Off Piste Freeriding Places

I started this thread on another forum and it has proved to be quite interesting with different routes being shared so I thought I would share it here as well.

As someone wrote 'You have an "encyclopedic" knowledge of the Paradiski area'. I thought, yeah why not share with everyone some of the places I like to freeride.

First I shall look at my back garden area then move onto such places as the 'Three Valleys' and 'Espace Killy'. Places I know equally as well. Many of you who have joined our little group will recognise some of these places.

So here goes, please feel free to add comments about any of the places I mention if you have skied or boarded them yourselves or even just dream of doing so. But always remember never go off piste without the full safety kit and if you do not know the area very well, take a guide. Stay safe out there.

To kick this off a little video from youtube made by some people I know. This is one of the routes we do quite often when there is fresh snow.

And I am not in any of the videos as they all come from youtube.

First Tracks on Aiguille Rouge after fresh snow fall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csdU_sVUJMY&feature=related

It is all on either side of the piste at the top of AR, but with a number of variations. If you look carefully there are some steeper lines coming out of the cliffs from the top (part of the very old black there once) and at the bottom through the gully. All glacial areas underneath mind so great care needs to be taken. It ends up going out of sight down the Villaroger Black run.

Here is one more before bed just to keep you all thinking of the nice powder that has started to fall in the Alps this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLU3F7c_fBk

How many people recognise any of the places where this video mix of some of the off piste in Les Arcs was made. Quite hard to identify all the routes they have put into this one short vid.

Now that I have whetted your appetite for what is on offer, here are a few routes.

1) Col de la Chal (Nancroix/Pont Bodin).

This is an easy off piste route from either behind the Restaurant at the top of the Transarc, or by walking up to a few metres towards the Ag Grive to take a higher line or further down towards the middle which is the safest line.

Which ever line you take, you can have a great trip down to Nancroix in fresh powder on an easy gradient to the forest and then along the forest track to the valley. Keep in the centre of the valley the whole way down to the forest track going right (easy to see) if you want to avoid any avalanche areas.

Another nice route and quite easy.

2) Grizzly le foret de Notre Dame (Nancroix)

Go to the top of the Grizzly lift, go down the black at the top then cut left into the forest. Stay on the flatter area and slowly make your way through the forest until you reach the church. From the church, down the easy open meadows to end in the village by the same bus stop as the route above. Very little if any avalanche risk on this route.

In case you like skiing with the SCGB Leaders, these routes are no longer allowed to be skied by there leaders according to their new off piste policy in my opinion as a former rep(leader). A pity as many reps (leaders) use to do them.

If anyone is ever interested in meeting up to ski any of these routes, as long as you have the kit you are always welcome to join our group.

We do things of different standards everyday so there is normally always something on one of the days to suit your level. You can either go to my facebook group page to get in touch or meet us at George's Wine Bar in Arc 1950 after skiing most days for a drink and a chat about the next day/weeks plans.

Hope to see old friends and new skiers visiting this season. All are welcome. Oh yeah, ment to say we do this for free as well, just fun to meet others during the season for a good day out.

I'm somewhat new to this forum. In Canada, you almost never here the word "piste" to describe a ski trail. So I'm somewhat unclear if that means "out of bounds" or "in bounds but not groomed",

Anyway, this video is our local hill. We have chair lifts and a Cat skiing operation that all operate within the area boundary of the resort.

What you see here are all "in-bounds marked runs" accessible by either the cat (or a 15 minute hike past the top of the lift). They are avalanche controlled, however because of the massive size of the area, not always patrolled.

The vertical drop is about 3000ft, You start in the Alpine @ 7500ft, through the sub-alpine, and exit in the montane @ about 4500ft.

To gain access (to the non lift accessible runs), you must have shovel, probes and transceiver. No one is allowed in alone.

One storm can provide fresh tracks for a week!!!

And like SnowCrazy2005 said, if you're EVER in our area, give me a shout, I'd love to take you for the ride of your life!

There are no friends on a Power day!

In my last post, make that
There are no friends on a Powder day!

I'm sure you got that.

Skipatrollerdave, great video thanks. Would be good to get out there someday to ride some of that powder, looks fun.

In Europe we do not have 'out or in bounds'.

Instead we have:

1) On piste, groomed runs.
2) Off piste, not groomed and unprotected areas. (Like out of bounds back country but you are allowed to ski there.)
3) Piste nature which are not groomed but avalanche protected trails or areas. (Similar to in bounds but not groomed.)
4)In some countries there are also Itinerary runs which are not groomed and sometimes avalanche protected but not always.

Thanks Snowcrazy2005, that really helps.

Our area would be 60% piste nature, and 40% piste. Also, the term "massive" is only relative to the resources we have to manage it. I'm sure you would call it, well, small. 1500 people in one day is our all time record. We have about 3500 skiable acres.

What's interesting is in the video, the chutes in 0:06 to 0:15 are lift accessible "piste nature" runs. At 0:08, the run is called Lone Star, it's Canada's highest and longest continual fall line. 1500 vertical feet, with an average pitch of 37 degrees. AT the top, where you enter it's about 55 degrees. Definitely some "pucker factor" getting in, the bottom is pretty tame.

Two years ago, I witnessed a class 4 avalanche (controlled) go the entire slope, and up the other side of the valley. VERY COOL!

AHHHH,, not 0:08, Lone Star is 0:13......