this continent. You can see Canadian guide Derek Foose's extreme skiing style in the latest Warren Miller film: “Children of Winter.”

Winter Park Resort ski patroller Jamie Wolter gives you his take on the best inbounds extreme ski terrain at Winter Park Resort. These steep above treeline and gladed areas are for experts skiers and snowboarders only.

Ski.com offers great vacation deals for anyone who wants a winter adventure.

Colorado's Steamboat Resort is famous for its champagne powder, and for skiing in the glades and tightly treed areas. Johnny Sawyer, the Ski Patrol’s supervisor who has worked at the mountain for more than 30 years, offers his take and tips for skiing in the inbounds extreme and treed terrain at Steamboat.

Ruby Hill Rail Yard, a free urban ski and ride terrain park in the heart of Denver opens up for the second year in a row.

Learn to snowshoe or cross country ski free every January.

The annual Burton Demo Tour is in full swing. There are dozens of stops are resorts in North America and Europe where you can ride the latest Burton snowboards for free.

Here's some insider information on the best places to go rock and ice climbing in Montana, from locals who spend their days scaling cliffs.

If heli-skiing or heli-hiking are on your adventure-travel radar, check out the variety of trips offered by Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH). In the winter this company offers heli-ski for advanced intermediates to expert skiers and snowboarders. In the summer, the heli-hiking trips for novices to experienced hikers and for families. CMH also has mountaineering trips.

Expert skiers and snowboarders seeking the toughest and steepest inbounds extreme terrain know that locals provide the best "where to" tips. Brent Abrams, a member of Heavenly Mountain Resort's Freeride Team and a South Lake Tahoe native who grew up playing in Heavenly's terrain parks, trees and expert canyons tells all.

Expert skiers and snowboarders seeking the toughest and steepest inbounds extreme terrain know that locals provide the best "where to" tips. Ski patroller Dan Goddard knows all the backcountry-style terrain in Highland Bowl at Aspen Highlands, Colorado, intimately.

Expert skiers and snowboarders seeking the toughest and steepest inbounds extreme terrain know that locals provide the best "where to" tips. Duke Bradford, head guide for Keystone Adventure Tours,knows the backcountry-style terrain at Keystone Resort, Colorado, intimately.

Backcountry skiing or snowboarding on ungroomed and unmarked terrain outside ski-area boundaries (often called skiing off-piste in Europe) is only for people knowledgeable about avalanche dangers and are appropriately equipped.

Here are some explanations for that crazy lingo used by skiers and snowboarders playing in terrain parks and pipes.

Spend a week in Portillo, Chile this summer on the slopes with extreme skiing superstars.

Visit Chile to improve your freeskiing style in a clinic led by 2X World Extreme Champion Kim Reichhelm.

Head to Portillo, Chile this summer if you want to improve your freeskiing in clinics led by champions.

Terrain Parks and Pipes for skiers and riders at winter resorts are popular with teens and younger children.

Skiing and Snowboarding in Parks and Pipes at Copper Mountain Resort, Colorado

Six resorts that offer outstanding terrain parks and pipes.

Where do you go to find the best and most experienced helicopter and snowcat skiing operations? The Heli-ski & Cat-ski Journal is a coffee table-style magazine (and a website) where you'll find colorful articles, photos and more information about the 95+ operators around North America.

Heli-Ski Holiday is a central source for booking a heli-skiing vacation in western Canada.

Expert skiers and snowboarders seeking the tough, steep backcountry-style inbounds extreme terrain know locals provide the best "where to" tips. Mark Saurer, assistant snow safety supervisor, can lead you to the stashes at Park City Mountain Resort.

Expert skiers and snowboarders seeking the toughest and steepest inbounds extreme terrain know that locals provide the best "where to" tips. Josh Madsen knows all the backcountry-style terrain at The Canyons intimately.

Which Colorado resort has outstanding inbounds extreme ski terrain reachable by hiking and some of the 22 lifts opening up 126 trails on 2,465 acres of skiable terrain?

If you're an extreme sports junkie,here's where you can find top extreme sports videos and places where you can enjoy them yourself.

Bredeson Outdoor Adventures niche is snowshoeing and hiking trips in the U.S. and Europe. Custom self-guided and privately guided trips are popular.