While Britain bakes, some of the world's finest heli-skiing can be found in the Southern Hemisphere. Leslie Woit samples the Chile season

So you want to be the next ‘Chalet Girl’? The ski season might feel a long way away, but companies are already taking bookings for the 2013/14 winter season

The end of the ski season is imminent ... but the snow is still falling and there are deals to be snapped up. All the below fly out from the UK in the next fortnight and get you a week on the slopes for under £400, excluding equipment and lift passes.

It's been another year of great snow

The current ski season is in full swing, and still looking good for snow cover almost everywhere, but already news for 2013-14 is starting to appear.

Here you can ski in the Sierra Nevada then slope off to the seaside resort of Marbella

Head north for unspoilt wilderness, snow-covered forests of grizzly bears and some of the most remote skiing you're likely to find

Andermatt had fallen off the British skier's piste map, but new upmarket developments will change that

Matt Carroll visits Innsbruck on a bespoke winter break to find out how to do it

Accessing the Norwegian slopes via a speedboat in the Arctic, Colin Nicholson discovers new thrills high above the fjords

Straddling the French-Swiss border, this ski area was once a haven for smugglers. Colin Nicholson encounters customs officers, contraband ... and cartoons

It's too early to say for sure, but the current ski season, now halfway through, is looking as if it will be the one that sees a return to growth in skier numbers after four seasons of decline. Specialist travel agency Ski Solutions (020-7471 7749; skisolutions.com) is among those reporting record-breaking January sales, with bookings up 23 per cent.

It’s not too late to hit the slopes. Whether you’re looking for beginner’s tuition, black-run thrills or après partying, Sophie Morris has the essential guide to the top short-haul resorts for last-minute powder

Head to the Italian resort of Courmayeur to enjoy the Vallée Blanche without the crowds of Chamonix

Forty years after his first attempt at skiing, Mark McCrum tries again in the French Alps