Vemdalsskalet

People praise the many chairlifts, one wind-shielded, and the six-seater at the children's area that cleared the nursery-slope queue. Lifts sit a couple of hundred metres from the village centre, runs are long, greens and blues plentiful, with something left for a confident skier. Snow cover is dependable, the season opens early, and the ski school is commended for small groups and attentive instructors.

Capacity is where it falls down: at busy times queues build, especially on Skalstoppen in the afternoon once the sun swings round. Strong wind closes the chairlifts and the system all but stops. Runs are skied off to ice quickly, better skiers rate the grooming poorly, and there is essentially no off-piste, as the top of the hill is blasted rock. Short lift hours, a pricey pass, paid parking and dear food all come up, as does snow clearing that reaches the apartment paths last.