Val d’Isère, France: One of the world’s great all-round resorts will be hosting next year’s World Championships on February 2-15. La Face de Belle-varde, Val’s most famous black piste, will be off-limits during the competition and for several weeks before, but any speed-freak worth his or her salt will want a crack at it once the circus has left town.

Selva, Italy:The Dolomites are mostly known for their smooth, intermediate-friendly pistes, but at Santa Cristina, near the resort of Selva, you’ll find something a little more testing – the World Cup downhill course known as the Saslong. The crux of it lies over three bumps known as the Camel Humps, and it was years before anyone had the nerve to jump them.

St Anton, Austria: This resort is home to exciting on-piste skiing, notably the long sequence of blacks from the peak of the 2,330m Kapall all the way down to the village. Its strongest suit, however, is the off-piste terrain. There’s plenty for all grades of powder skier and snowboarder. The run that everyone dreams of is on the north face of the 2,811m Valluga. It should not be attempted without a guide.

Whistler, Canada: Whistler, just north of the coastal city of Vancouver, will host most of the ski and snowboard events at the 2010 Winter Olympics. The town has everything from wide, easy pistes to tight tree-skiing and high, open powder fields, plus one of the most energetic freestyle scenes in the world (there are several terrain parks). The only drawback is the weather – don’t expect to get a tan.

Chamonix, France: Sooner or later, every decent skier or snowboarder will want a crack at Chamonix. What really counts here is the high-Alpine off-piste. Chamonix sits in the shadow of the Mont Blanc massif and the choice of big, challenging and life-enhancing descents is second to none. You will need a healthy budget (as well as strong legs) to tackle them, though – hiring a guide who has the highest International Federation of Mountain Guides Association qualification is a must.