What is the steepest ski trail in the east?

Answer 1

Note: All runs are at a ski resort. They are NOT backcountry and all labeled runs by the resort.

At 78% (38º), Harakiki in Mayrlofen, Austria is the steepest piste in Austria, and highly possible to be the steepest in Europe.

But in no way does Harakiki compare to ANY of the steepest pistes in North America. Unlike in Europe, America labels 90% of the mountain with runs. In Europe, it is probably a small 5-10%. Therefore, America has much steeper slopes.

Now, if you were to ask a skier who doesn't really research the subject of skiing, than they would easily say Corbet's Couloir as it is very famous. 15-30 foot on average drop in (and going up to 50 feet in high seasons), landing on a 50 degree slope after a hard right turn, and then making another turn (back-to-back) on a 40 degree slope before mellowing out (to about 20-30 degrees). It seems likely, if you didn't know a lot about other pistes/runs, that you would think it is the steepest. It's hard, it's tough, it's challenging, but it's not very steep compared to other runs.

If you're talking about distance, some extremely steep continuous runs are Spanky's Ladder and Blowhole at Blackcomb, Canada; Hueves Grandes at Mammoth Mountain, CA; and Tuckerman's Ravine off Mount Washington, NH. But if you're just talking plain steep, just for a few turns, you can't beat The Palisades at Squaw.

The most classic route off the palisades is the Chimney Sweep. Air 15' in off the cornice, feel the acceleration of the four-foot wide 60 degree ramp, and get ready for a 25' cliff at 40 mph. As Palisades legend Scot Schmidt says in Greg Stump's License to Thrill, "What's tricky about this thing is the bottom part. It's like a 90 meter jump."

Now probably the most heralded line on the Palisades, Schmidiots is a 67-degree ramp littered with horizontal steps of rock. The route usually involves snow contact for a second, picking your feet up over five feet of rock, landing and then immediately airing 20' of rock, touching down for a split-second in a 2'-wide sliver and making a crucial re-direction right before airing again. Brace for a possibly brutal transition at the exit and feel free to claim if you're still upright--if you stuck it in medium snow levels. In huge years the entire ramp can be coated by white rime and becomes a fast but standard straightline.

Now, what about the famous expert galore Jackson Hole? Well, did you know that there are very few spots that go over 42 degrees and in bounds? Barely anything hits 50 degrees!

Another of the steepest runs in the world is Rambo at Crested Butte, Colorado. At 56 degrees, it's marketed as the steepest cut run in North America.

After skiing down one of the relatively easy double-black runs in the North Face, you take a catwalk down to the run. The most popular drop-in is off to the side, because going down the front is basically a cliff. The run is littered with moguls and small trees. Luckily for some, the run is only 300 ft. long, spilling those who go down it into a blue.

Answer 2

The steepest ski slope in the east of the Alpes is harakiri in Mayrhofen.

Answer 3

6288'. Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Answer 4

Outer Limits at Killington VT

Answer 5

Tuckerman's Ravine baby!