Xinjiang Ski resort

Xinyuan County is the transport hub for Nalati, which means it doubles as a practical, well-connected ski base. Here is how I run it.

Gongliu County sits in the Ili Valley with reliable snow and far fewer visitors than Nalati. Here is how I used it as an uncrowded ski base.

Tekes is famous for its circular ‘bagua’ street plan and its position in the Ili Valley. I used it as a calm, central base to reach Nalati and other Ili snow.

Fuhai County holds Ulungur Lake, one of Xinjiang’s largest, which freezes into a vast white plain each winter. Here is how to pair that detour with a ski trip.

Jeminay (Jeminay) is a tiny Altay county on the Kazakh frontier with almost no ski infrastructure — but as a calm, cheap winter base it has a quiet charm worth knowing.

Qinghe (Qinggil) sits deep in northern Altay with real snow and almost no ski-tourism footprint. Here is what I found when I based there for a quiet powder week.

Habahe County sits on the northern edge of Altay, closer to Kanas and Hemu than Altay city itself. Here is how I use it as a low-key, affordable winter base when the big resorts are full.