Here Are the 9 Best Destinations for Late Season Skiing ...

Switzerland's Zermatt is one of the world's rare ski resorts where winter sport enthusiasts can enjoy not just late season skiing but true year-round skiing. Zermatt's ski lifts take you to the dizzying height of 3,899 m above sea level, allowing skiers to take advantage of excellent snow conditions at higher altitudes until early May, when the summer skiing season starts on the glacier.

Having convenient access to a glacier and covering a ski area that sits at altitudes of 1,800 to 3,500 m, the Swiss resort of Sass Fee is a great choice for late season skiing. The pistes have plenty of snow and the resort's charming chocolate-box chalets make a lovely change from high-rise hotels and apartment blocks found at other high-altitude ski resorts.

Can you believe there’s a ski resort that has more than 300 days of sunshine a year? Well it exists and it’s Mammoth in California – one of premier mountain resorts in the USA. It’s a resort much loved by skiers and snowboarders and there’s always plenty of action, right up until season end – which is usually June.

Val Thorens can boast the highest altitude among Europe's ski resorts, with most of its pistes sitting at more than 2,000 m. The greater altitude means snow remains cooler for longer and ski lifts still operate in early May. If you have to pick a valley from the enormous Three Valleys ski area in France, pick Val Thorens for late season skiing.

Arguably northern Europe's largest and most advanced ski resort, Åre is certainly Sweden's number one, offering skiers a season that begins in November and ends in May. There are 100 pistes on offer, including some with night skiing, and snow conditions remain pretty good, making late season skiing a smorgasbord of choices at Åre.

The Swedish ski resort Rikgransen lies 200 km above the Arctic Circle, right on the icy border with Norway in the Land of the Midnight Sun. As one of the world's most northerly ski resorts, Rikgransen provides skiers with the chance to enjoy late season skiing until the end of June, when the lifts finally stop ferrying winter sport fans up to the pistes and the snow conditions are still very good indeed.

Boasting a tax-free status is always a great boost for a ski resort, because it means skiers can eat and drink for less and spend more money on hiring equipment or going on shopping sprees in the resort's chic boutiques. Livigno is one of Europe's higher-altitude resorts, boasting pistes to 3,000 m and good snow conditions throughout the extended season. Popular because of its sunny location, it is part of one of Europe's largest terrain parks, where late season skiing is usually still great in late April and early May.

Get a taste of the Orient and its love of snow sports at Gassan, located in Yamagata on the main Japanese island of Honshu. Thanks to snowfall of up to 8 meters, Gassan is inaccessible all winter and doesn’t actually even open its slopes until April. The lifts then remain open until July and skiers and snowboarders come here to enjoy nearly 1000 meters of vertical snow playground.

Winter sports fans must fly into Vancouver and then board either a coach or hire a car for the remaining 2-hour journey along the gorgeous scenic route of the Sea to Sky highway before they reach Whistler. Upon arrival they can be sure to find excellent late season skiing. The glacier that is part of the Blackcomb Mountain range ensures snow conditions remain good until June. Whistler is frequently named as one of the world's best ski resorts and to uphold this reputation the resort provides excellent slope grooming and has invested in fantastic snow-making facilities. As a result, Whistler enjoys a long season.

There are some golly good reasons to go late season skiing – it’s cheaper, it’s quieter and it’s sunnier, And with these great destinations, what’s not to love?