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Amazing off piste experience !!

Trip to verbier over the xmas period was one of the most memorable boarding experieneces i have had !!

With an amzing start to the season (best for 12 yrs in verbier) there was plenty of snow & some amazing off piste oppatunties to be had.

By the time I landed in Verbier It hadn't snowed for a few days, which wasn't a problem on the piste but the off piste had been mostlty tracked out (or so i thought at 1st look??).

The 1st few days where great- ripping up the runs & shredding a little in the park(my demon shorts where neeeded a few times!!)

I booked in with Altitude snowboard school as they do guides off the back of the mountains in the 4 valleys - off piste techniques & freeride skills are tested to the max !!

Before all that i had a few days to prepare with a few locals, they took me down some of the most challenging pisted parts of veriber with a little off piste thrown in for good measure. On the 3rd day of strapping in i happen to come across one of verbiers many celebritys - I actually had my board on his ski's?? I didnt even know he was there till i heard him clear his throat - it was Richard Branson - Mr Virgin himself!!I said hello - nice day for it then let him eat my snow dust HAHA. Never really saw him again, but i'm sure he saw me in my grenade slime matching jacket & trousers(check the pic!!)

The apre scene is quite mental from 4 till 10 (4 to 5) is happy hour in most bars.After that if you want some of the best apre in the world!! yes the world!! with live music - get yourself over to the farinet were you will have the most amazing apre in town !!live music - lots of beer n shots & every horizontal surface is used to dance on from the floor to the bar !! Sore heads usually start next day - but a quick head plant(with my demon shell helmet) usually brings me around!!

A few days later I was ready for my off piste freeride experience with a top sonowboarder from Altitude.She met me at the Medran station at 9 sharp & told me I had to have an avalanche tranciever with me - so off i went to the shop to rent one for the day!! Switched it on & got to the top of the mountain!

The 1st decent was just a short warm up (after a warm up!!). This was down a steep shoot with rocks flanking either side - was quite a ruff start as the snow was quite crusty on that part of the mounatain so after we got to the bottom (in 1 piece haha) we went to find some virgin snow.

After abit of traversing off Tortin (which was tortue on the calfs) we got to some great steep drop-ins with fresh powder through some tree's.At this point we had a small rest & the instructor showed me how to improve my jump turns as the terrain was getting really steep !!! By the time i got to the bottom I was blowing through both holes(some will say that happens alot haha).This was some of the most amazing & intence riding I had done - but it felt great to have achived a neat 1000 metre drop in little over 10 mins!

The 3rd & 4th off piste runs were equally as hard but didnt have the same powder conditions as the 2nd one did. By lunch time I was completely shattered as it was none stop riding in some of the toughest terrain that veriber could offer.The mornings riding was over & I was in 1 piece much to the amazement of my girlfriend & friends that hard heard were i was off riding. I was well protected with my full top to toe Demon Pro shirt protector, Impact Pants & shell helmet. I will never ride without my full protection as out there you only get one chance !!!RIDE SAFE

 

 

 

Published Date : 2008-02-14 18:56:28

Tags : General