Squaw Valley, California

Squaw Valley sits on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, surrounded by six impressive mountains. Skiing started here in 1949, but the fame and fortune of the resort took off when it was picked to host the 1960 winter olympics. The village, still home to several older olympic buildings, is a mostly modern, up-market ski resort.

There are over 4000 acres of skiing, a varied mix of easy slopes, huge bowls, and challenging steeps. Trails don't form the focal point of your skiing - as a rule you pick your own route down the mountain from the top of a chairlift. So chairs are given a green/blue/black designation, to indicate the level of terrain they serve. There's no trail map as such, just a 'Mountain Guide', naming the chairs and other facilities.

Beginners can pick from two different locations - either at the base of the mountain, in the relaxing and friendly atmosphere of the Papoose Learning area, or way up at High Camp (with a great mountain position), which is next to several very easy runs. High Camp is a gondola ride from the ski village, so there's no need for beginners to suffer a long chair ride.

Intermediates can start on the more varied slopes of Snow King (7550'), served by 3 chairs. When you're ready to move up a notch, try Siberia Bowl, just below the summit of Squaw Peak (8900'), a perfect place for improving intermediates.

Experts will head up to the summit of KT22 (8200'), a steep mountain famous providing adrenaline-junkies with a high-dose fix. Check your level on Moseley's Chute 75, a much discussed benchmark mogul run, a favorite of the Olympic Gold Medalist Jonny Moseley.

There's plenty of accomodation in the ski village itself, and staying in the village (rather than elsewhere round the Lake) avoids any 'commuting' along busy Hwy 89. In the evening there's a good range of shops and restaurants available. Nightlife is somewhat limited, but the club ZenBu can be recommended for its rocking feel.