What type of après skier are you? The signs you’ve perfected the art of piste-side partying

As strange as it sounds to seasoned skiers, there has been some confusion about what, for some, is the best bit of our strange holiday hobby. According to Ahrefs, there are 368,000 monthly global searches for après-ski-related keywords.

Blame the exotic use of the French language, or just the variety on offer, but some have even asked what après ski actually is.

In short, it’s the sort of thing that can make or break a ski holiday, so make sure you get it right – you don’t want to be downing flaming sambucas, after all, if you would rather have a nice glass of white wine, or on a table dancing in your ski boots if you’d rather a torchlit stroll and fireside s’mores.

What is après ski?

Put simply, après ski is the chosen activity (most commonly, drinking and dancing) after you finish skiing or snowboarding for the day.

In a grammatically confounding sort of way, winter sports may have begun with après. In 1864, over dinner and a bottle of wine, Swiss hotelier Johannes Badrutt made a bet with a group of English guests preparing to return home after their summer break. Badrutt was looking for a way to keep his St Moritz hotel open during the winter months.

“Come band and spend Christmas here,” he challenged them. It would be sunnier and less rainy than London, and if they didn’t like it, he would pay all their travel expenses. But if they did like it, they could stay as long as they liked.

In the end, the weather won the day. The English returned and the blue skies over the Engadin Valley persuaded them to stay. Winter sports – and the associated bacchanal that makes them so much fun – was born.

Après ski today has less of a gentleman’s club atmosphere and more of an all-comers approach, but the one thing it has in common is alcohol, snow and the frisson of excitement that anything might happen.

Although there is a growing trend for après-ski activities that don’t involve alcohol, moving instead to activities such as spa visits, sledding and snowshoe hikes.

What do you wear for après ski?

Ski gear, including boots. Otherwise you’re not an après skier; you are just drinking in normal clothes. Which is fine, of course, but in this case you don’t get the idea without the gear – dancing in ski boots (extra points for being on top of a table) is a right of passage for any dedicated après skier.

Where do you après ski?

Anywhere you can ski. There has to be something to do after the ski lifts stop running – which can be any time from mid to late afternoon, depending on where you are in the world and at what time of year.

Certain resorts have become known for having more of a party atmosphere than others.

Ischgl, in Austria, puts on big-name live shows – this year Ellie Goulding did the season opener, the closing party will see One Republic take to the mountain stage.

St Anton, also in Austria, is home to the Moosewirt (moosewirt.at), whose packed dance floor is probably as dangerous as any black piste when you’re throwing shapes in your ski boots.

Val d’Isère in France, home to the original Folie Douce (lafoliedouce.com), is lively to say the least. In Italy, Livigno enjoys tax-free status, so any savings tend to go on partying: the Kuhstall cellar disco is a long-time favourite.

Find more of the best resorts for après ski in our expert guide.

What type of après skier are you?

The five types of partygoers on the slopes, and where you’ll find them

Folie fans

A French institution to rank alongside the Sorbonne and Serge Gainsbourg, La Folie Douce has been going strong since 1974. Part restaurant, part day-time disco/cabaret show, it’s especially popular with British skiers, who have probably spent the equivalent of a small nation’s GDP here over the years.

Find them: In any of the five Folie Douce locations in the French Alps: Val d’Isère; Courchevel, Val Thorens, Avoriaz and Les Arcs.

The connoisseurs

These old timers have been there, seen it and drank that – all before you were born. They have skin-like leather, expensive teeth and tall tales to tell. They prefer to tell them over dinner with a very good wine.

Find them: In the oak panelled hotel bars of Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy, St Moritz and Gstaad in Switzerland, Kitzbühel in Austria and Megève in France.

The teenagers

On the first trip away with their mates – without the watchful eye of their parents – teens will be developing a lifetime aversion to Jägermeister/Advocaat/Génépi while trying to hook up with anyone they fancy. Worryingly, this might be on a school trip.

Find them: anywhere remotely affordable – Andorra, Bulgaria, Slovenia all suit a younger budget.

The injured skier

Likely to get things started early because they’re bored, it’s lucky their drinking arm is still working. Ironically, their injury is more than likely après induced – SWD (skiing while drunk) is an especially dangerous pursuit. And they’re going on all night, because there is no need to be up for the first lift. Or indeed, any lift for the rest of their holiday.

Find them: Anywhere with a bar, because foolishness is universal.

The Japrès skier

Too cool for school, the Japrés skier can congratulate themselves on being far from the madding crowd in the powder-heavy resorts of Japan. As you might expect, Asian après is a little more sophisticated than the European version: a soothing dip in an onsen (a natural hot spring) is especially popular after a day on the slopes. Nazowa Onsen (classic-resorts.jp) is one of the more traditional Japanese resorts.

Find them in: Debt; due to the price of their flights and associated sake and sushi bills. Kanpai!