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Zinal Freeride Powder Tour

Zinal - Set beneath the ‘Imperial Crown’ of five 4000m peaks – Bishorn, Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn, Obergabelhorn, Dent Blanche – and with the Matterhorn looming just beyond, this is still one of the wilder regions in the Alps.  With a relatively small lift system and mainly intermediate slopes, this resort doesn’t attract many visitors each year. This makes it perfect, as it has a huge dedicated freeride area and the chances are you’ll be riding fresh lines for the entire week!

Flights and Transfers: Flights from the UK into Geneva airport, from there it is approximately a 2 hr transfer up into the resort via taxi.

The Lodge:  Staying in the comfortable Chalet Edelweiss, run by British ex-pats Eric and Penny, this will be the perfect base for your freeride adventure. The chalet is warm and comfortable, each room is furnished with local antiques, reclaimed timbers and original oak and pine floors that add to the character. It has 4 rooms in total and can sleep 8 people. The chalet is run on a fully catered basis, for one night of your stay you will eat out in one of the local restaurants. Penny or Eric would be more than happy to suggest and book a suitable location for you.

Itinerary: Extensive, varied terrain, big vertical drops, north and east facing slopes and a good snow record combine with the essential and hard-to-find ingredient – no crowds! Throughout the season, even days after the last snowfall, you can find untracked snow. Your local guide will take you to some of the best spots in the area and ensure you get the most out of your stay. Be it one or two days to get a feel for the terrain, or book them for the whole week and be treated to a unique freeride experience that few get to enjoy.

Guide price:  Based on 2 people for 7 nights around £1200 per person and includes:

• 7 nights lodging
• Breakfast every day
• Tea and cakes on 6 afternoons
• 4 course evening meal
• Wine, beer & softdrinks throughout the evening
• Tea and coffee whenever you want
• Free internet & wifi access
• Linen and towels
• Piste orientation
• Tourist tax
• Return private transfers to Geneva Airport
• A private guide is around chf 500 per day for up to 3 people.

Get in touch to find out more and to be introduced to the local suppliers.

Luxurious myoko powder and japanese cultural tour

Ride the best powder available and experience traditional Japanese culture in our luxurious Myoko powder tour. Rated by The Telegraph as the world’s 6th best resort, undiscovered Myoko is a hidden gem of deep powder, tree lined runs and real Japanese atmosphere.

Flights and Transfers: Fly into Tokyo, Narita airport, and then get the bullet train across to Nagano. From Nagano it’s a simple local train ride to Myoko Kogen station where you will be picked up and transported to your hotel. Total transfer time is around 2 hours.

The Lodge: Established in 1937, this was one of the first European-style ski resort hotels in Japan. Today it combines that old-world tradition with modern amenities and a unique Japanese touch in one of the most remarkable hotel settings anywhere. From its 1,000-meter perch are views of the mountains all around, Lake Nojiri sparkling to the east, and, on a clear day, all the way to Sado Island across the Sea of Japan. The hotel has 52 comfortable, spacious guest rooms, both Western and Japanese, each with panoramic mountain views. Two different mineral hot springs provide unique properties to sooth and invigorate. Swim in the indoor pool, whilst enjoying spectacular views of the ski slopes. The entire hotel was recently extensively renovated, keeping its special style while ensuring the highest levels of quality and service.

Itinerary:  Myoko offers the ultimate Japanese cultural experience across 4 fantastic ski resorts with ample terrain for all levels. You are allowed to ski through the trees – a rarity on mainland Japan – providing access to some great off-piste! When you’re ready take our English speaking guide for a day or two of backcountry touring, you can choose a simple half day or if you fancy getting further into the terrain a full day option. Enjoy lunch perched on top of the hill, surrounded by nature, deep dry powder and total silence before dropping in and riding back through the birch tress all the way to resort. For non-skiing days head down the valley at see the famous Japanese Snow Monkeys, or over to Nagano for a site seeing tour of the majestic Zenkoji Temple. This is a truly cultural Japanese experience in every way.

Guide price: Prices based on 2 people are around from £2,223 per person and includes:

• 6 day Lift Tickets
• Ski and boot hire for 6 days
• 7 nights accommodation on bed and breakfast in a 5 star hotel
• 1 guided backcountry day tour
• JR Rail Pass for unlimited rail travel throughout your stay
• Day tour to Snow Monkeys
• Rail trip to Zenkoji Temple

Get in touch to find out more, tweak the concept and book this trip

grand teton touring – backcountry ski and snowboard week

If deep powder skiing and boarding, magnificent Teton views and touring with some of the most accomplished ski guides in the world excites you, then we have the perfect tour to offer. Head out into the heart of the Wyoming backcountry with our epic week long touring session around the stunning Grand Teton National Park. Enjoy some of the most impressive terrain in the country while increasing your knowledge about snow science and terrain evaluation. Improve your technical abilities with tips from PSIA instructors, learn about ski mountaineering or just ride blower powder in the trees, it’s all on offer in this week long trip.

This can be booked either as part of a set week with others, or for your group privately, prices will differ accordingly.

Flights and Transfers: Jackson Hole is remote, but that helps to keep it to the preserve of the true powderhound. Flights from the UK will go via one of a number major US cities, and then onto Jackson Hole Regional Airport. After that it’s a quick 15-20 minute taxi ride up into Jackson Hole itself. For Teton Village it will take about 30 minutes.

The Lodge: For your stay you will be based in a charming Lodge, conveniently located in Jackson and with the bus swinging by every 20 minutes to take you to the tram. The Lodge aims to deliver a European charm in the heart of the US, with soaring fir beams and rustic tile floors for a cosy ambiance and it even has a small spa onsite. Run by  2 ex-US Ski Team Olympians, the Lodge provides an excellent base for powderhounds to soak up the local atmosphere and get set for epic days on the mountains.

Itinerary: Spend your day skinning up striking Teton peaks, earning your turns for the descent. Terrain will be chosen according to the group’s ability, and can range from wide open powder slopes to steep, north-facing couloirs. No matter what, we guarantee it will be memorable. There will be an afternoon of avalanche education taught by some of the most qualified avalanche experts in the country, as well as practice in the field while skiing. On one night of the week enjoy a slide-show at your lodge, where local legends will share slides and stories of their adventures. For when you get really stiff, we’ve even included a 60-minute massage and yoga session to help loosen you up a little!

Set dates: For 2012 are:

• January 22-28
• February 5-11
• March 18-24
• April 1-7

Guide price: For the set week options prices are based on 2 people start from £1300 per person and includes:

• 6 nights lodging
• 3 days guided backcountry riding
• 1 day riding at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
• Breakfast each morning
• A sack lunch each day
• 1 dinner at the Lodge
• 1 evening slideshow
• 1 60-minute massage
• 1 yoga session
• ½ day avalanche education course
• Use of an avalanche transceiver and shovel

Get in touch to find out more, tweak the concept and book this trip

carve out fresh lines in the telluride backcountry

In the south-west region of Colorado, set in a spectacular box canyon with dramatic steep mountain vistas lies the charming old mining town of Telluride. Once Colorado’s best kept secret, and still a freerider’s paradise with a 2,000 acre ski area and an impressive lift-serviced vertical drop with 3,845 feet of thigh burning pleasure. The steep alpine areas are all in-bounds, and, as many of the lines are hike-to terrain the fresh powder stashes last a little while! However, with your local wasabi guide you can get even further into the plentiful and challenging backcountry of the San Juan mountain range.

Flights and Transfers: Montrose Airport is the most convenient option for Telluride, the other regional airport has a tendency to close during bad weather. From the airport it is a quick 1 hour transfer up and into resort via either a shared or private taxi.

The Lodge: There’s a ton of options to suit all budgets in Telluride. Stay down in the heart of the town itself, or up in the Mountain Village right on the slopes. For this concept we’ve chosen a self contained, 3 bedroom mountain lodge. Each lodge comes complete with a large balcony with BBQ Grill, LCD HD Flat Screen TV’s, washer and dryer, native stone gas fireplaces, pine cabinetry, granite and marble finishes, subzero refrigerator and jetted tubs. As part of a larger hotel, condo and lodge complex, this is the perfect base for a group.

Itinerary: To start off with enjoy a day or two of resort riding to get the legs working again, head on over to Prospect Bowl for some mellow off-piste and practice on your powder turns. On offer throughout the trip is a whole range of steep, gladed, in-bound terrain, so you can enjoy as much sidecountry ski and boarding as you can handle. If you’re lucky, and it’s dumping down (which can easily happen), you’ll be riding freshies all week long. If you want to head even further out, grab you local wasabi guide for a day, few days or even a whole week, and rip it up in the backcountry of the San Juan mountain range. Not for the faint hearted, the tours require at least 1 1/2 hours of uphill travel to reap the rewards, but they are well worth it!

Guide price: Prices based on 6 people start from £1720 per person and includes:

• 8 nights lodging
• 7 days area lift pass
• Equipment rental for the duration
• Shared return transfer to resort from Montrose airport
• 1 day guided backcountry (including an avalanche orientation, beacon, transportation and lunch)

Get in touch to find out more, tweak the concept and book this trip