Freeride in the 3 valleys area

In the 3 valleys area, there are several spots that I love.

In Méribel, there is a run called Marioland which is really cool with lots of little jumps that are really fun!

In Val Thorens, the runs are more like a very cool walk to do. In particular the Lac du loup is very easy to do. The runs are rather short in Val Thorens, they are quick access runs more or less hidden between the slopes. There are also very cool runs to do on the menuires, especially at the mass.

What's cool about Val tho is that we're at high altitude, so the snow is always great! And the runs are often accessible very quickly. They're pretty short but they turn pretty fast so it's very easy to link them up!

The feeling of freedom

In concrete terms, what I like about freeriding is the feeling of freedom. It's putting your tracks on the virgin snow and skiing with only your buddies away from the world on the slopes. The feeling of powder.

Safety first!

To have fun in freeriding, you have to be sure that you are safe first! A lot of people go to places without knowing what is going on, without having taken information about what can happen there. Don't necessarily go looking for the run par excellence, there is a lot to do by staying close to the track, in safety, to have fun.

Safety rules

There are no real rules in freeriding. You have to be aware of the weather and snow conditions to be able to go to certain places. You have to equip yourself carefully. For my part, I always make sure I have avalanche gear on me in my backpack, arva/shovel/strap and more if possible (ABS bag, etc...)

You really have to know the places you are going to. You should not go alone.

Freeride: snowboard or ski?

What is interesting with snowboarding is that you have both legs attached to the same surface, so you don't have the problem of pushing one leg more than the other and to make turns, the fact of leaning, it's really sensations that you don't find in skiing.

Whether you are skiing or snowboarding, the difficulty is the same in freeride, it is only the technique that differs

Nicolas's advice to start freeriding

I advise first of all, to go for an initiation off-piste and to talk about it with a professional to get to know the place and to have the right tips to have fun in complete safety. Once you have the basics, you can get started by going gradually. At the beginning, focus on easy and short runs before tackling the more difficult ones!