As yet, not all of the world’s mountain ranges can claim to host a resort that is one of The Best Ski Resorts in the World. Particularly those in the more obscure regions of central Asia.

However, you can ski in mountain ranges on five of the world’s continents. There is top-class skiing in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Rockies, the Appalachians, the Andes, the Japanese Alps, New Zealand’s Southern Alps and Australia’s Snowy Mountains.

For ease of indexing and searching, this guide puts every featured ski resort into one of four geographical zones.

Although not yet catalogued by this guide, there is also superb skiing in Iran, the Lebanon and South Korea. Even China has a rapidly growing ski industry. Along with resorts in Georgia, South Africa and Morocco’s Atlas Mountains.

Europe is the spiritual home of alpine skiing. Hence, the Alps are the mountains that most skiers and boarders know best. The Ski Resorts in the Alps have something for everyone.

While resorts in the Alps are often bigger than ski resorts in the Americas. The resorts in the Rockies are frequently better organised, better groomed and more likely to have that essential skiing ingredient: deep powder.