Skiing isn't for everyone and while novice skiers are following all the pro tips for beginners, there are professionals out there who are taking to the world's most dangerous slopes for a thrill. It could be argued that skiing is one of the most thrilling sports as a person is essentially careening down a mountain at unimaginable speeds just for a rush, and this is also why it's so alluring. There are dangers associated with every sport but when it comes to winter sports, there are more dangers - both seen and unseen - that can make a slope incredibly challenging and dicey.
The sheer amount of focus it takes to maneuver around many of these curves and bends, sometimes going at speeds upwards of 80 miles per hour, is unbelievable. That's part of the reason why skiers are so fascinating to watch and also why the sport has had such a reputation for not being for the faint of heart.
Great Scott In Snowbird, Utah
It's not always the speed that makes a slope so unpredictable. Sometimes, it's the obstacles that stand in the way of the skier and when snowfall covers many of them, it can be a challenge just to navigate without hitting a rock or a generously-coated tree.
Great Scott has a reputation due to all of the giant rocks that are scattered along the run and anyone who has skied before knows how easy it is to go flying over one of them. While much of the time there's a clear run to the bottom, excess snowfalls can make it tough to see what's in front of a person before it's too late, and they're being pitched in the opposite direction of what they intended.
Harakiri In Mayrhofen, Austria
Austria is home to some incredible skiing, some of the best in the country, and its slopes are no joke. Of them, Harakiri is one of the most dangerous in the world.
Anyone who is familiar with Japanese and the term 'harakiri' knows that it's a reference to ritual suicide, so if that's not intimidating right off the bat (and mildly terrifying), then we don't know what is. This slope also has a gradient of 78 percent, which means a skier needs to be perfectly in line with a near-flawless form in order to descend it without tumbling down.
Corbet's Couloir In Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Corbet's Couloir is not as much of a ski slope as it is a straight slide to the bottom. The only difference between this and an actual slide is the 20-foot drop in order to get to it, along with the fact that the entire run is crowded on both sides by rock walls.
Therefore, it's been hailed as one of the most intense in the world simply because of the control it takes to stay on the run, in line with the rock walls, and all this after jumping an uncomfortable number of feet down onto the run.
Black Hole In Smuggler's Notch, Vermont
Vermont is also home to some of the most dangerous - and also the best - ski resorts in the world, and Smuggler's Notch isn't just a popular tourist destination for hiking. In the winter, it becomes a haven for winter sports fanatics and one of the toughest slopes is Black Hole.
According to Snow Brains, Black Hole is home to one of the most intense glade runs on the east coast, and just looking at it is intimidating. The run itself is covered in typical Vermont foliage, from giant rocks to trees that pop up in random locations, and the shelter they provide is what has given this run the name of a 'black hole.'
La Chavanette In Avoriaz, France
La Chavanette is often photographed for many a ski spotlight due to the fact that from the outside, it looks as though skiers are literally sliding down a wall covered with snow.
Much of the run is hidden from sight and it's considered one of the most dangerous slopes in the world, since much of it, due to its elevation, is often covered in snow. The risks associated with attempted this slope are almost second to none in the world.
Paradise In Mad River Glen, Vermont
Europe isn't the only place with off-piste ski runs and Vermont is home to one of its own. Paradise is somewhat of a natural obstacle course similar to Black Hole, but completely untamed and left to Mother Nature's devices.
Along with patches of trees, boulders, rock outcroppings, and even a waterfall that's prone to freezing in the winter, this run is nothing short of a panic attack for the inexperienced skier, since the run is virtually never the same.