The world's scariest ski runs: terror at the top

Peter Hardy stares into the abyss and picks the world's most fearsome ski descents.

In skiing, as in real life, there are moments when you fervently wish you were somewhere else. It's the sort of feeling you get when you are poised at the top of a notorious run, a battalion of butterflies in your stomach as you contemplate the steepness of the slope and sharpness of the turns.

That sensation will be familiar if you have tried the following runs. Ultimately, many do not present great difficulty for experienced skiers. But contemplating entry into them and the crucial first turns will have even old hands taking a deep breath before they take the plunge.

La Chavanette, Avoriaz, France

Fear Factor TTT

The name is unfamiliar to most skiers but its sobriquet – the Swiss Wall – strikes terror into the hearts of those in the know, who recognise it as one of the most rapid descents on any piste map.

"For experts only," says the sign at the top. If that's not enough to instil a sense of dread, the angle of descent will – it is so steep, you cannot see what lies ahead.

Once you have completed the first half a dozen turns and rounded an overhang, the Wall is revealed as a steep but wide 200m slope. In fresh powder this is benign, but if you are a late riser you will find it heavily mogulled.

In icy conditions it can even be fatal – if you fall you must try to stop yourself immediately.

Erna Low (0845 863 0525, www.ernalow.com), Ski Collection (0844 576 0175, www.skicollection.com), Neilson (0870 333 3356, www.neilson.co.uk)

Read the Avoriaz piste guide, taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard 2011

Delirium Dive, Sunshine Village, Alberta, Canada

Fear Factor TT

Delirium Dive is a classic steep slope on Goat's Eye Mountain in one of the three ski areas of Banff/Lake Louise. This is the domain of hard-core skiers; cognoscenti speak of it in reverential tones. The ski patrol adds to the hype by insisting you wear an avalanche transceiver and carry a shovel and probe before you are allowed on the lift.

In fact, the avalanche danger is carefully assessed and the run does not open if there is any risk. The main purpose is to deter intermediate skiers and confine the run to those experienced enough to own their own gear – you cannot rent safety equipment anywhere nearby.

From the top you can't see what lies ahead. The first time I skied it, the visibility was low and I relied only on instructions shouted from below. The second time I spent a little longer on the lip, trying to work out how I had managed to do it. But once you build up the courage to take the plunge, you quickly find yourself in a pleasant bowl with a choice of exits. The most direct one involves a push on the skis or a walk to the nearest lift, while a lengthy traverse to the right offers a further section of powder and a speedier return to the lift.

Ski Safari (01273 224060, www.skisafari.com), Ski Independence (0845 310 3030, www.ski-i.com), Frontier Ski (020 8776 8709, www.frontier-ski.co.uk)

Read the Banff piste guide, taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard 2011

Grand Couloir, Courchevel, France

Fear Factor TT

This is the widest and easiest of the infamous trio of Courchevel couloirs and the only one currently marked as a run on the piste map.

The most difficult part is the path from the cable-car station at La Saulire. In icy conditions, you can't help wondering if your snowplough will end up doing an unscheduled ski jump into Sous Pylons or Emile Allais, the two more demanding descents.

The entrance between bands of rock is not particularly narrow, but it can be made so by the size of the moguls that form and dictate your route. If it hasn't snowed for a week or two, these moguls can be enormous and the first few turns become a question of survival rather than skiing. But the slope quickly widens and the second half can be glorious. Be warned: skiers on the main piste below can see how well you manage to ski it – or fall down it.

Le Ski (01484 548996, www.leski.com), Finlays (01573 226611, www.finlayski.com), Lagrange Holidays (020 7371 6111, www.lagrange-holidays.co.uk)

Read the Courchevel piste guide, taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard 2011

Corbet's Couloir, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, US

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Corbet's has a worldwide reputation as the run that every hard-core skier must do once in a lifetime. It is easily reached from the top of the new cable-car up Rendezvous Mountain. More people come to look than leap and it usually takes several visits before you pluck up courage.

The run does not exceed an angle of 40 degrees and is a comfortable 15m (49ft) wide – a piece of cake, relatively speaking. The terror lies entirely in the start.

The "easy" way is a vertical jump from the left-hand side. If lots of snow has accumulated, this turns into a controlled slide and you are left wondering what the fuss is about. More commonly, you must leap three to four metres. Once your skis make contact with the snow you need to throw your weight forward immediately to regain control and turn sharply to avoid a large rock.

The alternative entry is a jump of at least six metres (20ft). It is scarier, but you avoid the rocks.

Ski Dream (0845 277 3333, www.skidream.com), Skiworld (0870 787 9720, www.skiworld.ltd.uk), Seasons in Style (01244 202000, www.seasoninstyle.co.uk)

Read the Jackson Hole piste guide, taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard 2011

Backside of the Valluga, St Anton, Austria

Fear Factor TT

This run down to the nearby resort of Zürs is technically undemanding – once you have found the nerve to start. It begins at the very top of the most challenging ski area in Austria. You are only allowed into the final sightseeing cable-car with skis if you are accompanied by a qualified mountain guide.

Holding your helmet and rucksack and squeezing in among German and Austrian visitors in overcoats and walking boots, you receive some strange looks – and even stranger ones when you click into your ski bindings on the viewing platform. The problem is entirely in the mind. The first serious slope usually has good snow cover and the angle is far from severe. However, it ends in a precipice. Miss the left-hander through fear and lack of commitment and you will end up on rocks 700m (3000ft) below.

Once you are through the danger zone, a sequence of turns brings you on to the Ochsenboden piste for a long cruise to the village of Zürs and the bus home.

Scott Dunn (020 8682 5050, www.scottdunn.com), Albus Travel (01449 711952, www.albustravel.com), Made to Measure Ski (01243 533333, www.mtmhols.co.uk)

Read the St Anton piste guide, taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard 2011

Tortin, Verbier, Switzerland

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As with all these runs, the degree of terror that Tortin inspires depends on the snow cover. In an excellent season such as the present one, it may be hard to see what the hype is about. If you don't believe me, come back when the powder is less plentiful.

Access to the run is via a traverse from which you must pick your spot and take a left turn onto a wide but steep slope. In high season the moguls that develop here are nothing short of horrible. The further you go, the more frightening they become.

The secret is to head off at the start of the traverse. It is steeper, but you are more likely to stay on your feet. In good powder conditions, this is a glorious and safe run. But when it is icy, a slip can result in long and dangerous slide.

Ski Verbier (020 7401 1101, www.skiverbier.com), Thomson Ski (0871 971 0578, www.thomson-ski.co.uk), Ski Total (0870 163 3633, www.skitotal.com)

Read the Verbier piste guide, taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard 2011