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Discover the coolest slopes to head to this winter for a spot of snowboardi­ng

Travel journalist and former snowboard instructor Tamara Hinson picks the top ski resorts to head to this winter

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For snowboarde­rs, there’s a lot to get excited about in the beautiful Swiss ski resort of Gstaad ( gstaad.ch/en.html) this season: the new Saanenmöse­r-Saanersloc­h gondola makes it easier to get to the best slopes, giving you more time to explore this enormous, interconne­cted resort system.

Gstaad is also one of the few resorts where you can dine in a gondola. Book the resort’s Gondel Night Dinner and you’ll enjoy your main course in the Rinderberg Swiss Alpine Lodge, with appetisers served en-route in the gondola.

North America is also a popular choice this year, especially the Canadian resort of Whistler Blackcomb. To start, Blackcomb Mountain’s popular Wizard and Solar Coaster chairlifts will be replaced with a shiny new 10-passenger gondola, while Whistler Mountain gets a new six-passenger high-speed chairlift. The resort will also become a more affordable option for snowboarde­rs on a budget, thanks to the opening of Pangea, Canada’s first ever pod hotel ( pangeapod.com, from £25 a night).

Want dramatic views and fresh powder? Head to the French resort of Tignes ( en.tignes.net). The new Grande Motte cable car has floor-to-ceiling windows, providing spectacula­r views of Tignes’ glacier.

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