Rainbow Ski Area , New Zealand

Rainbow Valley, 24km from Saint Arnaud, is one of New Zealand's small-to-middling ski areas – and also one of its more recent (it only opened 18 years ago). The access road, which can become icy, is almost 15km long and involves crossing fords across five streams. Rainbow Valley, in a wide basin with a long central slope edged with steep faces, is fundamentally a beginner-intermediate area. But around the Alan's Way section there are some seriously testing chutes, particularly if you're prepared to hike a little. There's good ski touring, too. In-bounds, the area has four lifts and a vertical drop of 1050ft (320m).

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