Skiing News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

What Is Après Ski? The Ultimate Guide to Ski Resort Nightlife

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Mar 16, 2025 6:46 AM ET

Après ski is quite literally the French phrase for "after skiing," but après is so, so much more than that.

Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates.

What Is Après Ski?

In reference to activities done after skiing, the term was coined in the 1950s and can be just about anything.

Most commonly, après involves enjoying food and drinks at slope-side spots after a day on the mountain. A good après can be as mellow as a beer on your tailgate in the parking lot, and as wild as massive parties like those thrown at resorts in the Alps.

In short, après can really be whatever you want it to be; it's just a way to treat yourself a little more after a great day of skiing.

Essential Items for Après Ski

There's not really anything too essential to après except maybe a good beverage, but that can be a sparkling water if you want! However, there are a few things that will really elevate your après experience.

If you don't want to keep your sweaty ski helmet on while you après and don't want the world to see your helmet hair, a good hat is a nice thing to have with you. A beanie to keep your head warm or a baseball cap to keep the winter sun off your face are both perfect. If it's particularly sunny, a pair of sunglasses can also be a good idea unless you really want to work on your goggle tan off the slopes.

Unless you've miraculously found the most comfortable ski boots ever, having a pair of shoes to change into for après is a pro move. There's no shame in dancing in your ski boots, but it feels pretty obvious to say most folks want to take their boots off at the end of the day, so having to leave them on even longer because you didn't bring shoes can be kind of a bummer. Pro tip: Grab a pair of puffy booties like the ones from LINE or the North Face to make your feet extra happy during après.

If you're planning to enjoy an après beer outside or participate in a parking lot party, an extra layer can also come in handy. While your ski garb will likely keep you warmer than normal clothes, there are scenarios when keeping your Gore-Tex on and throwing a puffy over it is the best move.

Parking lot après could have its own category of essentials, but just to name a few, a grill, cooler, lawn chairs, sunscreen for spring days and a Bluetooth speaker will all come in handy.

Where To Go for Après Ski

Resorts in Europe often throw huge après parties at base area bars throughout the season, complete with DJs, live music and lots of alcohol. La Folie Douce is a go-to and has locations at Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, Méribel, Alpe d’Huez, Megève, Avoriaz, Les Arcs and Chamonix. Ischgl in Austria is also known as one of the best European resorts for après and has lots of post-ski activities.

The Longhorn Saloon in Whistler isn't too far off the Euro scene and you can hear electronic music bumping from Longie's pretty much all times of day. Whistler, in general, has a lot of great après spots and tons of clubs to keep the party going late into the night if that's your thing.

Many resorts in the U.S. have good après spots near the base and will have live music, après specials on beer, and usually a lot of ski bums who will hang out there late into the evening. Notably, the Mangy Moose in Jackson Hole, the Snorting Elk Cellar at Crystal Mountain and Le Chamois at Palisades are some of the best après bars in the U.S. For resorts without large base areas, the best après usually happens in the parking lot.

Ski mountains like Arapahoe Basin and Mt. Bachelor are known for the parking lot après scene, where you'll find lots of people grilling on their tailgates and sharing beers from coolers with their lot neighbors.

However you choose to après, don't forget to dry your gear out at some point and drink water. There's nothing worse than a ski day ruined by too much après the night before!

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: