It's an icon, a final exam, the ultimate box that all serious skiers need to tick. So no pressure then. Tom Robbinspeers into the abyss of Corbet's Couloir in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Will his nerve hold?

  Escape's guide to the latest, slickest and most fashionable kit to be seen in this season.

  Once chalet holidays meant shared bathrooms, stodgy food and gallons of plonk - not any more. Here we check out four of the best new luxury properties.

  Former ski racer Martin Bellgets a peek inside the world's most exclusive resort - the Yellowstone Club in Montana - a mountain for members only.

  Saas Fee | Whistler | Val Thorens | Tignes | Hintertux

  Matt Carrolljoins 2,500 British students on their week-long bash in Les Deux Alpes and discovers that skiing is the last thing on their minds.

  Whether beginner, ski veteran, party animal or boarder, our panel of ski experts can suggest an ideal destinations for you, from quaint villages to raucous resorts.

  Anne-Celine Jaeger heads to Avoriaz just seven weeks after the birth of her son and discovers that Pampers and powder do mix

  Slains Castle, reputedly the inspiration for the vampire's fortress, is to become holiday flats.

  A ski holiday with no snow sounds like a recipe for disaster. But it's not all bad news, writes Fiona Elliott.

  Some very unlikely locations are emerging as snowboarding destinations. Matt Barr, author of Snowboarding the World, picks four hotspots.

  Ekow Eshunis known as director of the ICA, and a regular on BBC's Newsnight Review, but beneath his sharp suits lurk the baggy pants of a snowboarder. We sent him to Japan to indulge his passion for powder.