So in your opinion what is the ski bucket list for off piste and why?
Verbier, Cham/Hellbronner, EK, 3V, La Grave, Engelberg, Andermatt, Zermatt, Monterosa and St Anton are obvious candidates for a Euro list. Fieberbrunn is on the FWT circuit as is Vallnord Arcalis in the Pyrenees. Maybe Zinal/Grimentz? What about Eastern CH, Austria, Italy? Lofoten? Anywhere else?
Don’t know NA so well but Jackson Hole, Alta/Snowbird, Aspen, Whistler would surely figure highly? Anyone been to Revelstoke? Kicking Horse? Lake Tahoe? Banff? Any good?
Hokkaido and Hakuba would be up there. Craigieburn in NZ? Portillo in Chile? Alaska must get in. Kamchatka? Mestia in Georgia’s on my list.
Where else?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@BobinCH, can't argue with you list there !! from europe maybe gressonay/ mont rosa is missing
revelstoke with its great vertical and limitless free ride options is amazing , banff , lake louise and sunshine has some great stuff , delirium drive is something else . rogers pass and the whole powder highway area as a tour to free ride destination has to be up there , lyngen alps in norway has endless opportunities
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Mammoth better than anything in Tahoe, found most USA disappointingly over hyped compered to Sunshine Village.
Sea to Sky gondola.
Tanigawadadake, Nozawa Onsen.
How are you defining free ride and off piste? I generally wouldn't call slack country lines easily accessible from resorts bucket list worthy in comparison to some of the back country lines (exception for Chamonix and le grave). Sure they are nice, but not particularly special. When I think of bucket list freeride I'm thinking alaska (heli ski or denali), Baffin island, grand Teton kind of thing.
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abc wrote:
That's a lot of buckets
I would agree I’ve been to a lot of these places and although i might be able to put a tick next to the name it’s the ones I have developed a deeper knowledge of that I consider the best.
Also the big missions, four days to reach Kamchatka to ski boiler plate’ a week visiting temples in Honshu because it the ‘worst year in memory”, blowing hundreds of dollars on ammunition (don’t ask) and sledding in Yellowstone because ‘you got it wrong’ and on and on, all fantastic experiences in themselves but not up there in the all time of personal free ride memories.
I’ve had some of the best unexpected pow days lapping small (completely empty) family resorts a few valleys over from dry famous free ride destinations, or getting the goods days after the storm because you have good local knowledge....That’s not to say I haven’t ‘gotten it’ on some mission high in the Canadian 49th....booyah!!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Another couple to throw in the N. America bucket,... Red Mtn, Aleyaska...
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@Super Steezy, I think you have to base on « average » conditions due to the unpredictability.
@boarder2020, somewhere that left a lasting memory - all of those mentioned did for me. Zinal/Grimentz less so but others love it hence the ? Just got to JH for a weekend for example and loved it. Of course it’s not an Alaska heli trip but somewhere definitely worth having on a list and going if the opportunity arises
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@BobinCH I know what you mean. It depends on outlook. For example I don't really consider "in bounds" at a north america resort as particularly special - literally hundreds of people ski those lines every day. That's not to say those runs can't be the best runs of your life in the right conditions. When I think bucket list I'm thinking once in a life experience and something a little more special. TGR did a pretty good thread on this topic a while ago (https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/301697-Backcountry-Ski-Bucket-List). Personally I think a lot of their choices are more "bucket-list-worthy" than slack country lines accessed from a resort - although that's not to say they make for a more enjoyable ski down. I think remoteness and the challenge of the climb up to earn your turns adds to the experience.
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I guess that you have to live in such places to catch the offpiste in skiable condition. St Anton is known for good lift accessible offpiste but, as usual, when I was there, the offpiste had been rained on and was solid, bumpy ice, Tignes at xmas was almost as bad, last year in the Sella Ronda, there wasn't any snow at all off piste, Canada before that was thin, it's at least 8 weeks of ski trips since I had any snow that was worth venturing off piste for.
I'm off on the gnarbug and sopib at the end of this week, I've bought some wider skis for this trip but I'll certainly be taking my piste skis as well.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@boarder2020, different focus. I’m looking for places to go not specific lines to ski. There are many good lines in Verbier, Cham, La Grave etc. That’s the attraction. Not talking about inbounds - I hiked several nice couloirs out the gates at JH and there were many more
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@tangowaggon, of course there’s a big element of luck when it comes to conditions. Looking for potential of the terrain, not guarantees of conditions.
St Anton (and surrounding villages) would definitely be in mine as would Tignes. Don’t know Sella Ronda.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
BobinCH wrote:
So in your opinion what is the ski bucket list for off piste and why?
Verbier, Cham/Hellbronner, EK, 3V, La Grave, Engelberg, Andermatt, Zermatt, Monterosa and St Anton are obvious candidates for a Euro list.
Sounds tourist list, kind of thing an American would do.
None of the above for me.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Never been to Jackson so don't really know, but are the couloirs outside the gates that much different to the terrain in bounds? At most of the north american resorts I've been to the slack country terrain is not particularly much different to the in bounds stuff - if anything a bit on the tame side compared to in bounds due to avy risk. Obviously slack country gets tracked less quickly so more chance of finding some fresh snow. I would imagine at Jackson a Corbet's drop in being more bucket list like than one of the regular lines off Cody peak but I'm just going off videos.
In terms of places - Alaska, Baffin island, rogers pass all offer numerous days/lines. Plenty of great touring huts all over BC with great terrain. Obviously not suitable if you only want lift served/bootpack.
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Side country vs back country. Seems you wand SC, and your list is solid. Back country some of the stuff outside of sun valley in the sawtooth are amazing. Tons of stuff to do in the cad Rockies away from Banff revel stoke etc. chic chocs in eastern Canada is legendary.
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Think it depends what your level of skiing is.
I have mates who are based in Entreves and their skiing is big steep couloirs, skinning. boot packing to get to them, and they have so much to do there.
For sure a couple of weeks ago I did a couple of the Trifides in La Grave but on the whole I now prefer more mellow lines (though not as mellow as most in Hokkaido).
Last week I was with a group of Scandis and a couple of Yanks (one a guide) and we had three great days in the Queyras.
Which is so different to all the places that have been mentioned so far, Kris who is based in Chamonix was blown away by the area.
As ever when you score great conditions it can bias your opinion
The group do ski well off the beaten track, with Siberia being the next one on the list, for me it can be quite hard to go with a €7k heli trip when I am fortunate to live where I do. Before we settled in Serre Che I did five trips to Lyngen before it was popular.
The guides I know all seem to be trying to outdo each other by going to more far away snow sure but interesting locations, and obviously going Southern Hemisphere, heli in Chile etc etc which maybe should be on people's bucket list as you get to ski in the Summer!
At the end of the day this it what we are all after n'est pas ?
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Quote:
At the end of the day this it what we are all after n'est pas ?
Lovely!
I'd agree, conditions are more important than terrain in making the experience. Also quietness/peace makes a bbig difference (and not just because you don't fight for lines).
That said, I'm sure you'll agree that skiing steep lines in spectacular settings on grippy chalk* can also be an incredible experience even if you don't have powder.
*and before i give the wrong idea, I'm not suggesting I do anything really extreme - genuine 45 degrees feels pretty exciting to me!
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Quote:
One for a lottery win... Mica Heli Skiing!
been there once 12 years ago
In my dreams I'm taking my kids there for my 50th...
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Well, it's certainly all relative isn't it. And my perspective with two kids and age (now 50+!) has changed. I'm quite easily pleased these days. Like the thread though!
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I've done some on Bobs list, but I'd still like to go do them again once I learn to ski properly.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
BobinCH wrote:
abc wrote:
That's a lot of buckets
There are a lot of great mountains to discover!
No doubt. But there's fundamental difference between "great mountains" and bucket list worthy.
I haven't skied enough of the Euro mountains enough to make a judgment. But of your NA list, I'd say Alta/Snowbird would qualify as "great mountain" but not necessarily bucket list. Even Aspen is questionable on that count. Both are unique by NA standards. But I don't see them as the same as Jackson Hole and Whistler skiing-wise. That said, both place are special for NA skiers partly due to their history and their prominent in NA skiing. The skiing are often very good.
- To add to the NA list that are on the same league as Aspen and Alta/bird, Big Sky.
- I'm a little hesitant about Vail. In the right condition, which happens frequently enough, Vail can be fantastic. The key being the "right condition" happens often enough so your chance of hitting it is high.
- I'd put Lake Tahoe ABOVE Aspen. Maybe even above Alta/bird. But it seriously lacks consistency in snow condition. You can either get fabulous condition and a trip of your lifetime. Or be very disappointed, left wondering what all the fuss are about.
- Haven't been to Revelstoke yet. I'd say Kicking Horse is another "great mountain". Whether it's on the same league as the above is a little hard to say.
- Been to Banff twice but snow didn't exactly cooperate to see them at their best.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@abc, what about Crested Bute - I was impressed by the whole attitude there, not at all commercial, almost European in feel, and a staggering snow record.
Though has to be said if you only have a couple of weeks a year and you want to be sure, then Japan is hard to better purely for the consistency of conditions if pow wow is what you are after.
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Weathercam wrote:
@abc, what about Crested Bute - I was impressed by the whole attitude there, not at all commercial, almost European in feel, and a staggering snow record.
As soon as we get to places such as Crested Butte, it gets iffy what the criteria is used.
CB has some radical terrain. Telluride too. And Taos. Add Silverton to that list as well. That cluster of resorts in the southern Colorado are unique in their own way. So... perhaps just "southern Colorado"? Mind you, each of them are relatively small. And all those radical terrain needs a lot of snow to cover it up. Granted, there's "normally" sufficient snow in that region to make them good.
Do they belong to "bucket list"? It's really depends on the criteria used. I'd say yes for me personally (fortunately I have been to a few of those ).
But compare to say somewhere in South America in the Andes? It's hard to decide...
I don't know about others, my list of mountain I want to ski gets longer and longer over the years, despite having skied many of the mountains on the list. I've decided to abolish my "bucket list" in favor of just "a list".
Thats a good way oflooking at it, bucket list worthy = wow.
"I skied Whistler/Jackson hole/[insert other big name resort] last year" - "nice"
"I heli-skied Alaska/ski toured Baffin island/toured lyngen alps off a boat/skied famous line at chamonix" - "wow"
That's not to say you wouldnt get better turns in whistler/Jackson. It just doesn't have the same wow factor for me.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@boarder2020,
I think you maybe over-thinking it.
To me bucket-list just means ones you want to achieve in your life-time, it doesn't mean a list of "once-in-a-lifetime" experiences
@boarder2020,
I think you maybe over-thinking it.
To me bucket-list just means ones you want to achieve in your life-time, it doesn't mean a list of "once-in-a-lifetime" experiences
Exactly, places worth going out of your way to visit, not necessarily the best line of your life - too many variables to predict for that.
And needs to be based on average conditions ie agree with Hokkaido as typically high chance of hero snow even if terrain itself nothing special, but not Gstaad because it had blower pow when I visited in ‘92.
I’be picked up Southern Colorado, Mammoth, Big Sky (if ever in that neck of the woods), Revelstoke, Kicking Horse and Lyngen Alps. Might leave Snowdon, Bulgaria and Scotland for you Mike 😉
Thanks for the input.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
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Well if its just places you'd like to visit then too many. If we are not talking back country outside of Chamonix, Zermatt, and le grave I'd probably take in bounds off piste at north american resorts like whistler and kicking horse over off piste at places in europe like tignes and 3 valleys.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Well if its just places you'd like to visit then too many. If we are not talking back country outside of Chamonix, Zermatt, and le grave I'd probably take in bounds off piste at north american resorts like whistler and kicking horse over off piste at places in europe like tignes and 3 valleys.
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