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Steepest Ski Pistes 2026
The world's hardest marked ski runs ranked by maximum gradient, sustained gradient and vertical drop — from Mayrhofen's Harakiri (78%) and the Kitzbühel Streif Mausefalle (85%) to Verbier's Bec des Rosses Freeride World Tour venue.
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Bec des Rosses (FWT)
Verbier · Switzerland · max 110% · sustained 60% · 600 m vertical
| # | Run | Resort | Country | Category | Max % | Avg % | Vertical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bec des Rosses (FWT) | Verbier | Switzerland | Off-piste reference | 110% | 60 | 600 m |
| 2 | Corbet's Couloir | Jackson Hole | USA | Marked piste | 100% | 60 | 150 m |
| 3 | Trifides Couloir | La Grave | France | Off-piste reference | 100% | 55 | 800 m |
| 4 | Couloir du Y | Aiguille du Midi | France | Off-piste reference | 100% | 55 | 600 m |
| 5 | Couloir Extreme | Squaw Valley / Palisades | USA | Marked piste | 95% | 55 | 300 m |
| 6 | Banane | La Grave | France | Off-piste reference | 90% | 50 | 700 m |
| 7 | Mausefalle (Streif) | Kitzbühel | Austria | Marked piste | 85% | 27 | 860 m |
| 8 | Body Bag (Crested Butte) | Crested Butte | USA | Marked piste | 85% | 50 | 200 m |
| 9 | Lauberhorn | Wengen | Switzerland | Marked piste | 80% | 25 | 1028 m |
| 10 | Black Hole | Snowbird | USA | Marked piste | 80% | 55 | 250 m |
| 11 | Harakiri | Mayrhofen | Austria | Marked piste | 78% | 60 | 376 m |
| 12 | Grand Couloir | Courchevel | France | Marked piste | 78% | 45 | 500 m |
| 13 | Pas de Chavanette (Swiss Wall) | Avoriaz / Champéry | Switzerland | Marked piste | 76% | 50 | 1025 m |
| 14 | La Chavanette | Avoriaz | France | Marked piste | 76% | 50 | 1025 m |
| 15 | Olympia (Patscherkofel) | Innsbruck | Austria | Marked piste | 75% | 30 | 935 m |
| 16 | Delirium Dive | Sunshine Village | Canada | Marked piste | 75% | 50 | 350 m |
| 17 | Mont Fort south face | Verbier | Switzerland | Marked itinerary | 75% | 55 | 700 m |
| 18 | La Chavanette (Petit) | Champéry | Switzerland | Marked piste | 72% | 45 | 900 m |
| 19 | Stockhorn | Zermatt | Switzerland | Marked piste | 70% | 45 | 600 m |
| 20 | Schwarze Schneid | Sölden | Austria | Marked piste | 70% | 40 | 550 m |
| 21 | Face de Bellevarde | Val d'Isère | France | Marked piste | 70% | 36 | 950 m |
| 22 | Stairway to Heaven | Verbier | Switzerland | Marked itinerary | 70% | 45 | 800 m |
| 23 | Tortin | Verbier | Switzerland | Marked piste | 65% | 45 | 750 m |
| 24 | Sarenne | Alpe d'Huez | France | Marked piste | 60% | 14 | 2200 m |
| 25 | Inferno (Schilthorn) | Mürren | Switzerland | Marked piste | 60% | 30 | 2170 m |
| 26 | Vallons de la Meije | La Grave | France | Marked itinerary | 60% | 30 | 2150 m |
| 27 | Madloch-Zürs | Lech-Zürs | Austria | Marked itinerary | 60% | 35 | 800 m |
| 28 | Vallée Blanche | Chamonix | France | Marked itinerary | 50% | 12 | 2800 m |
Showing 28 runs. Gradient figures are point-maxima from resort topographic data and FIS race documentation; sustained averages are derived from course profiles. Off-piste reference entries are shown for context only — they are not patrolled, groomed or avalanche-controlled.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Mayrhofen's Harakiri in Austria's Zillertal is the steepest groomed piste open to the public, with a maximum gradient of 78% (~38°) sustained over 376 m of vertical. The Kitzbühel Streif's Mausefalle reaches 85% (~40°) at its initial pitch but as a race course it is only groomed and open under controlled conditions. Corbet's Couloir at Jackson Hole reaches near-vertical at its mandatory entry — but it is a 150 m chute, not a piste in the European sense.
Resorts quote gradient in percent (rise/run) or degrees, and confusion is common. A 100% gradient equals 45°. A 78% gradient (Harakiri) equals 38°. A 50% gradient equals 27°. Most 'extreme' marketing claims compress maximum point-gradient to a marketable headline number — sustained average gradients are typically 15–25% lower than the max. We show both where available.
Marked piste = groomed, patrolled, avalanche-controlled. Marked itinerary = signed and avalanche-assessed by patrol but not groomed and skied at your own risk. Off-piste reference = unmarked terrain shown here for context (Bec des Rosses, La Grave Trifides) — no grooming, no patrol, no avalanche control. The legal and safety implications of each category vary by country.
No. The Mausefalle entry is 85% (~40°) for ~50 m, and the Steilhang section is sustained 50%+ for ~200 m, but most of the 3,312 m course averages 27%. What makes the Streif uniquely demanding is the combination of icy course preparation, blind crests, high-speed terrain features (Hausbergkante jump, Zielschuss compression) and a course that simply does not let the skier rest. It is the hardest World Cup downhill on the FIS calendar.
At the mandatory cliff-jump entry, yes — the entry is a near-vertical 3–6 m drop depending on snowfall. Below the entry the gradient settles to 50–55° (~110–140%) for ~50 m before opening into a 30° apron. Corbet's is famous for the entry, not the descent itself, which is short. Many recreational skiers ski into Corbet's via the easier 'sneak' line on skier's left.