Flies Mouche
Flies Mouche
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Have fun off-piste
You won't have to wait in queues for lifts, sneak your way through hordes of tourists clogging the pistes, or wait behind kiddie snow-schools traversing the whole piste. Instead you will get to ride in powder, with space to turn when you want to and all you can hear are the birds.
You will however, need to possess a good amount of skill and avalanche awareness as well as an avalanche transceiver and it's a good idea to hire a local guide. It's also definitely worth getting insurance because if something does go wrong you may need to be airlifted off the mountain and this is a rather costly experience.
When done correctly, and with a guide it is probably the most fun you can have on the mountain. The snow is powdery and light and you can fly down much steeper slopes than you would be able to on-piste. Also, if you do fall, the snow is so soft that it doesn't hurt and it is actually quite amusing, particularly for the people riding with you, watching you try to get up again.
Europe can easily rival the US and Canada when it comes to backcountry riding. Three of the best areas are the Arlberg region of Austria including St Anton, Lechs and Zurs; Chamonix in France and Verbier in Switzerland.
Arlberg
Renowned as one of the best areas in the world to ski and board off-piste, the Arlberg in Austria has seemingly endless amounts of backcountry riding. Despite rising costs, the die-hard ski and board community from around the world return here again and again because the terrain is challenging and diverse and the snow is deep and consistent.
Consisting of St Anton, Lech and Zurs, the Arlberg is a sprawling ski region so therefore you can find fresh tracks days after the last snow fall. To really explore this region, get off the marked off-piste routes and hire a guide. Get him/her to take you to Langen forest for Narnia-like tree runs, Rendle bowls for creating perfect tracks and for the fearless head to steep Schindler or Valluga summits where you can really test your skills.
Chamonix
Popular with the British, Chamonix is one of France's best, and most well-known resorts and the off-piste possibilities here are astounding. From the challenging, world-famous Vallee Blanche to the Pas de Chevre and areas on the Rognons Glacier, this high-altitude resort on Mont Blanc will thrill even the most extreme and accomplished backcountry skiers and snowboarders.
The Vallee Blanche is a 20km route that takes in crevasses, cornices, and some pretty steep terrain. It starts at over 3000 meters and takes around four and a half hours. It is accessed by the Aiguille du Midi cable car, but then it requires a bit of a hike up the ridge.
Verbier
Part of the Four Valleys region of Switzerland, Verbier has plenty of off-piste areas to get stuck into. Two of the most accessible routes are around the Col de Mines accessed from the Attelas lift or Col de Mouches, reached by traversing to the top of the Chassoure gondola. Both of these routes are of moderate steepness and easy to access, so they will get tracked out by locals and other powder hounds pretty early on, so get up early after fresh snowfall if you want to get first track. But nevertheless they are good fun and offer a variety of routes and terrain to try out and are a great place to make your first mark on off-piste riding.
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