Longest Ski Runs in the World 2026
The longest lift-served ski descents on the planet — ranked by length (km) and vertical drop (m). Includes both marked pistes and the most famous off-piste classics.
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| # | Run | Resort | Country | Length (km) | Vertical (m) | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Klein Matterhorn → Zermatt Longest piste descent in Switzerland (multi-piste linked). | Zermatt | Switzerland | 25.0 | 2,279 | Red |
| 2 | Vallée Blanche Off-piste glacier descent from Aiguille du Midi (guide required). | Chamonix | France | 22.0 | 2,807 | Red |
| 3 | La Lunga Klein Matterhorn descent to Valtournenche. | Cervinia-Zermatt | Italy | 22.0 | 2,200 | Red |
| 4 | Sarenne Longest official black piste in the world. | Alpe d'Huez | France | 16.0 | 1,800 | Black |
| 5 | Inferno (Schilthorn) Famous Inferno race course — top to Lauterbrunnen. | Mürren | Switzerland | 15.8 | 2,170 | Red |
| 6 | La Sella Top to village — glaciated upper section. | Saas-Fee | Switzerland | 14.0 | 1,800 | Red |
| 7 | Hochjochabfahrt South Tyrol — top to Reschen lake. | Schöneben | Italy | 12.0 | 1,400 | Red |
| 8 | Blackcomb Glacier Glacier descent through the bowls. | Whistler | Canada | 11.0 | 1,530 | Black |
| 9 | Diavolezza glacier descent Lift-served glacier descent to Morteratsch. | St. Moritz | Switzerland | 10.0 | 1,100 | Red |
| 10 | Wilde Eisalmabfahrt Glacier descent to Mutterberg. | Stubai Glacier | Austria | 10.0 | 1,450 | Red |
| 11 | Lone Peak → base Top of Lone Peak Tram to mountain village. | Big Sky | USA | 9.5 | 1,390 | Red |
| 12 | Saulire → Le Praz One of the longest pisted descents in Les Trois Vallées. | Courchevel | France | 9.0 | 1,700 | Red |
| 13 | Riffelberg → Furi Classic mid-mountain scenic descent. | Zermatt | Switzerland | 8.0 | 1,100 | Red |
| 14 | Happo One Olympic course 1998 Olympic men's downhill course. | Hakuba | Japan | 8.0 | 1,071 | Black |
| 15 | Peak Chair → Creekside Long blue cruiser top to base. | Whistler | Canada | 8.0 | 1,530 | Blue |
| 16 | La Piste de l'Aiguille Rouge Biggest single-run vertical drop in France. | Les Arcs | France | 7.0 | 2,026 | Black |
| 17 | La Grave / Vallons de la Meije Iconic ungroomed off-piste — top to village. | La Grave | France | 7.0 | 2,150 | Black |
| 18 | Combe de la Sache Black piste from Aiguille Rouge to Villaroger. | Les Arcs | France | 7.0 | 1,500 | Black |
| 19 | Karwendel Run Long Bavarian descent — cable-car served. | Mittenwald | Germany | 7.0 | 1,300 | Red |
| 20 | El Águila South America's most respected black descent. | Las Leñas | Argentina | 7.0 | 1,230 | Black |
| 21 | Östra Ravinen Scandinavia's most famous black descent. | Åre | Sweden | 6.5 | 890 | Black |
| 22 | Lyngmark glacier descent Lift-served fjord-side run to Hellesylt road. | Stranda | Norway | 6.0 | 1,100 | Red |
| 23 | Niseko Hirafu top → base Top-to-bottom Hirafu descent in fresh JAPOW. | Niseko | Japan | 5.6 | 940 | Red |
| 24 | Peak 8 → Beaver Run Long blue cruiser top to base. | Breckenridge | USA | 5.6 | 670 | Blue |
| 25 | Olympia (Streif sector) Famous Hahnenkamm valley run. | Kitzbühel | Austria | 5.5 | 860 | Red |
| 26 | Olang Plan de Corones Erta — Italy's steepest groomed piste (60%). | Kronplatz | Italy | 5.5 | 1,300 | Black |
| 27 | Bjornen → Storstugu Hemsedal's longest single-piste descent. | Hemsedal | Norway | 4.5 | 810 | Red |
| 28 | Pista Stelvio World Cup downhill — one of the steepest race courses. | Bormio | Italy | 4.3 | 1,010 | Black |
| 29 | Riksgränsen Top Run Arctic descent toward the Norwegian border. | Riksgränsen | Sweden | 4.0 | 400 | Red |
| 30 | La Face Bellevarde World Cup downhill course. | Val d'Isère | France | 3.0 | 950 | Black |
| 31 | Harakiri Austria's steepest groomed piste (78%). | Mayrhofen | Austria | 1.5 | 500 | Black |
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Frequently asked questions about the world's longest ski runs
The Vallée Blanche in Chamonix (France) is the most famous long descent at around 22 km from the Aiguille du Midi to the town of Chamonix, with 2,807 m of vertical drop — but it's an off-piste glacier route requiring a mountain guide, not a marked piste. For longest marked piste, the Sarenne in Alpe d'Huez (16 km, 1,800 m vertical) is the longest single black piste, and the Klein Matterhorn-to-Valtournenche descent (Cervinia, Italy) reaches 22 km of linked piste with 2,200 m of vertical.
La Sarenne at Alpe d'Huez (France) holds the title of longest officially marked black piste in the world — 16 km from the top of Pic Blanc (3,330 m) down to the Sarenne valley, with 1,800 m of vertical drop. The pitch is moderate by black-piste standards but the length and exposed glacier section make it a serious commitment.
L'Aiguille Rouge at Les Arcs (France) offers Europe's biggest single-run lift-served vertical drop at 2,026 m, top-to-bottom on a black piste. The Zermatt-side descent from Klein Matterhorn to Zermatt also exceeds 2,000 m. For absolute vertical including off-piste descents, the Vallée Blanche (2,807 m) is the European champion.
No — many of the longest runs are red or even blue. The Peak Chair to Creekside descent at Whistler is 8 km of blue cruising, and the Vallée Blanche, despite its length, is graded red (though it requires a guide and roped glacier travel). Long doesn't equal steep — the steepest groomed pistes (Harakiri at Mayrhofen, Streif at Kitzbühel) are quite short.