4 ways to get your summer skiing fix

With summer in full effect and everyone taking to the trails, rivers, lakes and patios for their recreational fix, it can be easy to forget about the sensation of sliding on snow. But not for long.
There are those who refuse to acknowledge the change of season and will ski 12 months of the year regardless of snow quality or how many rocks they need to ski over. Year-round skiers will spend days hiking up to remote peaks and glaciers or if it’s in the budget, book a trip to the southern hemisphere where winter conditions await.
If you can’t stop dreaming of turns on snow, here’s four ways to get them this summer.

Summer Glacier Skiing
Not all summer skiing involves hours of arduous travel on foot or a flight across the world. Summer glacier skiing is in full swing on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, British Columbia and Windells Camp on Mt Hood in Oregon. Majority of skiers on these glaciers are summer campers training for freestyle, moguls and alpine racing, but there is usually a couple of lanes open to the public for summer skiing. Be aware of the Sun’s intensity at this time of year and keep your skin covered or have the SPF lotion ready for reapplication throughout the day. There are also popular glacier skiing destinations throughout the European Alps.

Go South
There are four options for skiing in the Southern Hemisphere; Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile. South America had a slow start this year, but just this past weekend resorts in Chile had over one metre of fresh snow fall in less than 48 hours. When a storm hits down there, it hits hard and is usually followed by long stretches of sunshine. New Zealand has been having a solid season so far and has exceptional terrain, especially on the South Island. Australian ski fields aren’t really worth visiting internationally, head there for the surfing instead.

Ski Mountaineering
This option should only apply for those with extensive backcountry and mountaineering skills, as travel involves managing hazards such as crevasses and avalanches. Skiing is a much more fun way to descend than painfully walking down from the peak in crampons, just remember ski to the current conditions. Two of the classic summer ski missions in the Pacific Northwest are Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier.

Step into the refrigerator

Did you know you can ski on snow in the United Arab Emirates? Ski Dubai offers 22,500 square metres of indoor skiing within one of the largest shopping malls in the world. You can even hang out with penguins living in a year-round winter habitat. The United Kingdom also has a few indoor ski centres and dozens of dry slope areas, where people ski down on lubricated plastic bristles. UK freestyle skier James Woods learnt to ski and jump on these tooth brushes, proving that dry slopes are an effective training tool.