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International: World Domination >>
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World Domination
Where to get the most action across the globe.Swiss Air
Engelberg, Switzerland
The 3,000-vertical-foot (914-vertical-meter) Laub couloir, just off Engelberg's main run (www.engelberg.ch), is reason enough to hit central Switzerland's highest resort. Board the Luzern-Stans-Engelberg Railway ($25; www.rail-info.ch), which stops at the 800-year-old base village, then ride the world's first rotating gondola to 9,905 feet (3,019 meters) on Mount Titlis to reach any of Engelberg's 51 miles (82 kilometers) of trails. Head off-trail in the Titlis, Jochpass, or Trüsbee areas, and finish the day with a local kirsch at the Hotel Engelberg ($75, including breakfast; www.hotel-ngelberg.ch), in the car-free village center.
Hot Zone
Gulmarg, Kashmir
Travel-savvy skiers are anticipating snow instead of mortar rounds falling on Kashmir's slopes this winter. After 20 years of conflict in the area, Gulmarg Ski Resort's long-awaited gondola tops out at over 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) on Aparwat Mountain, in the northern Pir Panjal range. Drop into the 3,000-foot (914-meter) (chutes bordering the lift on an $11 daily ticket or tour into virtually limitless Himalayan backcountry from the summit. The folks at ski-bum hub Kashmir Alpine can arrange a guide ($35 a day; www.kashmiralpine.com) and book you a room at the 1940s Hotel Highlands Park ($108, including all meals), the only place in Gulmarg that serves alcohol.
Latin Latitude
Las Leñas, Argentina
What will you do on your summer vacation? Head south. With 4,035 vertical feet (1,230 vertical meters), Argentina's flagship hill rivals Europe's megaresorts for skiable terrain from June through September. The Vulcano area is an ideal prep pad for Las Leñas' 11,253-foot (3,430-meter) summit. From there, move to the upper Marte chair and ski Jupiter I, or traverse from the top of the Iris lift to the pristine slopes and hidden couloirs of El Collar. Piscis Hotel ($1,450 a week per person, including meals and lift tickets; www.laslenasski.com) is an ideal Andean base camp, or you can opt for renting a fully equipped luxury apartment in the village with up to seven of your friends ($1,450 a week; www.laslenasski.com).
Weiss and Virtue
St. Anton, Austria
St. Anton's 9,222-foot (2,811-meter) summit is just high enough to get consistent snow in the midst of Europe's big melt. (Er, thanks, global warming.) With nearly 5,000 vertical feet (1,524 vertical meters) and 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) across five mountains—not including neighboring Zürs and Lech—St. Anton am Arlberg is one of the Alps' biggest resorts. Hit the slopes on Valluga and Schindler Spitze for rare Euro powder, then get über-gonzo at a rowdy Tyrolean après with DJ Didi Diesel at Sennhütte, just one of 80 bars in town (www.stantonmarlberg.com)
Weekend getaways
