The clientele is both family- and budget-oriented taking advantage of eating places that are cheap

The clientele is both family- and budget-oriented, taking advantage of eating places that are cheap but seriously lacking in cuisine or character. Reporters were impressed by the resort's convenience: "The least amount of walking and the most amount of skiing we have ever done in the Alps." And the difficult location means that it is free of weekend overcrowding Risoul is primarily a beginner and intermediate resort. The skiing looks easy, and most of it is, although experts can find some challenging terrain. It is possible to ski from Risoul to Vars 1850 and back on blue runs.

The green runs, with a children's park and snowmaking at the bottom of Risoul, are some of the most attractive in Europe.Lifts: 54.Pistes: 170km.Tourist info: 00 33 4 92 46 02 60.PARK CITY / DEER VALLEY, USAThese are two of the distinctively different resorts that make up Ski Utah, a market-consortium in the state that produces the finest, driest powder snow in the world. The most central is Park City, which also acts as a bed base for the adjoining ski areas of Deer Valley Resort. Park City's skiing consists of extensive rolling, wooded terrain on the slopes of Jupiter Peak; 48 per cent of the trails are listed as intermediate, and cover every area of the mountain. Deer Valley Resort is a mile northeast, up a winding road lined with multi-million-dollar homes. Skiing here is on three mountains, and beware that the people are as meticulously groomed as the slopes.Lifts: 14 at Park City; 19 at Deer Valley.Pistes: 3,300 acres at Park City; 87 runs, 6 bowls at Deer ValleyTourist info: 001 435 649 8111 (Park City); 001 435 649 1000 (Deer Valley).ASPEN, USAAspen has some of the best skiing in North America for all standards, from complete beginner to advanced. The town of Aspen lies at the foot of Aspen Mountain, and has conserved the low-rise appeal of the original Victorian mining town.

Celebrity status attracts higher prices, but with a little care in your choice of apres-ski, it is still possible to have a moderately-priced holiday. Aspen has four completely separate mountains: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass. Aspen Mountain is strictly the reserve of good skiers and has no beginner slopes, while Highlands has some of the most exhilarating off-piste terrain in the valley.Lifts: 39 in area.Pistes: 4,785 acres.Tourist info: 001 970 925 1940.GEILO, NORWAYGeilo is a traditional resort midway between Bergen and Oslo. The skiing is relaxed and uncomplicated, ideal for novices and intermediates. Although there are seven notional black runs, advanced skiers will quickly run out of steam.

The Vestlia area, with a vertical drop of 244m, has the easiest skiing, including a popular long green run (Bjornloypa), and this is where the excellent ski- and non-ski kindergarten, the Troll Club, is based. The children's ski school is warmly praised, and children under three are well looked after at Geilo's Troll Inn, where they can take part in indoor and outdoor activities Be warned, however, that lunch is not provided. Adventurous parents, meanwhile, could try Aktivitets Guiding for off-piste skiing, or strike out cross-country.Lifts: 18.Pistes: 32.Tourist info: 00 47 3209 5900.MONT TREMBLANT, CANADAIntensive piste-grooming and Canada's largest snowmaking system do much to combat the prevailing icy conditions in this state-of-the-art resort. The old part of Mont Tremblant has been meticulously restored, and the new section artfully modelled on the old quarter of Montreal. The numerous boutiques in the Place du Village are enticing; the resort has a total of 70 shops and restaurants. Part of the mountain has been given over to Xzone, a large floodlit funpark with a half-pipe, jumps and obstacles, while The Edge, with three demanding trails, is reserved for advanced skiers and riders.Lifts: 11.

Pistes: 72km.Tourist info: 001 819 681 2000.OBERGURGL, AUSTRIASituated at the head of the remote and beautiful Otztal, which is a 90-minute drive from Innsbruck, Obergurgl benefits from a high altitude that means guaranteed snow from November until after even the latest of Easters. However, its limited piste skiing can deter serious skiers who might otherwise be drawn to this small, charming village. The wealth of four-star hotels attracts an upmarket, but by no means aloof, clientele - predominantly from Germany, but traditionally bolstered by British families, and despite the village's size, it boasts a surprisingly active evening life. There is plenty to keep less adventurous snow-users and families occupied in the truly magnificent, unspoilt surroundings. Complete novices start on nursery slopes set well away from the village, and improvers can benefit from easy skiing in both Obergurgl's main sectors.