Chillfactor 2023 UK Edition by Adventure Entertainment

™

WINTER 2023/2024

CELEBRATING SKI CULTURE

SHEFFIELD STEEL Paddy Graham Skis His Home Town

CHRIS MCCORMICK From Bearsden to the World Cup

SILVRETTA MONTAFON Silver Linings in Austria

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FOREWORD Around 2001 I was introduced to freeskiing. I remember seeing photos from an international event in the UK called FF3, it was in Manchester. A rudimental scaffolding jump with snow thrown on it and some tattered bannering strewn across the rest. Some of world’s best were in attendance, rubbing shoulders with the UK’s finest. I don’t know the start list, so I can’t point fingers, but whoever was there, thank you. You inspired a young lad from Sheffield to get back to the dry slope after a taster-lesson that summer and pursue the life I live today. I was reminded about this event after meeting Jim Adlington (Planks clothing founder) this weekend at the High Five Freeski Film Festival in Annecy. He was the poster boy of UK skiing when I was growing up, had already outgrown the dry slopes and he skied on snow when I started. He was chasing his dreams around the world on his Salomon 1080s. The funny thing is that when I spoke to Jim at the weekend, he told me that being a skier from the UK he always felt like he had imposter syndrome. He wasn’t from the mountains, a luxury ski resort or a quaint mountain town, he was from Stoke-on-Trent. I know exactly what he’s talking about but even if we are imposters in the world of skiing, we Brits rule it. Aberdeen’s Kirsty Muir has been flying the UK flag on the international scene through her progressive skiing and solid results, including two bronze medals at the 2023 X Games in Aspen. This past summer she spent time in New Zealand, here she’s hitting the jumps in the Cardrona park in September. Photo: Lee Ponzio/Red Bull Content Pool

So, what I want to say is, whatever you do in this industry or however you’ve come to read the start of this magazine, fly that flag high and fly it proud. Thank you to all the pioneers of UK skiing past and present. We love skiing. - Paddy Graham

Contents 22

SHEFFIELD Paddy Graham Goes back to his skiing Routes

STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS

CHRIS MCCORMICK UK Freeskier on the rise

Art Director/Photo Editor Tony Harrington – harro@harroart.com

THE MAGIC OF HOKKAIDO A place like no other

Associate Editor Watkin McLennan

SILVRETTA MONTAFON Silver Linings in Austria

BACK TO JAPAN Tradition and Culture Collide with deep powder in Nozawa

GUIDED TO THE GOODS Making the most of your Jackson Hole adventure

CHASED BY STORMS IN COLORADO A powder-filled road trip

INTO THE ARCTIC Touring Norway’s Lyngen Peninsula

ALL TIME A look at the 74th Warren Miller Film

CHILLFACTOR PICKS Winter’s latest gear

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE Exploring Eaglecrest Resort in Juneau Alaska

Editor Reggae Elliss – reggae@mountainwatch.com

Designer Marine Raynard – KaleaMarineDesigns.com.au

Contributing Editor Paddy Graham Senior Writer/proof reader/keeper of sanity Rhylla Morgan Editorial Contributors Paddy Graham, Matt McCormick, Drew Jolowicz, Kate Allman, Tom Costa Contributing photographers Mattias Fredriksson Brodie Hood, Pally Learmond, Matt McCormick, Danni Forde, Dylan Robinson, Brett Schreckengost, Tyler Wilkinson-Ray Illustrations Jared Rodden Advertising Charles Werb // charles@adventureentertainment Publisher Toby Ryston-Pratt, Founder and CEO, Adventure Entertainment, ABN 79 612 294 569

On the cover: Anna Segal, clean air in the BC backcountry. Photo: Mattias Fredriksson This page: 16-year-old lads Cooper Watson and Nathan Cyr playing hide and seek in the powder at Grand Targhee, Wyoming. Photo: Tony Harrington

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16 // WEBCAMS // SNOW REPORTS // FORECASTS // SNOWSPORTS COMMUNITY

An illustrated journey of ski fashion through the years ILLUSTRATIONS BY JARED RODDEN WORDS BY WATKIN MCLENNAN

Next time your ski resort has a retro-day, don’t get stuck in the eighties. There are so many fashion trends from the past you can pay your respects to. Ski fashion has been a leader, and often a victim, in global fashion trends. Since the beginning people have always known, it’s not how you ski that matters, but how you look.

The Beginning

The Fifties

In the beginning there was wool. Warm, breathable, antibacterial wool. Inspired by ancient kayakers of the Arctic, skiers used long paddle-like poles called lurks and wore skirts to disguise themselves as walrus to evade the then prevalent polar bear.

With skiing gaining popularity in lower latitudes, skiers were no longer required to disguise themselves as walrus. Inspired by this freedom, Maria Bogna invented the stirruped stretch ski pant. The sleek lines of the human body on skis laid bare.

The Sixties

The Seventies

By the sixties, skiers had decided mimicking animals on the slopes could be fun and not just a necessity of yesteryear. Fur became popular but the stirruped stretch pant was retained to strike a balance between human beauty and animalistic expression.

In the seventies people no longer looked to animals for inspiration, they set their sights on the infinite possibilities found in space - The Moon Boot was born and with that Après-ski flourished. Skiing was forgotten in a fog of gluhwein and Moët.

AN ILLUSTRATED JOURNEY OF SKI FASHION THROUGH THE YEARS

The Eighties

The Nineties

After a decade of wearing Moon Boots, ski boots were hard to get back into. Enter the rear entry! People also seemed to have left their beanies at the bar. So, they compensated with big hair to keep their ears warm.

In the nineties practicality was everything. Parabolic skis made turning easy, mono-skis made it hard. Headbands replaced big hair. Ill-fitting waterproof onesies replaced body (and water loving) stretch outfits. And fluorescent colours were replaced with burgundies and navy to appeal to skiing’s affluent constituents.

The Naughties

The Teensies

In the naughties onesies were out...almost. Colour matching your two-piece was a courteous nod to the past. Safety on the slopes was also gaining traction. Helmets protected heads. Puffies protected core temperatures. And twin tips and tall-tees protected the young against retribution for not transitioning to snowboarding.

Concerned about their identity as social media’s influence grew, skiers began covering their faces and wearing black. However, still keen to express themselves, skiers adopted wider and wider skis to signal their skiing ability. The puffy’s popularity did not diminish but instead became a layer within a layering system designed to shield skiers from any social media intrusion.

The Future It isn’t good enough to be made from recycled plastic bottles. In the future people wear high performance nano-fabrics that absorb carbon as they ski. The faster they ski the more they do to help combat climate change. Smart boots make skiing faster easier. Connecting to the cloud, they provide coaching tips in real time projected onto the goggle lens.

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SHEFFIELD FREESKIER PADDY GRAHAM GOES BACK TO HIS SKIING ROOTS

WORDS BY PADDY GRAHAM PHOTOS BY BRODIE HOOD/RED BULL

It was 7:30 on March 10th and a text pinged on my phone from my brother. It was a photo from his house, just outside of Sheffield and there was 30cm of snow blanketing the lawn, pillows on the wheelie bins and his shed looked like a chalet. I sent the photo to Matt McCormick (cinematographer at Legs of Steel) as earlier in the week a ‘storm’ was set to hit Sheffield and I wanted to go try ski in the city. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s always been a dream to ski real snow in my hometown. This forecast never delivered and what I was seeing now looked like a miracle! Matt replied, “Let’s go – what do we have to lose!” As I wiped the toothpaste from my half-clothed toddlers chin, while simultaneously saying goodbye to my wife on her way to work, I thought ‘yeah what do I have to lose’! While Matt looked up flights from Innsbruck, I double checked the snow in Sheffield. It all seemed quite localised, but it was 30cm+ in places and they predicted the temperatures to stay below 5 degrees until Sunday. It all looked promising, my wife confirmed she would pick up our son from daycare and suddenly Matt and I were getting on the 10:30 flight from Innsbruck to Gatwick. We jumped in a rental car, destination Sheffield. Red Bull connected us with Brodie Hood photographer and filmer based in Fort William, who agreed to join us. Our minds raced as we (legally) sped up the A1, although one thing did seem amiss mind – the snow! We were 10 minutes away from my parents east of Sheffield and there wasn’t a flake or reminisce to be seen. Should we cancel on Brodie? Just 23

SHEFFIELD – FREESKIER PADDY GRAHAM GOES BACK TO HIS SKIING ROOTS

outside the village things changed… there was snow! We said a quick, “Hi,” to mum and dad and proceeded to the city. The rumours were true, there was snow on the ground. Sheffield is built on seven hills (just like Rome), so the obvious destination would have been the derelict Ski Village. But something didn’t feel right about that, so we stayed central where there still plenty of locations to choose from. We went directly to a park behind the train station, it’s prime sledging terrain with its steep banks and even an amphitheatre. There wasn’t a great deal of snow but with the cold temperatures we knew what snow there was would stick around. We scraped together what we could with our avalanche shovels (we were not that well prepared I must admit) to build a jump. It was hard. The majority of the snow was frozen solid from the day of sledging and there was not as much around as in other locations. However, there was an army of snowmen built around the park to sacrifice and so by midnight, we had a jump ready for the morning. We left the jump that night in the hands of the city, lucky for us, it was still standing at 6am when we returned. Thank you, Sheffield. 24

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CHRIS MCCORMICK FROM BEARSDEN TO THE WORD CUP TOUR Chris McCormick started skiing when he was 6-years-old at his local dry slope in Bearsden, Scotland with his older brothers Danny and Matt. While his brothers were attracted to snowboarding, Chris stayed on skis, and like most kids loved hitting jumps and was drawn freestyle side of skiing and has stayed on that path ever since. As a kid Chris was inspired by UK freeskiers Paddy Graham and James Woods and spent as much time as he could skiing Bearsden, lapping it day after day. “I spent pretty much most of my childhood at that dry slope,” recalls Chris. “I think most weekends we had free, Mom and Dad would just go and drop me and my brothers off and any other mates that we had, and we would spend the day up there having fun, not really thinking too much about it, just going skiing and snowboarding. And yeah, it was a nice way to spend our time and I liked doing it, so it was sick.” Now 25-years old, Chris is a pro skier, a member of the Great Britain national team competing in slopestyle and big air events on the World Cup. A member of Line skis pro team Chris also spent time last winter filming for the Line skis 2023 film release, Common Language Chillfactor caught up with Chris a few weeks ago after he’d returned from two months in Australia where he was training and skiing at Perisher resort. Chris keeping his rail game sharp in Laax, Switzerland. Above: Chris composing himself before dropping into the Laax World Cup. Photos: Matt McCormick 29

CHRIS MCCORMICK - FROM BEARSDEN TO THE WORD CUP TOUR

So, it must’ve been a bit of a journey for you to come from this kid who’s going to the dry slope all the time with his brother to eventually competing internationally on the world cup? When I was 10, Neil MacGrain set up the freestyle program at Bearsden. When we started off, we would just go and ride on Wednesday nights and then eventually on Sundays and that was sick because we had such a – relative to the UK, dry slope scene – really strong crew, some really good riders, loads of us that would come and ski together, which was nice. It helps if there’s other people there to push you. And I would ride there all the time with those guys until I left school. I mean, every year probably from when I was like, don’t know, 11 or 12, I would get to go away for a few weeks on snow, probably a total throughout the whole year of two or three weeks, max. But I had been on snow and I’d ridden in big parks, but not had a heap of time. When did the competition side start for you? When I was growing up, when I was at school and stuff, I’d go to all the UK dome and dry slope contests and that was sick. I’d say I used to do not too bad at them. When I left school, I did a couple of seasons in Laax and probably was not very good then - going to Europe is definitely a big learning curve because obviously the skiers are all really good. I went and did some Europa cups and realised I definitely had to put in a lot of work to get to the level where I thought I had to be. But that’s fine, one thing I’ve never had a problem with is skiing lots. I would say that’s probably what’s helped me over the years. I don’t think I’m the best actually talented skier, but I like to do it a lot. And so, when I finished school and got this opportunity to go and be spending all my time on snow, I would just go and ski for the whole day every day and try to improve. And then after two seasons in Laax I did my first World Cup in New Zealand in 2017 and that’s what I’ve been doing since; just traveling, competing, doing world cups and skiing any time I have in between. You also took a year where you went to university before deferring your studies to focus more on skiing. Yeah, so when I left school I had a place at university, which I deferred for a year. That was when I went and did the first season in Laax. I was on British youth team or the development team at that point, but I wasn’t funded financially, just coaching and support from the team, but that’s pretty much it. So, I was like, “Okay, I need to maybe do something else just in case this all doesn’t pan out the way I want it to.” So, I took my place at Glasgow Uni, went and studied physics for a year. I really enjoyed it. It was sick. Then when I started second year I went in for the first month, but then I got funding from the British team which meant I had the kind of support I needed to go and ski. I thought it would be 30

too difficult to juggle university as well, but It wasn’t much of a decision. I just thought If I’ve got funding to go and ski, then I’ll do that. After I left uni, I didn’t study that year, but then the next September I started studying online with the Open University and I still do that. When you were growing up was it always the plan to become a skier? Were you 12 years old and thought, “Okay, cool, this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to work super hard and I’m going to break into European scene” and all this kind of thing? I think I definitely always wanted to, it was definitely top of my priority list. It was my dream to do it, but I didn’t think it was that likely. I probably thought of it in the same way that every kid in the UK wants to be a professional footballer. I thought it was probably going to be the same as skiing. I was like, “Yeah, I want to, but the chances are not that good.” So yeah, now I’m here, I’m pretty happy to be here. But that’s more of a recent thing than anything that I had when I was growing up. When I was growing up I was just skiing to go skiing. What goals have you already ticked off with your skiing? And have you also got some that you’re still working towards that you’d still like to accomplish? Doing World Cups and being on the national team, you know that you need certain results to keep your funding and to get support. And obviously if you’re going to keep doing this, you need to make progression with your skiing, so I would say making the national team was when I started to make some sort of goals for the season. I think in my first World Cup I had a poor result and I remember thinking then if I ever made finals, it would be an absolute miracle. And over the years I gradually improved, I think probably my second or third one, I managed to get a top 30. So that was the goal for a while, especially when I started to put down runs that could make a final. There was a point a few seasons ago where I started doing runs where I was like, “Yeah, do you know what? If I land everything in this, I could maybe squeeze into finals.” I’ve made three finals now and I’ve got no plans to stop competing. But if I stopped competing now and never did another contest again, I’d be more than happy with what I’ve done. Qualifying for the finals at World Cup would have been a crazy experience for you and you did get there eventually. But you had a pretty rough time, didn’t you, on the way up? You had a few contests in a row where you were pretty consistent at finishing one spot out of the finals? Yeah. I did it three times before I managed to make a final. This page: Cameras, crowds and World Cup events – a long way from the dry slopes of Scotland. Opposite page: Chris sends a backflip during one of his regular pilgrimages back to his home slope in Bearsden, Scotland. Photos: Matt McCormick

I WENT AND DID SOME EUROPA CUPS AND REALISED I DEFINITELY HAD TO PUT IN A LOT OF WORK TO GET TO THE LEVEL WHERE I THOUGHT I HAD TO BE.

CHRIS MCCORMICK - FROM BEARSDEN TO THE WORD CUP TOUR

Finishing at one spot out of qualifying is pretty brutal, especially three times. How did you keep the motivation to keep at it?

What kind of hurdles do UK free skiers face, and how’s the general support for free skiers in the UK?

I think to even be in that position where I was that close was pretty surreal and I was like, “Oh wow, this is cool.” Don’t get me wrong, at the time I was gutted and remember specifically the one in Stubai I was so gutted, because I really thought I had a chance. I knew that the last few guys dropping in were really good and one of them had a chance of bumping me out, but I had a good score and qualifying for finals was very realistic and so I was super bummed. But then within a few weeks after I was like, “It’s not that bad. Still a pretty good result.”

Well in the UK, you don’t really hear much about skiing. It would be pretty easy to just miss it, and even if you do get into skiing, then there’s just maybe not that same level of hype around it because it doesn’t have the public image or awareness.

How did you feel when you finally qualified for a final? I remember clearly the contrast. Because we stay in the same apartments every season in Stubai with the team. And I was in the same room and I remember the contrast of coming back the year where I missed it by one spot and I was just the most gutted I’ve ever been in my life. Straight after the contest I was like, “I was so close, and I didn’t make it,” and I was super bummed. And then the next season coming back, finally made finals and coming back into my room and just thinking almost like, I would say pretty much the exact opposite, the happiest I’ve ever been. What were your influences growing up as a UK skier? Who inspired you? For people, just all the British pros at that time, Murray Buchan, Paddy Graham, Woodsy ... for sure, those guys who were already pro skiers from the UK that had grown up either ... I think all of them grew up on dry slope, Paddy and Woodsy at Sheffield, Murray at Hillend in Edinburgh, so yeah, those guys were a big inspiration. I remember when I was pretty young ... I don’t know how old I was, at one of the Westbeach contests at Bearsden. They used to do a super final where it was the top three, which was really hard to get into ... I’d never done it, and then one time, I did, and Murray was in the contest, and I got to compete with Murray in the super final, which I remember being pretty hyped on. Now he’s my coach, so ... yeah, pretty dope.

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Aside from that, the obvious one is we don’t have the snow and dry slopes and indoor domes don’t provide the same training opportunities. Competitive free skiing is about being in a training environment where you have access to an airbag, three big jumps, loads of different types of rail setups, high-consequence rails, because that’s what you have to hit at World Cups and stuff. Access to those types of things is always going to be hard, but there are ways to do it if you have a good crew, and you go up to your local dry slope and learn all the basics really well, put in the hours so that when you do have the time on snow you are ready go and make the most of it. On a different note, you got to do some filming last winter and do some street skiing. What motivated you to do that, and how was it? I’ve always wanted to do a bit of street skiing if I had the opportunity. It’s just difficult to find the time, as I’ve been mostly doing contests. To be honest, in any other seasons, I’d always felt like I had to put any spare time I had into training and my skiing, but this year ... I don’t know. Like I’ve said, I probably ticked off a few personal goals making finals at some World Cups, and if there was going to be a year to do it, then since last season wasn’t an Olympic qualifying year or anything, I could take a little bit more time off.

I remember I went to the Line movie night in Innsbruck last season in October. I had already met Jacob from being at the “Scandi Team Battle” in Copenhagen and just from skiing in general. After the movies, I remember we spoke pretty briefly, just that it would be sick to do something. We were both hyped to do a street project. I’d just watched a few ski movies, which is probably when you’re feeling at your most motivated, so we were like, “Let’s do something!” I was genuinely down, but also, at the same time, I thought, “Oh, well, sometimes, you make these plans and it doesn’t work out,” but luckily, it did. You ended up filming in Poland. How did it all come about? Line gave us some budget to go and film something, which was sick, which was another aspect of it. Aside from just not having the time before, I hadn’t had that much money that I could go and say, “I’m going to spend this budget on a street trip. Any money I had would have to be spent on just going skiing somewhere, like for a contest or just training for a contest. We ended up going to Poland for nine days in February. I missed the Mammoth World Cup as a result of that, which I was kind of okay with, to be honest. I do like Mammoth, but traveling to the US is quite long just for that trip so I decided to go to Poland, also with a Swiss skier know, Christian Moser, who I’d met in Perisher a couple of years ago, and a friend of his, Austrian skier hristian Gander. I’d never actually met him until the trip to Poland, but all super nice guys, good skiers, so it was sick. We went to a place called Bielsko-Biała, which is a smallish city in Poland not far over the border from the Czech Republic. We were only there for nine days, which I realized quickly from the first few days of the trip was not a long time to film a project for a street trip, because it’s hard to get shots, obviously. It’s super tough with everything you’ve got to do in between like the building, the filming, hoping you don’t get kicked out ... We were looking at, or I thought at least I’d want, 10 clips. You’re looking at more than a clip a day, which is really tough. Every day was super intense, which I don’t mind. I like being out skiing, working hard, but it would be cool to do one for a few weeks where you can have a couple of days off. It was long, tiring days, but I really enjoyed it.

And the result is a film called Common Language. You already said that there’s a bunch of premieres. Is it going to be online, and do you know where and when it’ll be online? It will be on the Line Skis YouTube channel. I don’t have a release date yet, but some time in November. You also spent some time in Australia this year. I know a lot of people go to New Zealand but you chose Australia. Why’s that? I went for two months, pretty much, with Billy Cockrell, one of the snowboarders on the British team, and also Andy Budge and Logan King, two of the Scottish snowboarders. This is my third time I’ve been to Australia, and every time I’ve been, I’ve stayed in my Australian friend Cam Waddell’s shed. When you say shed, it’s not actually a shed. It’s essentially an old converted sheep-shearing shed that they’d made into an apartment when Cam’s family were building their house, which is sick, it’s a really cool house. It’s just outside Jindabyne which is the closest town to Perisher and Thredbo, two of Australia’s biggest resorts. I love the park at Perisher. It’s such a fast lap on the T-bar, and then you also have the option for the eight-man chair, so it never gets that busy. They do such a good job of the park. I think it’s probably my favorite park to ski in the world. Like I said, a fast lap, the weather’s usually really good ... They do have sick jumps and

there’s an airbag in Jindabyne as well. I just had pretty good memories of Australia, so I wanted to go back. It wasn’t that good a winter for them in terms of snow, but there was enough to get the park up and running and they did a really good job of maintaining it. It was still really good weather the whole time. It was super warm, so basically two months of spring park laps, which was a lot of fun. Now, winter here is just around the corner, where do you base yourself each winter? You have to travel a lot, so where do you base yourself in between? When I first started spending the winters in Europe I’d travel with a crew and we’d pick a resort where you’d buy the season pass and then we would try and get an apartment there for the whole winter. That would be our base in between going to contests. But now I have been doing a lot more World Cups, I do most of them on the calendar, so it’s busy and I’m moving around a lot. I’ve also been lucky enough to have other opportunities come up, like going to Poland last year for the street trip and I did RedBull Playstreets last year as well, so it doesn’t make sense to have a place that I’m paying for that I hardly spend any time in. Last season my base was my brother’s apartment floor in Innsbruck. If I had a few days in between and I didn’t know where to go, I would go and stay with him. I like Innsbruck.

The closest thing I would say I’ll have to a base this season will be Innsbruck at the start of the season for October and November and I’ll either be skiing at Hintertux or Stubai. Then After that, I’ll just be on the road traveling all the time between contests and other stuff I’ve got going on. Then I’ve got Stubai World Cup in late November and then straight into Beijing for a World Cup Big Air. I’ll still do plenty of other World Cups this season, but I haven’t decided which ones yet. In between, I’m trying to put some plans together for some more street projects, but nothing definite yet. Busy times. Now, before we go, I know skiing is now your job, but you still love going skiing. What is it about skiing? What’s your favorite thing to do with skiing? I guess just overall, skiing in general is just fun. It’s a fun thing to do. It’s probably somewhere where I feel the most comfortable in terms of just ... I don’t know, pretty relaxed I can just go and ski a park for a whole day, or just go and ski in general for a whole day and not worry about too much, just go and have fun doing something that I know that I like. I know it’s always there, but for me, at least, so far, my experience has been that skiing will just be that one thing that I know that I like to do. If it ever comes to where I don’t know what to do, I’ll go skiing. Opposite: Chris boosting into oblivion at Laax. Above: Life as a pro freeskier, from World Cups on snow to urban rails in Innsbruck. Photos: Matt McCormick 33

NIDECKER SNOWBOARDS PRESENTS

SNOW NIGHT AT KENDAL MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL

The legendary pre-winter season social gathering returns with our new Presenting Partner this year - NIDECKER SNOWBOARDS from Switzerland. Featuring a selection of their top athletes and filmmakers - alongside the best action from the world of snowsports including film premieres, special guests, fantastic equipment to be won in our charity raffle plus the latest news and chat that will get you energised and inspired for the Winter season ahead. Skiing, snowboarding, touring, free-riding and big mountain exploration – we’ve got it covered. Join us for the UK’s top social event in Snowsports hosted by Tim Warwood (BBC Ski Sunday and Olympic TV presenter) and Lauren MacCallum (BBC Scotland presenter, POW UK manager and snowboard ambassador).

PRESENTED BY

WHEN Doors 7.30pm for 8pm start Friday 17th November 2023 WHERE Kendal Leisure Centre, Kendal, Cumbria TICKETS £19.50 / £12.50 u18s from kendalmountainfestival.com

SUPPORTED BY 35

THE MAGIC OF HOKKAIDO WORDS BY PADDY GRAHAM PHOTOS BY PALLY LEARMOND

I could try and tell you about our EPIC trip to Japan last January, where we shunned the use of ski-lifts for two weeks, toured endlessly through the magical forests and were blessed with the unbelievably cold, deep powder snow that the region is famous for, but apparently the human brain can process images up to 60,000 times faster than words, so these photos from Pally Learmond have already expertly expressed that part of the trip to your intellect. Instead, I thought I’d tell you a little about a local family that helped make our trip so amazing. Cam, Azusa and Asuka live in a small city just outside of Sapporo called Otaru, a port town on the Sea of Japan where the Siberian winds howl across the waters, picking up moisture as they go and deposit it as the famous “Japow” from sea-level all the way up to the ridgelines above. Since I last met them in 2019, they have relocated their coffee shop from Kiroro, one of the larger more international ski resorts in the area, to the sleepy and traditional streets of Otaru, with its head-high snowbanks obscuring most of the shops feels a world away from there. Øystein Bråten, an Olympic and X Games gold medallist, taking his progressive freeskiing into the Hokkaido backcountry.

THE MAGIC OF HOKKAIDO

Entering the coffee shop, the warm air hits you with the same intensity as the welcome from the family, and you realise how painfully cold it is outside (-16). We’re greeted with open arms from the family I’ve kept in touch with since before the world went through its most recent dystopian years. During that time Cam has kept my desire to return to this sacred powder playground burning by sending me continual photos of his and Asuka’s adventures and of the endless new terrain that he has been out exploring. Cam is originally from Australia, he has a larger than life personality and only wants the best for people visiting. Officially the area’s best 38

unofficial guide, he knows all spots for great skiing, amazing cuisine and, to our amusement, offered to be our designated driver on a night out in Sapporo! Azusa, on the other hand is a much calmer host, a Master of Japanese Calligraphy called Shodo, she makes the best coffee in town with as much grace and attention to detail as she shows in her craft that hang on the walls. I’m one hundred percent sure Azusa was pulling the strings, so we could experience some of the best traditional eateries in town (that when visiting with Cam, always ended with us eating or drinking something that without a doubt we would/could not have ordered!).

So, if you ever make it to Hokkaido, which for any passionate skier I highly recommend, make sure to stop by and say hi, I’m sure you’ll pick up some tips on what to do that are not on trip advisor and if not, I wouldn’t be surprised if you meet Cam and Asuka at the top of one of the many powder runs on the island. Thank you B³! B³ Coffee is located at 1-7-6, Hanazono, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0024, Japan. Left page, clockwise from top: Tom Ritsch having fun with the forest’s natural features; where the mountains reach the sea; Øystein Bråten, happy in Hokkaido; the streets of Otaru. Right page: Tom Ritsch, revelling in the cold smoke powder.

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THE MAGIC OF HOKKAIDO

Previous page left: This is skiing - Paddy Graham leaving a plume of dry pow. Right: Hidemitsu Okada on his home turf. Top: Tom Ritsch finding peace in the forest. L-R above: Øystein Bråten flying; hiking deep in the trees; Tom and Paddy on the way home. Opposite: The Legs of Steel Crew

ラブレター (love letter)

Hokkaido - the northernmost prefecture A place like no other. Home to a seasonal pilgrimage. It’s in these mountains, That winter bares its soul. Those who journey through this land, Will truly know what it is to be free. And that is the magic of Hokkaido. In this new setting, Like minds immerse themselves in the culture. Making new friends along the way. It’s in the shared experience, All great adventures take shape. Some say that perfection is beyond reach. But maybe they just haven’t been here.

You can watch ラブレター (love letter) from Legs of Steel on their Youtube

channel this November. Presented by Völkl

Directed & filmed by Andre Nutini

Featuring Tom Ritsch, Øystein Bråten, Hidemitsu Okada & Paddy Graham

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SILVRETTA MONTAFON SILVER LININGS IN AUSTRIA WORDS AND PHOTOS: TONY HARRINGTON SKIER: MIKE SLATTERY

One thing I really love about skiing in Europe is it pays to be nimble and open to hopping trains and skipping over borders at the drop of a hat to catch storms as they weave through the Alps. A passport and a willingness to upend your plans can seriously pay off. I was sitting in France under a relentless parade of bluebird skies with zero snow on the horizon. Instead of crying into my croissant I dove into weather forecasts and spent hours crossreferencing multiple models to hunt down a storm. I’ve lived my life chasing isobars on quests for powder runs, and that’s exactly how this spur of the moment jaunt across to Austria came about.

Left page: Stay away from school holidays and weekends and there’s plenty of terrain like this to score with ya mates. Above, clockwise: Avalanche barriers might look like an attractive place to ski, but they are there for a reason - because its avalanche

Unlike the US where storms careen in off the ocean and hit most of the mountains straight on from a westerly-biased direction, the European Alps run west to east. While some resorts are tucked away on aspects that receive a lot of snow from one direction, others just around the corner or literally on the other side of the ridge don’t see a single flake from the same weather event. Educating yourself on storm direction and what resorts are likely to benefit takes doing some homework. With the impacts of global warming another integral factor of any storm chase is to head for high altitude when you can for added snow insurance. For me, terrain is also high on the check list.

terrain. Crosses are a symbol of gratitude for protecting those in the mountains and ensuring their safe return. Forgot your goggles? Doppelmayr’s gondolas have got you covered. Authentic cuisine and ambience abounds. 45

SILVRETTA MONTAFON

I’m quickly bored by groomed runs and if I’m on a quest for new experiences I seek out off-piste, big mountains, steep terrain, backcountry access from lifts if I can get it and the least number of humans. The icing on the cake is when this all comes together with minimal Australians. Hypocritical right? Seeing as I am one. Before the hate mail rolls in, let me explain. If I’m going to travel far from home, get stamps in my passport and take chances ordering from a menu I don’t understand I like to be immersed in that culture, to be open to local customs and language and be in the minority as the foreigner that I am. I can ski with Aussies at home. There are so many places dotted across the vastness of the European Alps that tick my boxes. Many I’ve only heard whispers about, others I never will. Silvretta Montafon was a spot I came across while digging deep into books, online forums and asking a few industry friends for inside tips. Montafon is situated in the Voralberg region on the western fringe of Austria bordering Switzerland. It is overshadowed by the big, household-name areas like St Anton that are 46

just a stones’ throw to the east. I wasn’t really aware of this corner of Austria and even talking to European skiers it wasn’t strong on their radar either. So, I was keen to discover more. It was a snap decision to go and after some online research and a round of charades at the train station in Chamonix we figured out the route to take us from France, through Switzerland into Lichtenstein and finally to Austria. Half a dozen smooth train changes and 7 ½ hours later we arrived at the beginning of a three-wave storm. Low pressure sat to our east, a high-pressure system out to our west, and a cold northerly airflow carrying moisture down from the North and Baltic seas created a “North Stau” event. This is when moisture laden atmosphere hits the northern range of the alps, dropping bounteous amounts of snow due to the orographic effect of clouds being forced up into the high alpine region, offloading pow as they go. Silvretta Montafon is massive and has two main mountain areas – Hochjoch and Nova/Valisera. It’s the result of a merging of ski areas back in 2008 and there are also a few other small areas near-by with a handful of lifts in each. The tree-line ends around the 1000-metre mark, with open bowl terrain above. With a lower

than average snowpack for this time of the year, the fresh snow in the trees was too thin to ski reliably, so we stayed high. We started our first day at Hochjoch in a white out, so continued across the mountain and down to the valley floor on the other side via the Grasjoch Bahn to Sankt Gallenkirch, then took another extended gondola ride on the Valisera Bahn taking us from 878m to 2104m where we emerged into a clearing and some glimpses of the vast area we had to explore. That’s what’s so cool about a lot of the resorts in Europe, you can simply move from one mountain to another with ease. Especially here; Doppelmayr lift company’s head office is just around the corner and Silvretta Montafon is where they road-test much of their latest technology. The sleek 10-seater cabins of the Valisera Bahn still have that ‘new lift smell’ complete with heated seats and clever holes in the floor to hold skis instead of external racks. It’s a very sexy piece of engineering (you’ll need 70 million euro if you want one) and its pretty much robot driven. The ensuing days saw waves of snow stacking up on the Voralberg. On the fourth day there was a complete clearance as the storm blew out, we woke to clear skies and cold snow.

Having explored around Nova and Valisera we ventured back to Hochjoch which had been elusively shrouded in cloud until now. We were immediately glad we did as we landed smack dab into tonnes of fun and steep terrain and boatloads of untracked snow.

oblivious to their surroundings. The avalanche scale was sitting at a worrying four out of five and there had been ten avalanche deaths in Austria that week.

My friend Mike and I did a short hike out to a side-country bowl and surveyed the scene. While we were scoping and planning three skiers came up on us with no backpacks or equipment between them. They looked like they’d taken a wrong turn off the groomer, so we asked if they were okay.

Not 15 minutes later we were half-way through our run when we saw an avalanche release over to the side of us. Two skiers were caught up in it. Thankfully the guy in the worst part of the slough had pulled his air bag quickly and made it to the surface. By the time the slide stopped it was 2-3 metres deep and the snow had already set like concrete. We raced over to help and fortunately found both guys rattled but uninjured. The three others we had talked to only moments earlier skied up only moments later. We didn’t need a shared vocabulary – the dramatic lesson was played out for all to see. The three guys who had been so flippant earlier were seeing how quickly things can take a turn. If one of them was caught in that pile of snow without a transceiver it would have taken us hours to find them and we’d have most likely been digging for a body not a life.

We got shrugs and ‘we’re fine’ from the trio. We tried to have a chat about gear, knowledge and a plan but weren’t getting through. We shook our heads and crossed our fingers as they headed off

It wasn’t the only time we came across skiers and boarders ill-equipped and in dangerous zones, so it was cool to see the resort working to improve awareness with backcountry and

Despite our excitement we had to be cautious. All this tempting snow had landed on a hard base and there were sinister signs of avalanches lurking on all aspects. With temperatures on the rise in the sparkling sunshine we had to be mindful of which aspect we skied, where the snow had loaded due to the wind direction and where it was most susceptible to warming and ripping out.

freeride clinics and a dedicated centre in the Hochjoch ski area staffed a ski patroller providing avalanche intel and advice. I t’s one thing having all the gear, it’s another knowing how to use it under stress of an incident and how to avoid being caught in one in the first place. For the rest of the day we hunted lines we were comfortable knowing we’d assessed and mitigated the risks of avalanche and it didn’t take long for the Hohjoch to become our favourite zone with plenty of fun untracked areas to play in and even a crazy tunnel cut through the mountain to get you back down to the mid-mountain area. We visited Silvretta in late January which was just starting to see some school holiday families filtering in. Locals explained that January is when they generally have days-on-end of untracked snow and hardly any crowds. So, keep that in mind ¬– January is the time of year to be in the Alps, and especially here. Left: Charming to say the least. Right: Everywhere you look theres empty panels to be found, even if they are surrounded by pistes 47

SILVRETTA MONTAFON

Don’t come here if you’re wanting a big party or a pumping dance-on-the-tables après scene; the resort prides itself as an “activ centre” where people come for outdoor adventures and sport. Want to dance in lederhosen with giant beer steins? Head to nearby St Anton or Ishgl – they’ve got that covered! Around this area you’ll find plenty of warm and genuine local hospitality but it’s more a place for mellow gatherings in a local bar. Smash a steaming bowl of gulaschsuppe (goulash soup) and get stuck into the local bread while you’re here – both are awesome. A few pointers on where to stay when you visit Silvretta Montafon: • We stayed at the Tui Blue in SchrunsTschagguns tui-blue.com/en/en/hotels/ tui-blue-montafon/ •

It was a fabulous experience with exceptionally friendly staff, a generous breakfast buffet and such good meals we found it hard to go anywhere else. A great bar, modern rooms and even morning exercise classes are included. There is a convenient free bus service (show your lift

•

pass) to the lifts just a minute’s walk from the hotel’s heated locker room. For those on a shoestring (or in this case a ski boot buckle) budget check out the hostel accommodation at St Josefsheim sanktjosefsheim.at/en for clean, contemporary “capsule” compartments at the base of the Hochjoch gondola. For the best on-the-spot hotel connected to the sleek Valisera Bahn complex, it’s hard to go past the Rivier Hotel at St Gallenkirch montafon.revierhotels.com/en/ For couples and families keen to embrace the Austrian culture and live like a local, check out the many small pensions and boutique hotels tucked up near the end of the valley in the village of Gaschurn.

Ski down to your lodge at the end of the day along a run that winds between farm houses and pretty churches and past perfectly stacked woodpiles.

Above, clockwise: Mike Slattery, revelling in the cold dry Silvretta powder. Wormser Hutte is located high on the mountain providing traditional food and affordable lodging. The world’s longest ski tunnel interlinks mountainous bowls. Watching snow flakes fall makes you feel good. Holly Grovener, a long way from Perisher and working the gondola in Silvretta Montafon. Right: The freeride terrain is exceptional, just be smart about skiing in it. Have a partner, have a plan, have the avalanche awareness, the tools and know how to use them. If you don’t know, don’t go. Next page: Endless freeride opportunities abound,

For more explore: silvretta-montafon.at/en

right off the lifts.

ALL THIS TEMPTING SNOW HAD LANDED ON A HARD BASE AND THERE WERE SINISTER SIGNS OF AVALANCHES LURKING ON ALL ASPECTS.LOCALS EXPLAINED THAT JANUARY IS WHEN THEY GENERALLY HAVE DAYS-ON-END OF UNTRACKED SNOW AND HARDLY ANY CROWDS.

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BACK TO JAPAN

WHERE TRADITION AND CULTURE COLLIDE WITH SOME OF THE DEEPEST POWDER SKIING ON EARTH. WORDS: DREW JOLOWICZ ALL PHOTOS: DYLAN ROBINSON

Three years is a long time. So, when the Japanese Government announced late last year that its borders would be re-opening for travellers in time for winter there was a real sense of excitement in the air. The reason for the renewed optimism was obvious. Japan receives some of the most consistent and deepest powder snow on earth. Period. I’ve been coming to the Land of the Rising Sun since the early 2000s and have noticed some marked changes over that time. Most significant is the growing number of foreign skiers descending upon the more mainstream resorts. As skiers we’re always searching for something new. The next ‘it’ location if you like. As a result, some destinations which were previously considered hidden gems are not so secret anymore. This is all well and good, and necessary, for a sustainable industry, so long as that growth doesn’t occur at the expense of tradition and culture. After all, part of what makes an overseas trip special is the opportunity to immerse yourself in the local customs and way of living. A place that strikes the perfect balance between preserving the old and embracing the new is Nozawa Onsen. As far as a spot to experience a holistic Japanese experience they don’t come much more authentic than this wonderfully historic village.

Opposite page: The history surrounding the Dosojin Fire Festival is every bit as dramatic as this image portrays. Under the watchful eye of Nozawa’s local males the ancient ceremony takes place with spectators welcomed. Just don’t get too close. This page: Scenes from Nozawa Onsen. After a few years away, it was a real pleasure to share this experience with such a talented group of skiers.

BACK TO JAPAN

AS FAR AS A SPOT TO EXPERIENCE A HOLISTIC JAPANESE EXPERIENCE THEY DON’T COME MUCH MORE AUTHENTIC THAN THIS WONDERFULLY HISTORIC VILLAGE.

STEEPED IN HISTORY Think cobble stoned laneways, traditional onsens for bathing as well as outdoor thermal baths where local families retain traditional cooking methods that have been passed down for generations. Nozawa’s history dates back as far as the 1200s. People first visited the region primarily to experience the natural hot springs until skiing was introduced in the early 1900s. Nozawa is proud of its history and continues to hold festivals and ceremonies of cultural significance including the Dosojin Fire Festival, which takes place annually on January 15. Photographer Dylan Robinson spent two months in Nozawa this winter and was fortunate to witness this year’s 52

festivities and provides a first-hand account of proceedings. “I’ve been wanting to immerse myself in the Dosojin Matsuri, or Fire Festival for years so I made a point of being there this time. I can confidently say that this was one of the most energetic and mesmerising cultural events I’ve experienced,” Dylan recounted the following day. “I mean, a bunch of locals mates go into the forest together while drinking sake, gathering timber to build a big shrine to then burn and celebrate with thousands of others. What’s not to like?!” “During the festival, the 42-year-old men of the village perch up on the shrine in the

evening after the streets have been paraded with straw ablaze and colourful creations. The 25-year-old males stand guard at the bottom of the shrine, both parties still very much full of sake. Finally, other members of the village ‘attack’ the shrine until it catches light, with everyone watching the fiery spectacle from a relatively safe distance. These shrines are to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck and prosperity to the village.” Of course we didn’t travel all this way just to soak in onsens and gaze into ceremonial fires. Glistening in the sun, with branches bowed under the weight of snow, we were here ski amongst Nozawa’s beautiful trees. The team for this adventure was stacked with talent and it was a chance to re-connect with old friends and meet a few new ones.

THE CREW I’d first met Kaoru Aoyagi in Nozawa a few years back and had the opportunity to ski with her again at Hotham. Originally from Tokyo, Kaoru is an absolute dynamite skier and has spent ten winters living in Nozawa and has great insight into how the community has adapted to cope with increased tourism. “When I arrived for my first season it was just after the large Nagano earthquake in Sakae Village close to Nozawa,” Kaoru told me. “At that time there was a downturn in tourism and locals were worried about their businesses surviving. Since then, with more and more people coming for the powder, there has been a steady increase in visitors – aside from the last two years, of course.”

Unlike Niseko and to a lesser extent Hakuba, Nozawa dodged the frenzied foreign investment and “westernisation” of the 2005-2015 decade and still feels like authentic Japan. That’s not to say there aren’t businesses owned by foreigners, but so far Nozawa has managed not to lose its appeal. “When I first arrived, there weren’t many businesses owned by foreigners,” Kaoru said. “This has changed recently with more and more store fronts and houses being bought up by non-Japanese people. Sometimes I miss the small cosy onsen village of the past, but overall, it’s been great to see the town bustling.” “For me, another big positive has been the cultural exchange that comes about as a result

of having more travellers in town,” Kaoru adds. “I’ve met some amazing people of many different nationalities and my English skills have improved at the same time. Combined with the culture, these are just some of the reasons I keep coming back year after year. And of course, the mountains and snow.” Rounding out the touring party was snow media creative Dylan Robinson. Dylan needs no introduction; his stunning images speak for themselves having spent a decade as a photo journalist in the cut and thrust world of Sydney’s mainstream press. More recently Dylan’s made a snow-change leaving the hustle and bustle of the corporate world behind in search of endless powder documenting the culture of skiing and life in the mountains. 53

BACK TO JAPAN

THE PERFECT STORM They say, ‘timing is everything’ and ours couldn’t have been better. On the whole, Japan’s 2022-2023 season will be remembered fondly, although some regions of Honshu missed out during the first few weeks of January, including Nozawa. Thankfully our arrival later in the month coincided with some deep Siberian cold smoke snow and a three-week storm cycle. When we landed at Tokyo’s Narita airport on a frigid morning I was surprised to see snow blanketed the tarmac. Snow in Tokyo? I mean, it happens, but not often. Apparently, it was the coldest day in parts of the country for over 40 years. Strong winds and blizzard conditions had thrown the usually flawless rail network into chaos, causing cancellations and delays on many Shinkansen routes. Fortunately, our train to Nagano was unaffected, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway as the strong winds had forced most of the lifts on to wind hold. Time for Bullet Train beer. The following day there was no on-piste warm-up and it was straight in the deep end, literally. I was the last member of the party to arrive and with close to a metre of blower pow on the ground the team was keen to get after it. By all accounts conditions leading up my arrival had been average, but not any more. I couldn’t believe our luck and so the tone for the next two weeks was set with Honshu slipping back into a more seasonal winter weather cycle. THE SKIING Have I mentioned trees? Well, there’s no shortage in Nozawa. If you’re looking for high alpine skiing or big open faces you best go somewhere else – you won’t find either here. However, Nozawa does have some of the most perfectly spaced, fall-line tree skiing I’ve seen. Like a lot of places, it pays to look beyond the trail map and Nozawa is no exception. Just prior to the pandemic shutting down the world, the resort here invested in a major upgrade replacing the old Nagasaka Gondola. Built for the 1998 Winter Olympics, the old gondola travelled on an indirect, dog-leg route to the top station. The newer, faster version not only seats more people per cabin, it’s halved the ride time to the top. This is where the ‘New Nozawa’ is really on display and a great example of how 54

a town has looked to the future, investing in key infrastructure upgrades to cope with increased demand. The new gondola has proved a game changer. Less time on the lift (or waiting for the lift) means more powder for everyone. Taking full advantage, most days the snow was so blower we couldn’t stop skiing, feeling compelled to ski until last call. At times I almost wished we were still lapping the older, slower incarnation of the gondy for a chance to take a breather, well… almost. Some things change, some things stay the same. To me, skiing in this part of the Nagano Prefecture is every bit as good as it used to be and will continue to be so. Sure, it’s now a bit busier than years gone by and for good reason. Few places in Japan offer the kind of experience you’ll find here. Whether it’s soaking in a century old onsen after a big day in the white room or wandering the narrow cobblestone streets to pick up a steamed bun as the village comes alive at night, there is an atmosphere here that’s hard to describe. Maybe it’s the unassuming way the locals get on with life in one of the snowiest places on earth, clambering up rickety old ladders to clear snow from the rooftops with no fanfare or fuss. They stoically get about business to prevent buildings from collapsing under the sheer volume of snow. And then there’s the skiing, the reason that brought us here in the first place. This year’s instalment was a case of ‘back to the future’ and ‘old meets new’. Re-uniting with great mates while being inspired by some up and coming Australian skiing talent, our glass was very much full. Together it was a shared experience where tradition and culture collided with some of the deepest powder skiing imaginable. Arigatou Gozaimasu Nozawa. Previous page: People come to Japan in search of the deepest snow of their lives. Here Drew Jolowicz finds flow state through another bottomless forest. Left page: With snow this deep life on the skin-track can be challenging requiring regular changes to trail breaking duties. Opposite: Deep and down the barrel. Kaoru Aoyagi is a ripping Japanese skier who calls Nozawa home. At peace in the trees, no one knows the terrain better.

NOZAWA DOES HAVE SOME OF THE MOST PERFECTLY SPACED, FALL-LINE TREE SKIING I’VE SEEN. LIKE A LOT OF PLACES, IT PAYS TO LOOK BEYOND THE TRAIL MAP

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GUIDED TO THE GOODS MAKING THE MOST FROM YOUR JACKSON HOLE ADVENTURE WORDS AND PHOTOS: TONY HARRINGTON

It’s 6pm, mid-February and I’m sitting in a café bar in Chamonix, poring over weather charts and snow forecasts desperate to see a glimmer of hope and the slightest sign of some storm activity for the Alps. Aside from a big snow fall in early January there hasn’t been a snowflake since. I refresh my forecasts for the umpteenth time that day hoping for a change in the storm update. There is nothing on the horizon for the Alps, but on the other side of the globe a stack of storms and the jet-stream are lining up, stretching all the way across the Pacific from Japan with a torrent of moisture and cold air that’s set to slam into the entire stretch of western mountains of the USA. I can’t help myself. I make a split decision to pack, catch a shuttle down to Geneva and 12 hours later I check in on a flight back to Jackson Hole. It wasn’t days of powder skiing that unfolded – it was weeks. 10cm, 20cm, 30cm, sometimes 40cm of snow fell on a daily basis. When the last lift rolled at Easter marking the close of the season Jackson Hole confirmed the most in-season snow ever reported at 594” in Rendevous Bowl. This place is so big and has so many nooks and crannies that depending on the direction of the storm you really need to know your stuff to hone in on the sweet spots. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, and when there’s surreal top-shelf storm skiing on offer this vast playground can be too much to take in. If you go it alone, for sure, you’ll stumble across plenty of decent stashes, but you can also easily get lured to follow the herd along the main runs and waste precious time at the

bottom of Thunder when you could have been wallowing in untracked powder in one of the many special lesser known zones. There’s 2,500 acres to play in at Jackson – and that’s just inbounds. So, the maths isn’t hard to work out. There are plenty of ‘choose your own adventure’ options to explore. Once you add in the side and back country on the edges of this monster mountain your skiing is only limited by how much your legs and courage can handle. This is where a mountain guide is a super smart idea and pays off in spades. You’ve invested your hard-earned money and time flying to the US. You’re frothing on getting up to the mountain and skiing its legendary cowboy powder. You’ve heard the stories and you’re ready to add a notch to your ski belt. It’s an easy mistake to make – thinking it’s a matter of simply turning up and jumping on the infamous “Big Red” tram and then assuming the best runs of your life will unfold before you. The tram will indeed deliver you to the top of the legendary Rendevous mountain and you’ll be shoulder to shoulder with locals, legends and pro athletes as you listen to the ‘don’t know, don’t go’ safety speech as you pull in up top next to Corbett’s Cabin. If you click in and point it down you’re going to get a helluva run. You could do tram laps and follow the trail map all day and you’d be grinning and tired at the end. But I invite you to take your experience to a whole other level and discover parts of this place it would otherwise take you a lifetime to work out. Left: I bet you wouldn’t find this place without a guide. Shroder Baker in his backyard. 57

GUIDED TO THE GOODS

IT WASN’T DAYS OF POWDER SKIING THAT UNFOLDED – IT WAS WEEKS. 10CM, 20CM, 30CM, SOMETIMES 40CM OF SNOW FELL ON A DAILY BASIS.

58 58

Ski with a local guide. It’s hands down the best investment you can make to unlock this imposing place, to get home in one piece and to connect with some special insiders who will help you get a glimpse of their extraordinary backyard. The guides of Jackson Hole are some of the most legendary, accomplished and unassuming skiers you’ll find anywhere. The line up here includes Dave Miller, Dave “The Wave” Muccino, Jeff Zell and Chris Leveroni among others, some of the founding members of the legendary Jackson Hole Air Force and pioneers of Alaskan big mountain guiding fraternity. Or you might have a legendary athlete like Lynsey Dyer sharing their favourite spots and taking you through terrain you’ll recognise from famous ski film segments. Occasionally you come around a corner to find Kai Jones throwing cab 900s off a cliff filming with local production house Teton Gravity Research or Jeff Leger and Schroder Baker being photographed by Chris Figenshau (who gets his fair share of face shots in between banging off frames for the Jackson Hole marketing crew).

You’d be forgiven for thinking locals might be tempted to hide their ‘secret’ spots away from blow-ins like you and I, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Guides here love skiing the best conditions as much as you do and take real pride in showing off their mountain in the best light and blowing you away. If they can drop you into one of the best ski days of your life, they’ll do it. I can’t recommend strongly enough the difference that getting a guide (or joining one of Jackson’s Backcountry or Steep and Deep

Left page top: Jeff Ledger with a bit of frozen mo action going on. Left page bottom: High mountains, dry snow, cold smoke. This page top: As photographers we like to get our fair

camps) will make to unlocking terrain and

share in between shots. Here’s local legend

experiences you’d never manage rolling solo.

photog Chris Figenshau scoring his fix. Middle left to right: Dave Miller, one of the vast array

A final note – and an important one. Like all hospitality and service industries in the US it’s customary to tip your guide. They are giving you a high-end service so make sure you have cash ready and tip generously. The guides are sharing so much more than a paid service

of legendary guides, Being guided in small groups is almost as good as heli skiing, and a lot more affordable, Shroder neck deep whilst every where else was being tracked out. Next page top: How many nooks and crannies can you count on this mountain? You’d be lucky to find a quarter of them without a guide. Next

on the day, they are generously sharing the

page sequence: Jeff Ledger dolphining in the

wealth of experience they’ve amassed over

goodness away from the masses. Last page:

decades of skiing so you can slipstream into a

Max Bardas frolicking in-bounds. It pays to be

superior ski day.

shown where to go. 59

GUIDED TO THE GOODS

TAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL AND DISCOVER PARTS OF THIS PLACE IT WOULD OTHERWISE TAKE YOU A LIFETIME TO WORK OUT. SKI WITH A LOCAL GUIDE.

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GET TICKETS NOW WWW.FLYFILMTOUR.COM 63

CHASED BY STORMS IN COLORADO

WORDS: KATE ALLMAN

Call us armchair meteorologists. Freeskiers, as a rule, are unashamed weather nerds. We’re fascinated by atmospheric pressure and wind direction. Riveted to forecasting maps despite being entirely self-trained on how to read them. “We’re all a little obsessed with weather, aren’t we?” admits Loryn Duke, Communications Director (official) and 14-year local weather nerd (unofficial) at Steamboat Ski Resort. It’s February, and the mountain has already recorded more snow in the 2022-23 season than it received the entire previous year. After three years of pandemic-induced hiatus from skiing Rocky Mountain pow, I’ve returned in 2023 to one of North America’s snowiest years. Alta in Utah clocks more than 800 inches by April. Mammoth Mountain celebrates its snowiest season in record-keeping history. And in Colorado, every stop on my February mission produces the goods. “It’s you – you’re the snow charm! The snow follows wherever you go!” Loryn messages me three weeks later, after I’ve spent a day navigating the depths of Durango pow. In four weeks of road-tripping through Colorado I can barely go four days without new snow. It’s like a switch has flipped on every travelling skier’s ultimate aspiration. Instead of chasing storms, they’re chasing me. 64

Champagne powder Loryn and I are discussing the science of snowstorms over a margarita at Ore House in downtown Steamboat. The former homestead built in 1889 cooks the butteriest, pinkest Elk steak I ever slid a knife into and retains one of the more glorious treasures of pre-pandemic history: a self-serve salad bar(!). If any American ski town is going to crack the code for ultimate powder conditions, it’s likely Steamboat. The resort is so confident in its famously light and dry powder snow it even trademarked the phrase “champagne powder”. This isn’t just armchair expertise – Steamboat happens to be a magnificent place to study weather, hosting a prestigious annual weather conference for journalists and meteorologists. “Steamboat sits right next to the Mojave Desert. It’s why our snow is so light and dry,” Loryn explains. “As storms travel east from the Pacific Ocean, they lose moisture over the desert, then the first thing the clouds hit is the mountains around Steamboat. To get over the mountains, those clouds need to rise and cool, eventually falling as incredibly dry, champagne powder snow.” So, skiing here should feel something like slicing through spray from a freshly corked bottle of Veuve. A day testing the science with President

and Chief Operation Officer (COO) of Steamboat Resort, Rob Perlman, confirms it. “Hmm, usually there are no friends on a powder day,” Rob tutts, tapping his watch when my husband and I arrive two minutes late to meet him for First Tracks. First Tracks is one of the place’s many genius quirks; an optional add-on for keen riders who want to skip the crowds and hit the mountain from 7.45-9am (on a powder day, who wouldn’t?). We clamber into the gondola with greying locals carrying skinny skis, who all greet Rob by name and quarrel over how many days they have ridden this season. Anything over 100 days is the goal. Snow has been falling in fat flakes for two days straight, so at this stage I’ve not even seen the mountain in clear visibility yet. No matter – Rob knows the trail map better than the top sheet of his skis. We head for the trees to shelter from surprisingly minimal wind and begin splaying our edges through pillows that rise to our armpits. It’s all ultra-light and impressively easy to navigate. Rob’s favourite route is a line of trees separating two runs called “Two o’clock” and “Three Above: Keeping the streets clear in Steamboat Springs. Opposite: One of many epic powder days in Aspen this year. Photo: Tyler Wilkinson-Ray

CHASED BY STORMS IN COLORADO

o’clock”. “We call that ‘Two-thirty trees’,” he explains, then a wry grin: “I like to call it the dentists’ run.” A Dad joke seems apt from a man who has held senior positions in Steamboat for 15 years and has become something of a father figure to locals. Rob cheerily waves to a gaggle of ski patrollers, then hoists a rope on a closed run for our final pre-9am mission. We duck under it into a steep, usually groomed black diamond pitch called Rolex. I say groomed – and it was groomed – right before those super-dry clouds swarming up from the Mojave Desert dumped 40cm on us last night. We shriek with glee as we careen down the steep, even canvas. It’s the kind of snow worth trademarking. Earning turns (and dinner) Surprise powder days might be the best kind of powder days. In Aspen Snowmass, when a powder day arrives – and they are regular – the hype on social media seems less pronounced than other places.

drawcard for celebrities hoping to escape the cameras and blend in with ordinary folk. But the same seclusion is still a massive attraction for ski bums. The four mountains (Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass) are just far enough from Denver to deter day-trippers. I get the feeling locals and snow forecasters thus share an unwritten code: don’t blab too much about it. I do wish Director of Public Relations Jeff Hanle would offer just a little more information about the route we have to take to dinner up on Buttermilk Mountain, though. “It’s a short hike, you can do it in boots, only takes half an hour,” he assures us. The opportunity comes around once in a full moon, literally. Buttermilk opens its slopes to adventurous riders willing to hike or skin uphill under the big moon’s illuminating beams. The

“If you arrive expecting a few inches and find yourself in three feet of powder, that’s only going to make you happier.”

We are drawn to the high elevation and powder potential of Elk Camp lift. Nothing but eerie silence punctuates tight and dizzyingly deep turns between the trees. A hike out to the Burnt Mountain Glades delivers cold smoke that seems to whisper secrets with each spray. I imagine this is how it feels to be skiing out of bounds in an apocalypse. The next day, Hags promises Highland Bowl will open under dazzling sunshine and hooks us up with veteran ski patroller Mike Spayde for company. With Mike commentating the oxygen-squeezed hike, we sweat it up the iconic ridgeline to the 12,392-foot (3,777m) peak in search of freshies. Then, we plummet into lines refilled with that endless surprise pow. Aspen’s remote location way up in Colorado’s Roaring Fork River valley has long been a 66

It’s a warning that should be heeded as much today when skiing the mountain as steering a vehicle up its sheet-ice roads. There’s only one way in and out of the valley during winter. Those who want to survive the winding pilgrimage need to be thick-skinned. Either that or just thick. Our journey starts in the colourful Old West town of Crested Butte. There, three days of sunshine present a rare dry stretch during our road trip. Brilliant colours fill my goggles for a weekend of crisp groomers and early afternoon beers. The high saturation hues match the town’s pastel shopfronts on the charming main street of Elk Avenue: cheap tacos, pizza and gyros within. But it’s a rookie error to be fooled by the Butte’s cheery colours – the mountain has more in-bound black diamond runs and hike-to bowl skiing than any other resort in the state. It also claims America’s steepest run, the 55-degree pitch of Rambo Run. Unfortunately, we miss out on the best this time, as Crested’s bowls and off-piste realms are scratched out under weekend sun.

“I prefer we under-report than over-report,” says Hags, a local for more than 20 years and head of Ski Patrol at Aspen Highlands. No one can tell me his real name, but every local knows Hags is the Boss of the Mountain.

We’re slumped at the chic bar of the Limelight Hotel after a totally unanticipated day of shredding thick pillows in the outer regions of Snowmass, the largest of Aspen’s four resort areas. Hags’ assessment is accurate. Each time a cute five centimetres is forecast, the evening snow clouds have more punch to deliver. In signature Aspen form, they dump in the windless dark, then whisk away in time for blinding bluebird mornings.

associated with copper, nickel, gold, and silver. I prefer the tale cowboys tell around town. That the name is a mash-up of an old prospectors’ warning: “to hell you ride”.

So, it’s with glee that flakes begin to float our way once more when we hit the road to Telluride.

carrot at the end is Cliff House restaurant and its famous Mongolian stir fry. The stick? The restaurant stops serving food at 8pm, so you better get cracking. Of course, we only learn about closing time five minutes before 8pm, after we have hiked in our walking boots for almost two hours on a crunchy, slippery piste. We hoist our stiff ski legs up the front of Buttermilk Mountain, which is far taller than I remember from the zippy chairlift ride in daylight. I’m ravenous and after shovelling down a glorious beef stir fry then undertaking the boot-packed descent, I plan to chew Hanle’s ear off about the realities of his “half hour walk”. Then again, in Aspen, the surprise is half the fun. To hell we ride Some say the historic former mining town of Telluride was named after a mineral compound

The white-knuckle drive in is a good warm up for what’s to come. We fly straight into three days of blizzard skiing at subterranean depth. Director of Communications and true Telluride local (he grew up here more than 40 years ago) Tom Watkinson helps reveal the mountain’s treasure. We dart through the trenches of Log Pile and West Drain, then mine the chutes of Gold Hill. Every new prospecting route lands us in deeper pits of foam. Before lunch, Tom decides we should hit a Hollywood action sequence right beneath Oak Street chairlift to town. With a live audience drifting over us on the two-seater, we are keen to put film-worthy leaps and slashes on display. Of course, if you ain’t sending you’re pretending – and at various stages we also end up on the cutting room floor. The base of Oak Street lift delivers us to the best pub in town, the Oak, which tends to be the finish line for adventurers hiking out of Revelation Bowl and skiing the steep out-ofbounds terrain on Telluride’s backside. Skins Steamboat calls it champagne powder for good reason. Opposite: Telluride’s terrain and fresh snow combine to make something special. Photo: Brett Schreckengost

and split boards are draped around the pub on sunny days as their owners regale the bar with stories of the thrilling turns they took to get down the valley. No one here seems to know Tom’s last name. All anyone calls him is “Telluride Tom”. When he recommends fish tacos at the Oak – a meal not listed on any menu or blackboard – I heed his local knowledge. Ten minutes later, grilled fish fillets arrive blanketed in zesty salsas, salad, and softshell wrappings, with a depth of flavour that almost knocks me off my high stool. Telluride Tom is not partial to physical menus or maps. Instead, he offers a physical illustration of where we ripped into the mountain. He straightens his posture and holds his arms out in a low circle across the bar. “The front of Telluride is this circle in front of me like a big bowl – you ski off my arms and shoulders down into the bowl, which is the mountain village,” he says, motioning to the circle. “I like to tell people: Telluride is like skiing into a big hug.” After dropping into those pits and chancing the craggy backside, you’re probably going to need one. Going West After Telluride, we set our sights on loftier, more remote destinations. The Old West frontier towns of Silverton and Durango have captured my imagination for decades. My grandparents, who were keen skiers right up until their 80s, first piqued my interest. They would disappear there for weeks in the pre-internet era, returning to Australia with colourful tales of navigating Colorado’s western highways lugging heavy metal skis in the boot of rental cars. Grandma adored the signature bluebird powder days. Grandpa loved reliving Clint Eastwood films, and snapping photos of neon road signs on Kodak film. While Google maps makes directions easier today, these are still places that offer snippets of frontier life. Sandwiched between critical mountain passes that open and shut every few days for avalanche mitigation. Our journey to Silverton from Telluride takes us on the Million Dollar Highway, a teetering road without safety barriers that earns its name for two reasons: for the million-dollar views it harbours at each turn, as well as the insane cost that came with drilling each mile into the side of a mountain more than 12,000 feet (3,600m) above sea level. As for the ski “resorts”. Well, they’re as raw and full of thrills as you can imagine. Silverton Mountain is the highest and steepest ski area in North America, with a peak at 13,487 feet (4110m), and an average annual snowfall of 10plus metres.

There’s one chairlift, no grooming, no infrastructure. An old bus with the seats taken out, full of skis and boards, calls itself a demo shop. A big yurt tent sagging under the monstrous snowfall is the ticket office. Who needs buildings when you have 1,819 acres of chairlift-accessed descents, plus an extra 22,000 of heli-accessible terrain? Infrastructure is an afterthought at Durango’s Purgatory Mountain. The chairs are slow, and long traverses around the peak become tiresome for my snowboarding husband. But who’s to complain when there are no crowds, lines, or traffic? Especially when we are pummelled with a barrage of fresh snow swarming directly at us from Colorado’s southern border. A day skiing Durango’s 35,000 acres of backcountry with Purgatory Snowcat Adventures coincides with snowfall so heavy it earns a name on the news: Winter Storm Olive. Sandwiches are laid outside the cat and covered within two minutes by the clouds’ incessant puking. Our photographers can barely keep their lenses clear to record the historic day. At Silverton, a single heli drop for just US$189 is tempting. But it’s wholly unnecessary, as we discover when we opt for a day of guided skiing

(the only way to ski the chairlift through winter months). There are rarely more than 80 skiers on the hill, and the pow stays fresh for weeks after a storm. It’s as good as heli-skiing but with sharper teeth: the cliff-riddled backcountry and tight trees keep us on our toes. I’m thrown into a “fast” group with four mountain biking, charging, fitspirational American women. Each run begins with a trek along Silverton’s oxygen-squeezed 12,300-foot ridgeline and ends with a scramble over rivers and through forests, back to a road where an old bus (former school transport? Jail bus? No one really knows) collects us and drops us back to the chairlift. We hoot and slash through gullies of treelined powder, then careen into open bowl faces all day. “Is it always this good?” I ask the Americans breathlessly, after splashing through yet another hanging white canvas at speed. “No,” they admit. “This is pretty all-time.” All thrills, no frills, and even the locals agree: this 2022-23 season in Colorado has been one for the history books. Another day, another deep powder turns. Telluride, late January 2023. Photo: Brett Schreckengost

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INTO THE ARCTIC TOURING NORWAY’S LYNGEN PENINSULA WORDS: TOM COSTA PHOTOS: DANNI FORDE

Some people are content with ski resorts, many enjoy the ease and convenience of North America while others love the food and culture in Japan. Don’t get me wrong these all have their merits, but if you’re chasing a once in a lifetime, bucket list type of skiing experience, you might want to start thinking about putting a trip to Norway on your list. When we started planning for this trip we looked into a few options, including a resortbased trip and yacht trips through the fjords, but in the end we chose a tour involving a converted Finnish military truck. The truck, nicknamed “The Nest”, offered transport, accommodation and catering. Throw in a ski guide to help keep you safe and to find the goods and you have all the key ingredients for a good time. The tour is based out of the city of Tromso in Northern Norway, 350 kilometres inside the Arctic Circle. We arrived a day early to acclimatise and check out the city, known as “The Paris of the North”. With nearly a metre of fresh snow on the ground and peaks jutting out of the fjords in every direction, the stoke level was high. With new snow on a slightly problematic snowpack, we opted to rent airbags for the week and then spent the rest of the day exploring the town. The next day we met up with our Finnish hosts, Mika and Panu and the adventure began. We hit the road in our new home en-route to our first ski touring location and a couple of hours’ drive and a few moose-spottings later we pulled over and geared up for an afternoon tour.

Tom Costa taking in a spectacular view in Norway’s deep north 70

INTO THE ARCTIC

Panu had an 800-metre peak in mind, a good first target of the trip. However, it was hammering down snow and visibility was poor forcing us to pull the pin at about 600 metres. Still, the ski down was fun, and we enjoyed some mellow powder turns back through the forest back to the cosy Nest. After a quick change out of ski boots we were back on the road to make the ferry that would take us across the Ullsfjorden to the Lyngen peninsula and Lyngseidet, the main township on the peninsula, where we park up for the night. After a gourmet meal prepared by Mika we turn in to our tight but comfy accommodations, filled with both dinner and excitement for what the rest of the week will bring. The following morning we wake to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and a fresh coat of snow. Fredrik, the third member of our Finnish support crew and our guide for trip arrives soon after. Fredrik is a U.I.A.G.M qualified mountain guide (International Federation of Mountain Guides Association) who has settled in the Lyngen Alps. After a quick scan of the map and transceiver checks we headed off into the forest. Skinning through deep snow and birch trees gives us all Hokkaido vibes, but as we climb higher and catch glimpses of the surrounding peaks and the local ferry crossing the fjord, the scenery is unmistakably Norwegian. We stopped for a short break in a mountain hut then transitioned our gear to downhill and enjoy some especially deep powder turns through the trees in the upper section of the descent. The tree-skiing became slightly more “adventurous” at lower elevations, but we successfully negotiated the tight, steep trees and farmers’ fences before arriving at the only dedicated ski lodge in town. With a cold (albeit expensive) beer, a bartender from Queensland and a wood fired sauna, we settled in for some Scandinavian après-ski. After some sauna science lessons from Fredrik and several rolls in the snow, we shower and make our way back to the Nest and head off to our next location. An hour later we pull into a beachside carpark on the Northern tip of the peninsula and soon after are presented with another delicious meal. Tired, full and pleasantly dry roasted, it’s not long before the sound of the wind and the waves outside has us crawling into our bunks. The morning brings a sunny if blustery view of our new beachfront home. Coffee, breakfast, and packs filled with snacks, we set off along 72

the beach. There’s something surreal about ski touring with peeling waves on one side of you and a jagged mountain range on the other. The tip of the Peninsula stretches out in front of us with snow covered island peaks busting out of the Norwegian Sea in the distance. The natural beauty of this place is enough to make you borderline emotional. The climb up from the beach, complete with aggressive kick-turns, is almost enough to snap us out of our reverie. However, as we climb higher and the easterly views open up across the fjord towards the mainland we are struck again by the sheer beauty of this place and the seemingly endless possibilities for adventure in this remote corner of the world. By this stage the blustery conditions at sea level have scaled up to full blown 100km/h winds. Fredrik assures us the view from the peak at 817 metres will be worth it, so we press on. Touring out onto the exposed ridge the wind goes from bad to worse, but Fredrik isn’t wrong about the 360-degree views from the summit. We huddle around a rime covered outcrop, taking in the views, snapping photos and drooling over the couloir, that in in safer conditions would have been the express route back to the truck. After an awkward windblown transition back to ski mode we hastily make our way off the peak and out of the worst of the wind, re-group and plan our route down. The wind had wreaked some havoc on the snow but there are still pockets of pow and fields of wind-skimmed goodness up high, opening into protected gullies in the lower section. By the time we make it back to the water’s edge the sun is dipping behind the peaks to our west. We trudge along the beach to the awaiting Nest where we are greeted with a warming fire and crepes cooked to order. The plan was to push on to the next location, but the cold winds did a number on the truck’s fuel system. After several attempts in the freezing winds to sort the issue the towel is thrown in and dinner is served. After dinner entertainment is provided by the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the northern lights. It’s almost a given to see the lights this far north, but no matter how many times you see this phenomenon, it never gets old. I won’t bang on about the wonder of nature or try to explain the science behind the Northern Lights, suffice to say, it’s fricken awesome and if you get a chance to see it, go somewhere really dark, rug up and keep your eyes peeled.

WITH

NEARLY

METRE

FRESH SNOW ON THE GROUND AND PEAKS JUTTING OUT OF THE FJORDS IN EVERY DIRECTION, THE STOKE LEVEL WAS HIGH.

IT’S ALMOST A GIVEN TO SEE THE LIGHTS THIS FAR NORTH, BUT NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU SEE THIS PHENOMENON, IT NEVER GETS OLD

Left page: Touring scenes. Top: Tom in the trees. Below: The Aurora Borealis is a regular night show inside the Arctic Circle. 73

INTO THE ARCTIC

The following morning with the help of a local farmer’s moonshine bi-product (ethanol), the old girl is back in action and it is on to another ferry and a short drive, to a new location. This time we find ourselves on the mainland but with a fjord at our feet and mountains all around us it’s getting difficult to come to grips with the geography of this place. Everyday feels like a new world but in reality, we’ve barely moved more than 50 kilometres. We set a goal for a 1100-metre peak but some tasty terrain above the treeline distracts us and we burn up most of energy/daylight in good snow until it is too late to make it up to the peak. We turn around on a ridge below the top and party-lap down in the golden hour light. Quick drive, dinner, sleep. Can you see a pattern developing here? New day, new location and this time we’re on a 74

small island. The ferry captain gave us a tip on an easy route up through the forest and with no particular goal in mind for the day we climb until we find some cool features, ski them, then climb some more. Eventually the good snow gives over to windblown sastrugi, so we pick out some playful terrain to mess around on, then turn and burn to catch the fading light through the trees back to our mobile haven. A little worn out and slightly musty from days of ski touring and truck life, we book ourselves in to a local sauna. With hot tub, showers and a chill out room and located right next to the harbour, it’s the perfect spot to get our Wim Hof on. You’d think that 3-degree water and negative air temps would not lead to a pleasant experience time but turns out it is not that bad. Actually, it felt pretty amazing and I don’t like swimming

at the best of times. The final ski day of the trip dawns grey-bird and with energy levels waning we choose to keep it mellow and stay at lower altitude. After messing around on some features in the woods we wrap up early, content that we’ve made the most of our time. The early mark gets us on the next ferry allowing Fredrik a chance to spend some time at home with his girlfriend in between ski groups. We exchange contacts and phone photos and hit the road bound for Tromso. One last ferry ride and a 60km drive gives us time to flick through our photos and reflect on a whirlwind tour of absolute epicness. The skiing. The scenery. The saunas. The Aurora. Minds blown. Bucket lists ticked. Norway. So good. Above: Tom Costa, finding respite from the wind deep in the trees. Right: Tom Costa, a pristine line with an impressive backdrop.

WARREN MILLER’S ALL TIME – 74TH ANNUAL WARREN MILLER FILM TOUR HERALDS THE START OF THE SNOW SEASON

Warren Miller’s ALL TIME is bringing

From the birth of ski towns like Sun Valley and

whom we’ve made ski and snowboard movies

74 years of filmmaking reimagined to a

Aspen to icons and innovators like the original

since Warren first picked up a camera in 1949.

theatre near you this autumn.

hotdoggers, the film brings the best of seven decades along with humour and inspiration

Join us as we celebrate how snow sports have

And this season, it’s all about good turns

from today—featuring Maine’s finest athlete,

burrowed into our collective consciousness as

and good snow on good hills with good

Donny Pelletier, and the next generation of

an obsession and a way of life.

people. Narrated by Jonny Moseley, ALL TIME

skiers and riders at Woodward Park City. The two-year party for 75 seasons on snow

dives deep into elements that Warren himself first identified as the stuff of which snowy

Less a documentary than a love letter, ALL

starts October 2023. Visit warrenmiller.

dreams are made.

TIME is a way to honour how, where, and with

com to find a show near you.

Selected Movie Tour Dates Visit the warrenmiller.co.uk for more screening dates London Premiere

Christchurch

Exeter

− Phoenix Cinema − Fri, 27 Oct, 2023

− The Regent − Sun, 29 Oct, 2023

− Exeter Phoenix− Thu, 16 Nov, 2023

London Premiere

York

− Rio Cinema − Sat, 28 Oct, 2023

− City Screen Picturehouse − Thu, 2 Nov, 2023

More dates coming soon for Scotland.

Cambridge

Nottingham

Get your tickets before they sell out,

− The Light − Sun, 29 Oct, 2023

− Broadway Cinema − Sat, 4 Nov, 2023

warrenmiller.co.uk 77

ALL TIME: WARREN MILLER'S 74TH FILM PREMIERES IN THE UK!

FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS GO TO: 78

SCREENING DATES LONDON

Fri, 27 Oct | 7:30 pm

LONDON

Sat, 28 Oct | 12:30 pm

CAMBRIDGE

Sun, 29 Oct | 7:00 pm

CHRISTCHURCH YORK NOTTINGHAM EXETER

Sun, 29 Oct | 7:30 pm Thu, 2 Nov | 8:00 pm Sat, 4 Nov | 12:00 pm Thu, 16 Nov | 7:00 pm

Chillfactor Picks A LOOK AT SOME OF THIS WINTER’S GEAR

Giro Axis Goggle The Axis has a clean, frameless design that is comfortable to wear with very good peripheral vision. The goggle comes with two Vivid lenses (one for mixed conditions and one low light lens) that enhance clarity and contrast and features an easy quick-change lens system. Four self-locating magnets for lightning fast lens replacement are complemented by four snap-pins for extra security. with evak vent technology, anti-fog coating, and a modern frame design, the axis™ goggle is ready for all aspects and conditions.

Giro Tor & Tenaya Helmet The new Tor and Tenaya helmet lays down the perfect blend of fit, protection, temperature control and styling. For the highest levels of protection, the Tor features Spherical Technology powered by Mips, (multiple-direction impact protection) which reduces rotational energy during certain impacts through the helmets unique two-part construction. For managing all weather conditions, it has adjustable vents to regulate your temp. Armed with InForm 2 Fit System, a Fidlock magnetic buckle and breathable Wikpro Grid Fleece, the Tor lets you quickly dial in your fit and comfort.

Anon M4S MFI Goggle The Anon M4S Toric Goggles feature the same high-end performance of the M4 Goggles in a frame scaled for medium-sized faces. They offer a precise helmet-to-goggle fit with the wide field of view and enhanced peripheral vision of a toric lens a frame scaled to fit smaller faces. Our innovative magna-tech quick lens-change technology uses a powerful magnetic interface that allows you to swap lenses with ease. The M4S offers the unprecedented versatility to switch between toric and cylindrical style lenses. This edition of the M4S includes two toric lenses featuring perceive optics for highcontrast, terrain-defining clarity, and Anon’s best anti-fog treatment for crystal clear vision through a wide range of conditions. Magnetic Face Mask Integration provides seamless face mask attachment, and full-perimeter vents maintain consistent airflow for fog-free clarity. Includes an MFI face mask, microfiber goggle bag, and bonus lens.

Patagonia Storm Shift Jacket Fair Trade Certified™ sewn and made of fully PFC-free GORE-TEX material, built with 100% recycled face fabric, this fabric, membrane and DWR finish do not contain perfluorinated chemicals. The unique liner is warm and wicks moisture to provide lasting storm protection and comfort for skiers and boarders getting out in all types of conditions. Body-mapped jacquard fleece liner for a wide range of thermal protection and a low warmth- toweight ratio, with a zigzag pattern that wicks moisture and dries quickly. Low-profile, self-tensioning powder skirt snaps into all Patagonia Snow pants, sealing out wind and snow and ensuring skirt stays securely in place. Ultradurable and waterproof front-pocket zippers with a protective quarter-length cover are placed over for easy, unobstructed access.

Slopes App – track your ski data If you like to keep a record of your stats when skiing or snowboarding, the Slopes App is the perfect app to track your data. Available for both IOS and Android, Slopes is free to download on App Store and Google Play and tracks your runs, vertical feet, speed and interactive run replays on a standard map. To reduce the drain on your phone battery, it even pauses when you are standing in a lift line.The premium version gives access to the 3D interactive maps, run replay, health stats and other advanced data. Slopes has its own resorts data and content for over 2000 resorts world-wide with trail maps, resorts stats and the contact number for ski patrol. An interactive map also gives you a full replay of each run and it automatically identifies lift names in major resorts. For further info head to www.getslopes.com

This year's top 3 ski destinations to tick off your bucket list:

hello winter

Madonna di Campiglio, Italy Pas de la Casa, Andorra Trysil, Norway

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FLY LIKE AN EAGLE

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FLY LIKE AN EAGLE EAGLECREST: IT’S NOT JUST A “SKI HILL”

WORDS AND PHOTOS: TONY HARRINGTON

Before I get into this story I have to make a confession. I love Alaska. I’m all in and it’s been a love affair that’s been going on for quite a while now. For me, my annual Alaskan pilgrimage is my Christmas and New Year all tied up in a bow. I work year-round with the goal of getting to Alaska in March to early April for my yearly dose. It’s my time to be immersed into its wild landscape, the pure and rugged beauty, the remoteness of its lands, the authentic ‘no bullsh*t’ culture and straightforward friendships of the people who live there. It really is unlike anywhere else in the world I’ve experienced; certainly a last frontier that any adventurous and competent skier should try at least once. Although a warning, once you experience Alaska you may measure all other ski experiences against it and they could come up wanting. Left: Max Bardas soaring like an eagle 83

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE

“IT’S VAST, VARIED AND LEGITIMATELY RAD. THE NUMBER OF SKIERS-PER-ACRE WOULD MAKE ANY BIG RESORT CRY.”

My first visit to Juneau was in 1995. I was shooting for RAP films with Trevor Peterson and Eric Pehota at the time, flying out of Adlersheim Lodge and up around the Mendenhall Glacier just north of town. In the 27 AK visits I’ve made since then I’d certainly heard of the ‘Eaglecrest ski hill’ but interpreted the word ‘hill’ to mean ‘insignificant’ and (incorrectly) assumed it didn’t warrant a visit. Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing.? I’ve got a few bruises from kicking myself for not taking the time and checking out this spot earlier. Eaglecrest sits just 20 minutes out of Juneau down in south-east Alaska. It is not your average community ski area. It’s a serious mountain. There are 350 acres of big mountain terrain, and up to 800 acres if you consider the side and back country it accesses. It’s vast, varied and legitimately rad. The number of skiers-per-acre would make any big resort cry. There’s probably a local support group called ‘I’m lonely and need friends on a powder day’. The authenticity of Alaskan culture and the no-frills ambience you find here is the cherry on top. Dave Scanlon is Eaglecrest’s General Manager and he’s been at the helm for the last six years. He’s a hard-core skier, a visionary, he’s authentic, grounded and a go getter – the perfect person for a mountain like this. He gets it. And he loves the place. Dave is no stranger to small community ski areas and is a co-founder of the industry advocacy group called the Mountain Rider’s Alliance who over the past decade has worked to improve small ski areas nationwide. Dave has spent his professional life working within, improving and advocating for the ‘little guy’ in the increasingly corporatised ski industry. He actually is a ‘David’ to the growing Goliath we’re seeing globally in alpine resorts. Left: Space, its all yours for the taking at Eaglecrest. Right page: Kaitlyn Bausler in the meadows 84

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE

Main photo: Walls of freedom, Max surf’in the Alaskan mountains. Bottom from left to right: Downtown Juneau, just 20 minutes away, Mind boggling terrain, Kaitlyn Bausler enjoying tranquility in the side country.

“WHAT WE CALL A “CROWD” ON A WEEKEND WOULD BE LAUGHED AT ANY WHERE ELSE, LIFT LINES ARE SELDOMLY AN ISSUE, IF AT ALL.”

Left to right: Sight seeing at Auke Bay, The King Crab is to die for, It would be a crime to visit Juneau without dropping into the Alaskan Brewing Company for a “flight” (a sampler of beers).

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE

I caught up with Dave on the mountain for a chat. “Eaglecrest has so many elements that are just so perfectly situated. The town is close to the ski area, there’s enough of the main necessities like shopping, bars and restaurants here in Juneau and yet it retains that small towny feel to it, even though it is the Alaskan state capital. You see the same faces at the store and you get to know just about everyone here. There’s never a traffic issue, there’s rarely a lift a queue and it’s just a 10 to 15-minute drive to the heli ski zones to fly with Alaska Powder Descents.” “Take for example just about any resort in the lower 48 states. The lift lines can be horrendous, just to get to a resort usually means battling through some kind of traffic snarl, paying for exorbitant daily lift prices that hover around the US$200 mark, or more. When skiing Eaglecrest, you can fly from Seattle to Juneau in 2 ½ hours, a day ticket is US$68 and its unlikely you’ll see more than a handful of people skiing mid-week, even on a powder day. What we call a “crowd” on a weekend would be laughed at anywhere else, lift lines are seldomly an issue, if at all.” “Eagelcrest’s target market are folk in their mid-‘30s to mid-‘40s, they tend to be life-long expert skiers, often now with 10-15 year old kids who are also rippers. People who want to ski a mountain with little crowding and show their kids what the old ski days were like, 88

people who want to experience the small-town Alaskan lifestyle with no lift lines, the quietness, the ability to explore beyond boundaries, to ski lots of consistent soft snow and to immerse themselves in a different way of life.” “These skiers are going to get it. They’ll connect with what we are offering here. They are going to get the culture, get the lifestyle, get the no frills, that’s what they are looking for, and there’s a lot of people in this small niche. If we had just 200 people come up for a weekend, that would make a hugely positive economic impact for the local businesses downtown, without impacting the experience for any of the people on the mountain as it will never get crowded, particularly with what’s planned for the mountain in the future.” What Dave is alluding to here is that the ski hill, which is owned by the community of Juneau, has recently purchased a ‘gently used’ gondola from Europe that will be operational in just two years. The majority of the funding for the gondola comes from summer visitation which is the big business in this part of the world. So Eaglecrest is in an unusual position where they aren’t under pressure to drive a big push on skier visitation to pay the bill. The mountain sits on city-owned land. The periphery land is owned by the state and is

zoned for future Eaglecrest ski area expansion with a master plan for utilising up to 2000 acres. The visionaries way back when city and state were selecting federal lands for their entitlement allowance had this vision, they knew what was needed to serve the ski area right now, but in some point in time in the future the ski area was most likely going to want to use the terrain next to it. In a world that has limited options for new or expanding ski areas this makes Eaglecrest pretty unique. Dave explains, “We don’t need massive numbers of skiers because the summer visitors underwrite the costs for winter operations and that’s what makes it possible for us grow the ski area. It’s the ultimate win. We can be patient and wait for the right skiers to find us. We don’t have the pressure to needing to blow-up or over-sell the experience. The people we want to find us here at Eaglecrest are fun people to be around because they are our kind of people. They don’t want giant froo froo base lodges, they just want the skiing, they just want the adventure, and that’s what Alaskans like.”

Above: Alaska Powder Descents have over a million acres of permitted terrain and offer personalised packages that fit your needs and schedule.

Top: Dreaming of yourself being in this picture? Now check out www.alaskapowder.com and make it real. Bottom, clockwise: The magic sleigh ride, Epic terrain for days, High above the Medenhall Glacier, Rat pack group runs in breath taking locales, How steep do you like your skiing? Next page: The best run resorts in the world are those whose General Managers know to rip it up - they “get it” -and that filters all the way down through the staff and to you - the guest. Dave Scanlon practicing what he preaches. 89

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE

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