october-2009

MUST-
HAVE ITEM
#1
BURTON HERO
SNOWBOARD
Equally adept in the fun
park or on the piste, the
Hero makes a perfect allrounder
for the two-weeksa-year
snowboarder.
PRICE: €430
WWW.SNOWBOARD
ASYLUM.COM
Best European
Freeriding
Resorts
ST ANTON, AUSTRIA
CLOSEST AIRPORT: Friedrichshafen
THE RESORT: One of Europe’s best allround
resorts (pictured above) is also
one of the most prized powder resorts
in the world. The entire St Anton/
Arlberg area includes St Christoph,
Stuben, Lech, Zurs, Nasserein, St Jakob,
Pettneu, Oberdorf and Klösterle. And
with almost 5,500ha of off-piste terrain
it’d take an entire season to come close
to exhausting the options on offer.
MUST DO: The North Face of the
Valluga is one of the Alps’ prized
scalps. Take a tiny lift from the top of
Valluga I gondola (see Valluga II in
Scariest Lifts), and look forward to a
steep pitch before it opens out into
broad powder fi elds down to Zurs.
FLY TO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN FROM ALICANTE
AND LONDON (STANSTED).
ENGELBERG, SWITZERLAND
CLOSEST AIRPORT: Basel
THE RESORT: This lovely old Victorianera
ski resort should count as a
European must-do for any serious skier.
The mellow atmosphere that pervades
the entire town shouldn’t detract from
the seriousness of the mountain. Head
to the Titlis side of the ski area, where
you quickly fi nd yourself in a serious
high-altitude environment. Essential
runs include Laub – 1,120 vertical
metres of sheer, unadulterated off-piste
joy; Galtiberg, nearly 2,000m of more
varied off-piste; the Steinberg glacier
route from Klein Titlis to Trübsee; and
the east face of Jochstock.
MUST DO: Take the Rotair cable car to
3,020m. It is apparently the world’s
only rotating cable car, so best avoided
with a hangover.
FLY TO BASEL FROM ALICANTE, CAGLIARI,
LONDON (STANSTED), MARSEILLE PROVENCE MP2,
PORTO AND STOCKHOLM (SKAVSTA).
SKI SPECIAL
LA GRAVE, FRANCE
CLOSEST AIRPORT: Grenoble
THE RESORT: Only the French could
come up with a resort like La Grave
– one main lift, a million potentially
deadly crevasses and limitless
freeriding opportunities. This tiny
village offers some of Europe’s most
challenging high-altitude skiing, with
a vertical drop of 2,200m. The ski
area is unique in that 90% of it is
unprepared and unpatrolled, with just
12km of designated pistes and three
ski lifts. The “piste map” says it all
– pick your own route, with care.
MUST DO: After quite technical entry
points, the two primary descents
– Vallons de Chancel and Vallons de
la Meije – offer a mix of steeps, open
powder fi elds and forest. Extreme cliff
drops and couloirs await those with a
guide, equipment, skill and guts.
FLY TO GRENOBLE FROM SIX DESTINATIONS,
INCLUDING DUBLIN, EDINBURGH AND LIVERPOOL.
RYANAIRMAGAZINE
67