10 Top peaks to ski recommended by Ryley Thiessen

Ryley Thiessen (Landscape Architectural Technology '00) alum helped plan Whistler Olympic Park. Here he gives his five favourite and bucket list ski destinations.  


Favourite five ski destinations

Whistler Blackcomb
Probably the best mountain resort I’ve been to, it is one of the only true master planned villages and ski areas. Steep lines, big snow, big recreation and big parties! What else could you ask for? Oh, and I can golf, snowboard and hit the beach all in the same day!

St. Anton, Austria
Good snow conditions and sunny weather, and the best après ski I’ve had!

Vail, Colorado
Great pedestrian resort with European flavour, famous powder and 300 days of sunshine.

Valle Nevado, Chile
Spectacular landscape in the Andes, amazing people, great off-piste skiing and big snow!

Mt. Bachelor, Oregon
Ever skied a volcano? A laid back wilderness experience in the Cascade Range, Mt. Bachelor has huge snowfall, loads of sunshine and great fall-line skiing.

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France
Historical ski destination in the breathtaking French Alps. I want to see for myself what all the hype is about!

Zermatt, Switzerland
Great ski terrain, amazing village, history and an incredible landscape. This is one of Ecosign’s master plans and I want to see it at full 1:1 scale.

Niseko, Japan
Another one of our company’s master plans. After looking at my colleagues’ photos and listening to their stories (best powder and culture), I am sold!

Krasnaya, Polyana, Russia
One of Ecosign’s master plans, it’s the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics. I am tired of hearing and talking about it – I want to hit it!

Mammoth Mountain, California
Big vertical, huge snow, California sunshine and the best terrain parks you could ever hope for.