Why Uzbekistan is the most thrilling ski destination you’ve never considered

Untouched slopes accessed by helicopter and metres of light, dry powder: this secret snowsports paradise won’t stay undiscovered for long, says Sophie Ibbotson

It’s oh so quiet: Heli-skiing on untouched Uzbekistan slopes (Fry Film )

“Uzbekistan has the best snow of anywhere in the world.”

I’m sitting in a pop-up igloo two hours drive from Tashkent when the untanned Dane in front of me drops this outrageous claim. Had anyone else uttered such words I’d have dismissed it as hyperbole, but Thomas Thor-Jensen knows his stuff. A ski industry veteran, he spent 30 years working in the French Alps, including 12 years as the director of operations for Courchevel.

Thomas arrived in Uzbekistan 18 months before the pandemic with the unprecedented challenge of building a world-class ski resort from scratch. With one maverick investor, a team of 20 expats, and now upwards of 300 local staff, he defied every expectation and actually pulled it off. Amirsoy Mountain Resort opened its doors on 21 December, 2019.