For a true mountain experience you need to escape the resorts and spend a night or two in the backcountry where the snow is pure, night skies leave the Blackpool illuminations in the shadows and the only noise you'll hear is soothing murmur of nature.
1. Le Pi Maï, Serre Chevalier, France
Serre Chevalier is an incredible place to ski but to stay on the mountain in a snug backcountry hotel like Le Pi Maï is unquestionably the best way to experience the mountain in all its pure, natural glory. Having skied in, or hitched a ride on the hotel's cat, relax in front of the communal open fire while tucking into some home cooking and a glass of local wine from the bar. There are six rooms varying in size and sophistication of bathroom fittings but all have unbeatable panoramic views and charming chalet-style decoration. Half board includes breakfast and dinner, with all meals made from fresh, local produce. There is a TGV rail connection between Paris Gare de Lyon and Grenoble, from where you can take a taxi to the hamlet of Fréjus where lift access to the hotel starts. Le Pi Maï is a short, easy ski from the mid-station.
· €135-150 (£105-117) for a double room, including breakfast and dinner. Closest airport: Grenoble, France; lepimai.com
2. Lazyduck, Cairngorms, Scotland
Ideal for mountaineers, hikers, twitchers and skiers who want a cheap getaway from Cairngorm and Lecht, the Lazyduck is a cosy, independent hostel in the heart of Cairngorm's national park. Tucked away in a pine forest close to the village of Nethy Bridge, Inverness-Shire, the Lazyduck boasts views across the moors to Cairngorm and Bynack More. The lodge has space for eight guests in total, split between a bunkroom and a gallery that offers a degree of privacy for a couple, or can fit four - bed linen, blankets and duvets are all provided. There's a self-catering kitchen and BBQ on the covered deck in the garden and groceries can be ordered in for your arrival. However, perhaps the finest addition to the Lazyduck is the woodshed sauna.
· £10 per person / six or more persons for private booking. Access is either by foot or car. Closest airport: Aberdeen; lazyduck.co.uk
3. L'Esprit d'Equipe, Tromsø, Norway
In 1986, L'Esprit d'Equipe won the Whitbread Round the World Race but has since been converted into a floating base for some of most inaccessible skiing in Norway. Sailing the fjords of the Lyngen Alps, the yacht drops guests off by dinghy to hike and ride the untouched slopes. The 55ft yacht can accommodate up to seven guests in addition to the skipper, one-man crew and mountain guide. Everyone mucks in with the sailing (supervised of course) and domestic chores. Bedding is provided, as is food and tea and there's a living room complete with bar for evening entertainment. Throughout the winter and spring L'Esprit d'Equipe leaves Tromsø harbour on its eight-day tours. This has to be the most environmentally friendly way to get your skiing fix.
· €2,260 (£1,765) per person for an eight-day tour leaving from Tromsø harbour. Closest airport: Tromsø, Norway; infohub.com/vacation_packages/2097.html
4. Margy's Hut, Aspen, US
Named after the wife of the former Secretary of State Robert McNamara, who financed the build of this hut, Margy's forms part of a chain of backcountry huts in the Aspen area. At an elevation of 3,344m (11,300ft), the hut has stunning views of the Elk Mountains and according to the locals some of the best skiing along the trail. Although basic, it has all the amenities that a mountain-user would need including a piping hot wood-burning stove and pads and pillows on the beds. The hut can sleep 22 at a push - in a private double occupancy room, a bunkroom for four and a communal dorm that sleeps 16. Aspen Expeditions organise tours of the Braun and 10th Mountain Division huts and their professional guides will keep you safe, light the stove and cook. The hut is a 10-mile hike or cross-country ski from Aspen so using a guide is advisable.
· Independent visitors to the 10th Mountain Huts can make reservations over the phone and pay the nightly fee of $28 (£16) plus tax by card. Closest airport: Aspen, Colorado; aspenexpeditions.com
5. Island Lake Lodge, British Columbia, Canada
Situated on the backside of Fernie, Island Lake Lodge has access to 7,000 acres of dry Rocky Mountain powder. From the lodge, Powder Cowboy Catskiing ships groups of 12 skiers to the peaks, with a normal day comprising 10 to 15 runs, or 10,000 to 14,000 vertical feet (3,048 to 4,267 metres), of pure powder bliss. Gourmet food, fine wine and spa treatments await back at base, where the oldest of the four chalets acts as a hub for all après ski activities and dining. The other three lodges have eight to 10 rooms each, with queen and king size beds in the deluxe rooms that also feature soaker tubs and showers. For most of us, due to price, Island Lake Lodge would be a once in a lifetime experience but this is one place worth blowing the budget for.
· Fly to nearby Cranbrook from Calgary or Vancouver and drive to the lodge in an hour. CAD$230-290 (£112-141) double occupancy with room and breakfast, CAD$45 (£22) per additional guest; islandlakeresorts.com, closest airport: Cranbrook, BC
6. Neuhornbachhaus, Austria
Neuhornbachhaus is located in one of the most snow-sure areas of Austria. A service lift will transport your luggage to the isolated lodge, at 1,700 metres (5,578ft), while you either hike up through snowy forests or take a comfortable ride in a cat. Once up there, the first things you'll notice are the stunning views and alluring faces that surround the cabin, ideal for ski touring, hiking and riding. For those not experienced in backcountry skiing the resort of Diedamskopf is within riding distance. Expert or novice skier, you'll love the hearty atmosphere of this family-run lodge, which can host up to 60 guests, serves traditional Austrian cuisine and offers incredible sunsets from the huge deck in front of the house.
· Double room including breakfast and dinner, sauna plus luggage transport: €40-52 (£31-41) per person. Closest airport: Friedrichshafen, Germany from where you can drive to the base station of the service lift, which is also where the trail begins and the cat makes its pickups; neuhornbachhaus.com
7. Carpe Diem, Austria
At Carpe Diem it is not only the snow-covered log cabins that are reminiscent of Canada. The surrounding peaks of the Austrian Alps, that rise up to 3,000 metres (9,843ft), promise a backcountry experience that will not fail to thrill. The seven luxuriously furnished chalets, which can house up to nine guests each, are equipped with kitchen, sauna and fireplace and have direct access to the slopes of the Hochkönig resort. You can book an experienced mountain guide for hiking tours of the surrounding summits or just ride the resort groomers. Either way after a leg-burning day in the powder, you can sample the best in Austrian wine and cheese and wake the following morning to the smell of freshly baked bread.
· €219-379 (£171-296) per chalet per night (utilities not included) closest airport: Salzburg; huettendorf.com
8. Berggasthaus Herzogstand, Germany
In 1865, the Herzogstand mountain became famous when Bavaria´s "dream king", Ludwig II, built a house here at 1,575 metres (5,167ft). After a fire in 1990 it was rebuilt and is now used as a mountain inn and restaurant – be sure not to miss the suckling pig. Accessible either by cable car or a two-hour snowshoe, the hotel offers beautiful Bavarian-styled rooms with astonishing views of the surrounding alpine foothills. The groomed slope down to the valley is over 4km long but you can hike further up to the summit and explore the chutes and powder runs that range in difficulty from easy to advanced. This mountain is still a local secret so chances are you'll be laying first tracks.
· Double room including breakfast: €32 (£25), dormitory including breakfast: €22 (£17). Closest airport: Munich; berggasthaus-herzogstand.de
9. Kreuzeckhaus, Germany
Access to Kreuzeckhaus, at 1,652 (5,420ft) metres above sea level, is via a comfortable gondola. It's surrounded by the highest mountains in Germany, including the Zugspitze, and has the most stunning vistas of the surrounding peaks. The house is run by mountain guide Bernhard Bruckdorfer who lives there with his family nearly all year round and, in addition to serving up traditional Bavarian food, might also share his favourite ski touring routes, of which there are plenty to choose: the resort also offers plenty of scope for both piste riding and backcountry. Don't expect luxury up here though; the rooms are basic but clean and bringing your own food is optional. For a peculiarly backwoods experience, sleep in the dormitory on one big mattress with 30 other people.
· Double room: €19 (£15), dormitory: €14 (£11), breakfast: €5,80 (£4.50). Closest airport: Munich
alpenverein-ga-pa.de/kreuzeckhaus.html
10. Sulzfluh, Switzerland
Up-to-date accommodation meets centuries old tradition. Embedded in the Swiss Alps and not far from the world famous ski resorts of Davos and Klosters, this cabin at the bottom of the Sulzfluh mountain has served as a shelter for hikers, climbers and skiers since 1875. Well, "shelter" is a bit of an understatement. Despite only having candles and paraffin to light your evenings, you can not only enjoy the comfort of the restaurant but also take a bath in the outdoor hot tub and sleep in private rooms with traditional wooden interior. The cabin is the perfect starting point for ski tours and snowshoeing into the vast alpine area of the village of St. Antönien, which also has several lifts to ride.
· Double room including breakfast: €53 (£41)
Closest airport: Zurich (1,5h); sulzfluh.ch
· Danny Burrows is the editor of Onboard snowboarding magazine
· This article was amended on Wednesday October 22 2008 to change an incorrect spelling of British Columbia as 'Colombia'.
