Chillfactor 2023

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CELEBRATING SKI CULTURE

NGARIGO COUNTRY Steep Lines in the Main Range

SPRING JIB Post season sessions in Perisher

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Location:

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Photo:

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Contents 28

SKI FASHION THROUGH THE YEARS An illustrated journey

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OLD BOLD SKIER There are old skiers and bold skiers but no old bold skiers

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MEET TOSHI PANDER Skier, Filmer, Photographer

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TINO’S SPRING JIB Making the most of the season that kept giving

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FOR THE LOVE OF SKI MOVIES Share a moment with some of the stars of the big screen

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NGARIGO COUNTRY Steep lines and powder on the Main Range

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WANAKA A Freeskiing Paradise

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SILVRETTA MONTAFON Silver Linings in Austria

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

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

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GRAND TARGHEE Freeski at The Ghee

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CHASED BY STORMS IN COLORADO A powder-filled road trip

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INTO THE ARCTIC Norway, So Far but So Good

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FLY LIKE AN EAGLE Exploring Eaglecrest Resort in Juneau Alaska

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FAIRY MEADOW, BRITISH COLUMBIA Endless backcountry terrain

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STEEP REFLECTIONS New Film Turns the Focus on Climate Change and The Main Range

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DAYMAKER A look at the new Warren Miller film

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CALIFORNIA DREAMING Palisades Tahoe and a season of plenty

On the cover: Anna Segal, clean air in the BC backcountry. Photo: Mattias Fredriksson This page: Local ripper Amy Seedsman hooks into some Hotham powder on one of the days of last winter, August 23, Photo: Chris Hocking 10

STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS Editor Reggae Elliss – reggae@chillfactor.com Art Director/Photo Editor Tony Harrington – harro@chillfactor.com Designer Marine Raynard – KaleaMarineDesigns.com.au Associate Editor Watkin McLennan Senior Writer/Sub Editor Rhylla Morgan Editorial Contributors Coen Bennie-Faull, Kate Allman, Drew Jolowicz and Tony Harrington Contributing photographers Saph Farrell, Erin Hogue, Chris Hocking, Dylan Robinson, Soren Rickards, Boen Ferguson, Toshi Pander, Adam Kroenart, Mattias Fredriksson, Nick Alegre, Eric Parker Illustrations Jared Rodden Advertising Toby Ryston-Pratt – toby@adventureentertainment.com – 0413 183 804 Charles Web – charles@adventureentertainment.com – 0418 984 019 Zac Merrion – zac@adventureentertainment.com – 0499 661 101 Publisher Toby Ryston-Pratt, Founder and CEO, Adventure Entertainment, ABN 79 612 294 569

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FOREWORD This photo of Mt Buller was taken on June 11th, 2022, the first day of last season, a winter that kicked off with a bang, two strong storms dropping more than a metre of snow in the fortnight leading into the long weekend.

The result was the best “official opening weekend” in years, with all resorts rolling multiple lifts accessing plenty of terrain on June 11th; pretty well the best start to a season since 2000.

After the Covid disruptions and lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 and overseas travel restrictions it was the start we needed, anticipation was high and as

a consistent season unfolded, Australian skiers and snowboarders flocked to the mountains.

As usual for Australia, last winter season delivered a bit of everything with some good winter storms, quite a few 10-15cms top ups but also a massive rain event in early August that dropped 175mm of rain over a three-day period.

While mild temps kept the snowline hovering between 1500-1600m, higher elevations held a good snowpack well into October. Snowy Hydro’s reading at Spencer’s Creek (1830m) sat at 166.2cms on October 5th after reaching a season peak of 232cms on September 20th.

There were plenty of good days last winter with a handful of really good powder days, one of which was on the Saturday of the June long weekend.

Like anything that relies on nature, skiing is unpredictable. It pays to be flexible and grab the opportunities while they are there and when it comes to snow, luck plays a big part!

The content in this issue reflects this; be it enjoying dry powder during a late September tour of the Main Range, turning up in Japan to catch a cold storm cycle after a lengthy dry spell or scoring powder days at each destination during a Colorado road trip.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work, ski & adventure. We pay respects to elders, past, present, and emerging.

Sovereignty was never ceded.

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Mt Buller in all it’s glory on a record breaking opening weekend. Photo Tony Harrington

On the other side of the coin you have to make decisions and be ready to go when the snow dictates. For Tony Harrington that meant pulling the pin on an intended two month stay in Chamonix as the French Alps endured a dry January and flying back across the North Atlantic to the US where it was dumping. Fair to say Harro scored, hooking up with Buller skier Max Bardas and a core group of locals in Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee for day after day of deep powder.

Coen Bennie-Faull was in a similar situation in Revelstoke in January where the tide was low thanks to a well below average December.

Then a rare cancellation in an in-demand backcountry hut called Fairy Meadow gave Coen the opportunity to score some interior BC powder,

but he only had a day to organise a crew and head for an area they knew little about. It turned out to be a week of exploration and self-discovery in the wilderness, one that they will remember for a long time.

snowboarding – he tells the story of Shigeru

Our feature interview is with Toshi Pander, a freeskier, photographer and film maker who is also the manager of the terrain parks in Mt Hotham. Toshi grew up skiing a small club field in New Zealand and in Japan each summer where his dad was a groomer. His skiing took him to Japan as an adult, ending up in Niseko where skiing for the camera lead him to picking up a camera, and has evolved into a new profession.

Toshi just won the best film award at the Niseko Shootout, but not for a film about skiing or

the other side.

Tokumaru, an 88-year-old artist in Niseko, and takes a deeper look at another side to Niseko’s culture. Through his skiing, different doors have opened for Toshi and he has embraced what’s on

Anyway, winter is just around the corner, hope the magazine inspires you to get out there to enjoy as many days as you can on skis and make the most of whatever snow you find. As we like to say, Live, Love Australian Skiing. See you on the hill.

- Reggae Elliss 13

SEASON 2022

Top: Charlie Comben, Mt Buller. Photo: Tony Harrington. Bottom: Henry Eisner, Mt Buller, Photo: Tony Harrington.

Right page: Boen, Ferguson, Thredbo. Photo: Adam Kroenart 14

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SEASON 2022

Top: Coen Bennie-Faull, Mt Hotham. Photo: Dylan Robinson Bottom: Ryan Cook, Thredbo. Photo: Adam Kroenart 16

No PFCs on a Powder Day

Photos: Ken Etzel, Jay Beyer © 2023 Patagonia, Inc.

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GALLERY

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Enzo Scotto, throwing a clean rodeo 7, Chamonix, France. Photo: Soren Rickards

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GALLERY

There's places in resorts where it takes local knowledge to find empty spaces like this. And often there's good reason not to ski them at all, as just 10 metres to Jeff Leger's right is a 120m fall over a murderous cliff... Jackson Hole #ifyoudontknowdontgo - Photo: Tony Harrington 22

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GALLERY

Hunting lines in the side country of Jackson, Jeff Leger style. Photo: Tony Harrington 24

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MADE IN GERMANY 26

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.

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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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The Old Bold Skier THERE ARE OLD SKIERS AND BOLD SKIERS BUT NO OLD BOLD SKIERS.

I would much rather stand in a lift line than sit in a traffic jam. Lift lines are bliss. Breathing alpine air surrounded by my shredding brothers and sisters. The buzz. The chat. The anticipation. Yet lately there has been a whole lot more jam and a lot less line.

The roads and car parks that access our ski resorts are chockers. We sit bumper-to-bumper like it’s Hoddle Street emitting snow killing CO2 and laying waste to our long-dreamed ski holiday. When we arrive, we are welcomed by a blizzard of cars on a glacier of asphalt. Our precious Gore-Tex muddied by grit, we march towards the snow, tracking the stain of our broken mountain access infrastructure.

We need to work together to fix this problem.

We need to share our cars. Share our roads.

Share our knowledge. We need more mid-week skiing, night-skiing, car-pooling, hitchhiking, ski touring, lifted mountain access and a little bit of PUBLIC TRANSPORT. Photo: Tony Harrington 30

DON’T FOLLOW THE TRACKS

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FREEBOM THE FREESKI SPIRIT IS ALIVE IN BULLER

What started as a protest event to Mt Buller’s ABOM Mogul Challenge, FreeBOM has now become a fixture on the Mt Buller calendar. After two seasons of COVID induced cancellations FreeBOM-22 was welcomed back to the mountain with the biggest turn out on record, a luxurious snow bar and a wall of speakers filling Bull Run Bowl’s supernatural amphitheatre with the sounds of freedom. The party run (pictured) where we try to recreate the antics of Bourke Street on Wood Run was the moment that crystallised this event. Unlike snow, FreeBOM will never melt.

FreeBOM returns this year with more bumps, beats and an EFTPOS powered snow bar! Saturday 19th August. Visit www.FreeBOM.ski to find out where Mt Buller’s ski community come together to freeski with music.

Top: The party run in full flight. Photo: Tony Harrington Bottom: Winner Tom Eisner showing the form that won him the coolest trophy in skiing. Photos: Colin Clarke 32

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WOMEN’S BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES TOUR

After the success of last season’s Women’s Beyond the Boundaries tour, Thredbo Backcountry Tours and The North Face are presenting a women’s backcountry weekend in this season on September 8-9.

The weekend will be led by all-female guides with two tours on offer, an Introduction to Backcountry tour and Beyond the Boundaries tour to upskill and boost confidence in exploring the nearby backcountry.

Last year’s Beyond the Boundaries Tour was led by two of Thredbo’s female backcountry guides, including head guide Alex Parsons, who were joined by six female backcountry enthusiasts and Thredbo Ambassador Arkie Elliss.

The tour was a couple of days after a snowfall and the group enjoyed clear skies and fresh snow. As they headed out to the Ramshead range the guides passed on their expert knowledge to the group, discussing route finding, snow observations, prevailing winds and decision-making in the backcountry.

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After stopping at the base of Mt Ramshead for a snack break and to take in the epic views of the Main Range it was time to put on crampons and get in some steep ascent practice. The crew powered up the side of the mountain until to the top at 2190m, taking in the views from Australia’s fourthh highest peak.

After a transition to downhill riding mode, it was time to ride.

“The ladies all had fantastic technique and there was heaps of windblown snow to slash,” said Alex. “After a few high fives, we hunted out some shelter for a lunch spot and chatted about how relaxed and fun it was to have a whole crew of women in the backcountry. It was such a supportive environment and the guides were impressed with everyone’s capabilities.”

The wind started to pick up after lunch, so the call was made to head for more-sheltered southeast-facing slopes where the group found windblown powder for a ride down towards Aries Tors, one of the most picturesque spots

in the National Park, and perfect for another snack and a photo break. From there the crew dropped into the side face of Signature Hill before heading back into the resort.

“It was easily one of the best backcountry days of the season,” Alex said. “Clear skies, awesome snow and great company. “The women who came are so inspiring and it was a real privilege to guide them and help them on their journeys.”

The Women’s’ Backcountry Weekend will kick off on Friday night in Thredbo Alpine Hotel for a meet and greet drink with the guides and a screening of the Australian backcountry film Steep Reflections.

The tours will also be joined by a few athletes from The North Face team, rounding out what should be a great experience.

Clockwise from Top: Arkie Elliss loving the windblown snow; the group takes in the view; Alex Parson leads the way. Photos: Boen Ferguson

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THE DOCTOR IS IN

“SKIING IS AN ACTIVITY WHICH CROSSES EVERYDAY BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL, TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE.” WORDS: RHYLLA MORGAN & DR MICHELLE STEVENSON MAIN PHOTO: TONY HARRINGTON

Dr Michelle Stevenson can’t write you a prescription but she’s the sort of doctor most of us would prefer to have an appointment with; she holds the first PhD ever awarded for study in Australian skiing history. Yes, a Doctor of Australian Skiing history is a thing and she’s the only one in the land.

Michelle’s day job is at Museums Victoria where she heads up History & Technology and she is the Curator at the National Alpine Museum on Mt Buller. She’s a skier, did a stint instructing in her twenties and instead of bingeing Netflix during COVID she got her head down and worked on a thesis that brings together “two entangled passions and parts of my identity, that of skier and cultural heritage practitioner.”

Her PhD, poetically titled “Snowflakes in a sunburnt country”, kicks off with a delicious glossary of terms including ‘chookfooter’, ‘punter’ and ‘spring corn’ and you know you’re in for an interesting read when the table of contents has sections titled; Skis, Snowgums, Schnapps, Snowflakes and Ski Like a Girl.

Even when the topic is as close to the scholar’s heart as this is for Michelle, a PhD is a weighty academic undertaking and her exploration of ski culture reveals interesting perspectives on how it all started, what we do on snow, why we do it and what it all means to us.

“Studying skiing in Australia is a way to examine broader Australia in many ways and can help us to understand elements that have shaped our country and the people we are today; migration, our interactions with the environment and our engagement with the wider world…. It looks at how we’ve taken some of those overseas influences and made them our own. In studying Australian skiing, we see the co-mingling of Australian and particularly 38

European cultures that shows up in the snowfields in a way that is more visible than in the big cities,” she explains.

Snowgums get a special mention in the thesis and it seems if you ask anyone what makes Australian skiing unique, our favourite bendy trees are high on the list. “Snowgums came up again and again… most of the skiing we are doing here is at or just above the tree line and we are immersed in landscapes with snowgums so they come to define these places we love.”

Her study spans things, the facts and happenings of Australian ski history but also the feelings and meanings we make in the mountains. She uses a lovely word, liminality, which is about transitions, inbetween moments and breakdowns to ‘normal’ boundaries; liminal moments it seems are often woven into our alpine experiences. She explains, “when people come to alpine areas it’s usually a place they transition into, and there’s a journey to arrive. We might step into a different ‘version’ ourselves in these special places. Skiing also offers us a different set of experiences; après ski moments, a place of escape, moments of danger and adventure – these are liminal moments that are offered to us in the mountains.”

Talking to Michelle it’s clear she lives and breathes this topic, and that she’s quietly stoked about being the first PhD in her field.

She broken the trail and is hopeful others will follow her bootpack to build on and record Australia’s evolving alpine history. Visit the Museum when you are next on Buller to see some very cool alpine artifacts, flip through a copy of “Snowflakes in a sunburnt country” and take a moment to reflect on what it means to ski in Australia. Dr Stevenson might even show you around.

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MEET TOSHI PANDER SKIER, FILM MAKER, PHOTOGRAPHER If you search the term ‘slashie’ online there should be a picture of Toshi Pander. A slashie is someone who creates a life pursuing a collection of professions, paths and career options. A list separated by slashes; instructor/freeskier/ park manager/photographer/filmmaker. Fellow Hotham skier Coen Bennie-Faull caught up with Toshi to talk about his multi-faceted identity and how these strands weave together to build a life in skiing.

Toshi deep in Hokkaido, his second home. Photo: Aaron Jamieson

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MEET TOSHI PANDER

Where did skiing start for you? Was it in the club fields in New Zealand or in Japan?

Because you come from everywhere. Tell me about how it started with Toshi Pander just skiing around?

It’s a bit of both. My parents had a ski lodge since I was four and I was born in New Zealand in Springfield. We’d spend winters in the ski lodge in New Zealand and then my Dad drove snow groomers in Japan. So we’d spend six months in Japan/six months in New Zealand – back and forth for about 10 years.

So, the seasonal lifestyle has been a way of life since the beginning for you?

Yeah, pretty much. For all of primary school we split our time between New Zealand and Japan until I started junior high and I stayed in New Zealand. That’s when Porters was my local ski resort. Out of those club fields Porters is the more ‘commercial’ one and had three T-bar lifts.

And did you grow up skiing in a club system there?

Porters was the closest ski area to my house.

It still had that club fields feel but it’s actually a ski resort and I was in the race team there.

It was more developed than a true ‘club’ field but it’s still really small – you know the general manager and he knows you from when you were tiny. The race program though was quite big at the time and we got taught to ride Slalom and GS but we’d be off freeriding and tackling it all. You’re on one pair of GS skis going down Bluff Face to open faces on bumps and ice and crud. We’d do everything.

You can see the racing roots in the way you ski, but you’re not in the racing world now, you’re the head of the parks at Hotham and I see you as a jib-style skier with a freeride influence. Tell us about your racing foundation and the transition to where you are today.

I think growing up in New Zealand and being able to go and ride anything, in any conditions, makes you a stronger all-round skier. We were all out to have fun and rip around. So for sure, as I grew up I did racing but we all freeskied and ripped around, learned how to jump off stuff and whatnot. Until I was 18 I kept up the ski racing though.

And then soon when I turned 18 I did my first proper season in Fukushima in Japan as an instructor. There was a massive crew of free skiers there, the biggest I’ve ever seen; easily a dozen really good park riders, who were all instructors too. It was such a massive influence and opened up this whole new style of skiing.

My racing was a great background, but I was discovering park and touching proper powder 44

for the first time. It was completely eye-opening to be introduced to such a loose surfy feel in the powder and the freedom of what you can do in that. Jumping. Rails. It was life-changing.

Do you think that first season in Fukushima changed the direction for you in skiing?

It was probably a combination of things; my first time overseas independently as an adult and discovering a completely different type of skiing.

It was a whole other aspect and different style to the skiing I’d known. I was addicted to this new feeling. I was at a point with my racing where from when I was 17 years old I was doing FIS for the first time and it really sucked the fun out of it for me.

I was suddenly feeling ‘I don’t know if I can see myself becoming a top racer or not…’ and then with freestyle it felt like ‘it doesn’t matter what level you are, it’s about how you enjoy your day’.

I can relate to that. Was there pressure with having a family in the ski industry to follow that path also or did you feel like it was something that felt right for you?

It was very fluid I think. It was definitely my choice. I did so many seasons when I was younger I didn’t really think about what I did as a ‘seasonal’ lifestyle. It just felt like a normal lifestyle at the time. It was just about discovering yourself – you’re 18 and just going for a new adventure. I wanted to do something different, get out of the small New Zealand town and see the world, doing what I knew how to do.

You now spend most of your year in Australia, heading up the park crew at Mount Hotham, tell me about that move from New Zealand to Australia?

I did about four or five seasons back at my local resort back home, but it did get to the point in New Zealand where it was like, ‘you’re still my parents’, and I was looking for a change.

It’s great there but my family is so etched into Porters and whatever you do, there is that influence and opinion from your parents that as a young adult you want to be free of, to find your own way.

The move to Australia came about through a few people I met in Japan. I met a mate Damien and a few Hotham crew one year in Japan where they all worked for the same ski shop. Usual story, they said ‘you should come to Hotham’.

At the time I had no idea that skiing was even a big thing in Australia but I thought, ‘why not try something different again?’ It was feeling a bit too stable in New Zealand and I was ready for another adventure. Park crew jobs are a niche thing and usually quite a tight crew that are pretty hard to get into, so to be asked if I wanted to work at Hotham felt like an opportunity I

should take. I gave it a go.

It’s one thing to get into the ski industry, it’s another thing to stay in the ski industry. It can be a transient world and sometimes it’s hard to find a home base with seasonal work. You’ve gone from being a skier who was working in park crew, to making it a career. It seems picking up a camera played a big role in that. How did that begin? Where did photography come into this for you?

In my early 20s I was really just trying to make a name for myself, free skiing in my own way and I think it was that first year I met Ben Kaye and we went back to Niseko and were pushing each other quite hard at the time with our free skiing.

We did a few trips down to Honshu together with a photographer for some shoots. We’d work really hard, put our bodies on the line and they’d get some cool photos, but often we never ended up with the photos ourselves, which became frustrating.

I feel it’s a 50/50 thing where it’s half the photographer and half the rider to create a great image together. It can be hard for photographers trying to keep a photo exclusive to get more value for it when they’re selling it to magazines but also at the time I’d be feeling, ‘if you’re not going to use it, I really want to have it’. We started getting a bit fed up and figured, ‘well, why don’t we just get better at taking photos and then we don’t need to look for photographers to work with, or ride for them.

We can do this for ourselves.’

That’s how it all started.

How does photography and skiing work together for you now? Do you call yourself a skier or a photographer?

I take a lot of pride in being a skier, my heart and core is still skiing but my ambition and focus is to be at the top of photography and filming and that’s what I’m really pushing now. I just want to be the best photographer/ filmer that I can be, but I can also rip.

My goal for now is to sharpen up more on the never ending process of getting better at photography and filming but definitely trying to be the best I can be all-round, at everything.

Photographers that are also skiers have an ability to see a scene before it happens.

Having worked with you personally, your ability to set up a shot in a short timeframe and collaborate on a moment that you’ve planned with an athlete is beyond what photographers who don’t have that background in skiing can do. How do you think your skiing style and your experiences, guides your photography?

Photo: Aaron Jamieson

“IT WAS SUCH A MASSIVE INFLUENCE AND OPENED UP THIS WHOLE NEW STYLE OF SKIING. MY RACING WAS A GREAT BACKGROUND, BUT I WAS DISCOVERING PARK AND TOUCHING PROPER POWDER FOR THE FIRST TIME.”

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MEET TOSHI PANDER

“I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN BEING A SKIER, MY HEART AND CORE IS STILL SKIING BUT MY AMBITION AND FOCUS IS TO BE AT THE TOP OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILMING” Just knowing and being able to see what I would do if I was skiing, how would I ride, is what I’m thinking about whether I am skiing it or taking a photo. I still look at the mountain and the faces and think about… ‘what line? Can you go from here? Where would you flash… that wind lip or that berm looks perfect’ and then I move into ‘how would I frame that?’ I’m already building a mental picture of the possibilities and that always comes into the discussion with any rider as I ask them ‘what do you want to do here?’

I think that’s the biggest challenge right now for me is the balance. I’m getting more and more comfortable with the transition of becoming more photography focused, but it’s definitely hard sometimes when you want to ride but then it’s a beautiful sunrise and I’m thinking ‘this looks amazing to shoot, but I’d love to ride that’. I’m getting better where my brain can now switch over and be like, ‘okay, I’m here to take photos and that’s what I am thinking about.

Riding can come afterwards.’

What’s really exciting is when the idea I have in my head matches what the rider wants to do. I think it gives me a bit of advantage of being able to ride it, so I think as a rider and then I try to find that middle ground where it’s a great frame but it also feels good for them. Sometimes if you push too hard for a certain shot it can look good in the moment but loses the flow for the skier, so I try and capture riding that keeps the flow and motion so you can feel that in the frame.

The relationship you have with Ben Kaye, another ripping skier from Hotham, seems to have been a big influence on your career, do you think you would’ve found this path or was it a bit of a sliding door moment to meet Ben to get into this side of skiing?

How do you hold yourself back when you’re shooting and you can see how it needs to be done and the skier isn’t getting it? Do you ever feel you could just go out there and do it for them?

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I think it’s been a really big part of it, now that I look back at it. I think our attitudes were quite similar but we have our own distinct ways. Our riding styles, our motivations for the riding and our direction we wanted to go and our thinking’s very similar but how we see was pretty much polar opposites. I think meeting someone like that at that right time in your riding career can be a key moment. It could have

been a spike, a flash and then gone downhill but we met right as we were on the rise of our skiing abilities and then connecting at that time just catapulted everything for us.

For sure I had a similar experience with Will Nelson and I think if I hadn’t had those few seasons chasing winter with him around the world, would I still be in this industry?

It’s that community aspect of skiing that is really important. At the end of the day we work outside, especially in Australia, often in the rain and wind and that connection you create with people is what’s really important.

Do you think that tight community environment you grew up with in the club fields has guided where you’ve taken your career, from there to Hotham and Niseko?

Yeah for sure. Early on for me it was all about wanting to surround myself with the people that actually made me happy. Not wasting time trying to pretend and make people happy that I didn’t really care about. That’s how we chose who we spent time with. I think that part of the reason there are so many club resorts in a

certain area and they all run perfectly; all the clubs are so different but it’s kind of like being taken into a family. People accept you in, you find like-minded crew and you make it work as a community. I just continued on that path when I went over to Japan and Fukushima and somehow was lucky enough to fall into circles of people, and jobs.

I was working in Fukushima when the earthquake happened and that was in March, close to end of the season. We all lost our jobs in Fukushima after the earthquake and the nuclear plant disaster. It was all over the news, and my parents were worried, ‘you need to come home to New Zealand the nuclear plant’s going to blow up.’ But I felt it was too soon to quit and I’d just connected to what felt like the right group of people for me, so I reached out through connections and ended up in Niseko in spring.

I had no idea what it was like and ended up working the summer there. Similar to the club field vibe I found a little family and everyone just clicked so well.

It’s these moments that keep me in this industry with these people. I’m 30 now and it’s been 12 years of pretty much back-to-back seasons and not getting bored a single moment.

My Niseko ‘family’ now crosses over to the Hotham ‘family.’ It’s that community vibe that glues us all together.

It can be a tough industry to make a living and shooting skiing isn’t necessarily a means to an end. You’ve transformed what started in skiing to something a lot bigger. How do you make it all work?

It’s pretty hard to make a living off ski photography full-time, so I juggled fitting it in around my full-time job. In Australia for example I’m working in a full-time job in the Hotham park but was building lots of good connections with companies and sponsors that gave me a chance to do shoots with gloves, outerwear and goggles. Those slowly brought in a little bit of extra income but the biggest thing was getting real experience in actual commercial style photography.

That was the start for everything for me, doing a little bit of that gave me the experience as I shot more and more product-based stuff. Then I started to do more lifestyle shoots which built up my skills to transition into tourism-style videos and photos and I do some of that now with Hotham resort management.

Opposite photo: This image is from 2018 when I was shooting for Mt Hotham social media takeover. Ben Kaye the rider is one of my great friends that together helped me start my photography career and also pushed me as a freeskier. Photo: Toshi Pander. This page top: Toshi ripping into some spring corn in Hotham. Photo: Jake Rast. Bottom: This image is from this year in Japan when I had the opportunity to shoot Dennis Ranalter from Legs of Steel. One of those perfect days of premium Japow with the rare blue bird. Photo: Toshi Pander.

Lorem Ipsum

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MEET TOSHI PANDER

“SOMETIMES IF YOU PUSH TOO HARD FOR A CERTAIN SHOT IT CAN LOOK GOOD IN THE MOMENT BUT LOSES THE FLOW FOR THE SKIER, SO I TRY AND CAPTURE RIDING THAT KEEPS THE FLOW AND MOTION” It’s all about being there and you never know where the next connection will come from.

That’s what happened when I first met Aaron Jamieson about seven years ago when he was looking for a skier for talent and I started shooting with him. He has been involved in the running of the Niseko Shootout film festival since the beginning, so I’d always make an effort to do a season edit or put something together for the competition. It was time-consuming and tiring but it was good to improve each year and be part of it. It helped show the world Niseko and Hokkaido and what we were doing. And then a few years go by and here we are, our own production company doing professional commercial work, government and tourism projects. These opportunities working in highend real estate and tourism related businesses keep me in the snow industry and allow me to play to my strengths. I’m still getting the riding shots and the landscapes I love, but shooting in the snow all the time is harsh. It’s tough on you and your equipment, everything is frozen, fogged and difficult being outside in the cold and the elements. We’re taking all those skills and tackling whatever jobs arise, and we’re pulling it off.

You won Best Short Film in Niseko Shootout this year – tell me about what that means to you as a photographer to take out that prestigious honour?

Yes, I made a four-minute film called Painter about a day in the life of Shigeru Tokumaru (88 years old) who is one of Niseko’s favourite artisans. Niseko Tourism now run the event and every year I’ve put something in, usually a ski edit. Tokumaru has lived in Niseko for something like 55 years and he was keen to 48

work with me and Aaron on a documentarystyle video about his work and his life, and we thought ‘let’s do it’. So many more people wanted to see it, and we put it in the festival for something different, it’s super local to Niseko but of course not a ski edit which is what everyone was expecting. [It was the first time a non-ski/snowboard film has won] It was really nice to have the skillset to be able to create the film and story and there’s something about sharing a film, giving it away and sharing it with others that I enjoy. I’m really motivated by how my photos and video can help others, like my early memories in the park taking photos as people are learning their first grabs and capturing it for them. To be able to give them that photo and see them so excited about it, for now that’s all I really focus on.

You are very humble and clearly work driven by passion rather than for any recognition.

Do you think that is just you, or is it part of your upbringing?

I guess it’s a little bit of everything. There’s a lot in the Japanese culture that has rubbed off on me. There’s definitely a bit of both sides in my personality. My father’s Dutch and Dutch people can be very stern and strong where Japanese people tend to be culturally quite humble and respectful. I think I do have a very mixed and split personality like that and it’s partly up to my own accord. Some people spend lifetime working out what kind of person they want to be. I think I was lucky enough to have certain people early on in my life that showed me how being humble, just being respectful but also strong about what you want to do, can direct how you can be as a person.

I think I decided early on it that I don’t need to brag about anything. I’ve realised the more you can give back to the people around you that you care about and the connections you make – that’s the best way to go in life, to be as happy as you can be. Looking back, some of it might be the influence of my Japanese culture, but I think it’s as much about the people you surround yourself with. Just being open and taking every moment – you never know when you might find your best friend or another connection that you aspire to and it helps direct your path in life.

What does the future hold? What’s next?

Currently me and Aaron Jamieson are kicking off our production company – Tanuki Productions – based in Japan. So that’s really concrete now and this passion/job is steadily evolving and we’re really committing to this step. Last winter was a really big leap to realise I’m ready to head into this next stage and putting 100% into my photography and filming to take it up to the commercial level.

What started off as one job in Niseko turned into working every day and we were booked out for the whole five months I was in Japan, and even on jobs that were completely outside skiing. It was also cool working on commercial projects connected to skiing like a 10-day shoot we did with Faction, doing a whole range of ski lifestyle and product photography and taking it to another level.

Follow Toshi’s creative journey on the gram @toshi_pander, say hi if you’re in the park at Hotham and keep an eye out for more coming soon from Tanuki Productions.

Toshi finding empty lines in the Niseko backcountry, Photo: Jimi Oretli

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MAKING THE MOST OF THE SEASON THAT KEPT ON GIVING WORDS: REGGAE ELLISS PHOTOS: SAPH FARRELL

When late season, and post-season, snowfalls sustained a base at Perisher well into October after the resort had closed a few locals made regular journeys from Jindabyne to hit a handful of rails and hand-built jumps.

Martin Longhitano was one, and he put in that extra effort to find some different features, including a snowmaking fan gun and various staircase rails.

Martin skis Perisher daily. He’s always a standout in the Front Valley and Leichardt terrain parks renowned for his style and innovation.

A great all-round skier, he competes occasionally, but prefers to freeski, make a few edits and put a creative spin on finding ways and places to spice up his skiing.

“The idea to use the fan gun had been in my head, but I had to find the right spot,” Martin told Chillfactor.

“About a week after the mountain closed I spotted a huge pile of snow banked up behind this snowgun. It had been pushed up by a snow cat and so it was the perfect landing – I just needed to smooth it out.” Martin spent

an afternoon building the take-off, mostly by himself as “other people weren’t convinced until it started to take shape.”

“The in-run was a bit tight around some trees and bushes, but it worked well to line up the landing,” he said. “The jump had to be close and with a lot of pop because I wanted to touch the snowgun and had to try to match the steep landing on the other side.”

The following day, with the help of a few friends, Martin finished building the jump and finetuning the take-off ahead of a session with Cameron Waddell and some others. Martin kept skiing until the end of November, making it a long season for him that started back in the first week of June when Perisher had an early opening of the Front Valley.

“Towards the end it was hard to find people who were still motivated to ski, including myself,” he said with a laugh. “I was really tired and sore from a long season. After that last snowfall in November it got really warm and took a lot of effort.”

Left page: Martin “Tino” Longhitano, loosening up after a building the jump. Inset: Tino 53

SPRING JIB

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Clockwise from left: Martin Longhitano, Cameron Waddell, vertical view of Martin.

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Martin, making use of another man-made feature after the snow melt.

SPRING JIB

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I N F O @ F U T U R E S P O R T. C O M . A U

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Photo: Noah Wetzel

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For the love of ski movies …WE SHARE A MOMENT WITH SOME OF THE STARS OF THE BIG SCREEN

BY RHYLLA MORGAN

The shorter days and the outbreak of puffy jackets on the streets are tell-tale signs, but for me it’s that first email to arrive in my inbox about a ski movie at my local theatre that underlines the countdown to snow season.

I love the pre-winter ritual of filing into the cinema and sitting in the dark with friends.

I love the shared experience (complete with popcorn and crowd reactions) as we soak in the summit views, lean into those smooth POV turns and get collectively fired up for winter.

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Whether you experience these films on the big screen or watch on a laptop in your trackie pants they feel like much more than simple entertainment. They bust open doorways into our imagination, tickle us with dopamine and lure us back into the mountains. Just as professional athletes visualise performance and pilots do hours in a simulator, when I am crunching on a Malteser in the theatre it’s (sort of) like taking a master class.

So, to further our pre-season preparation I reached out to a few athletes who have

inspired me through recent ski movies to ask them about what it feels like to be in the kind of films they watched as young athletes, to share what was happening in the moments in these shots (taken during filming) and what it means to see ourselves on screen.

Portraits clockwise: Anna Segal, Caite Zeliff, Elyse Saugstad, Amy David. Photos Mattias Fredriksson and Eric Parker. Right: Anna Segal on a line that represents a “pivot” in her career where her progression from slopestyle competitor to big lines in the backcountry comes to fruition. Photo: Erin Hogue.

Anna Segal The first ski film I really remember was a VHS tape of “Propaganda’ by Poor Boyz Productions I bought and watched on repeat, every afternoon when I got in from skiing. If I’m honest sometimes I think I’m not rad enough to be the one up on the screen. You pour your physical and mental energy, your whole winter and spring into creating a segment and it feels almost surreal when people come up at screenings to congratulate me. I can only speak from my white, female perspective but I would fast-forward through videos to find the segments featuring my idols. Usually there were only a handful of shots of athletes like Kristi Leskinen, Sarah Burke, Marie Martinod, Michelle Parker and Grete Eliassen but I connected with them as role-models and it lit that fire for me to try it for myself.

This image was captured by Erin Hogue who was out with another film crew but was in the right place for this shot. I was filming with BLANK Collective in 2021 in a zone called Chocolate Bowl south of Whistler for Tales of Cascadia. This area has infamous Alaskalooking spines, which can be accessed by snowmobile. The snow was deep and in just my second year of owning and learning to snowmobile I arrived at the bottom of this face sweaty, exhausted and depleted from the ride in.

The sun was set to pop so our filmer Jeff Thomas raced me to the top where I was suddenly alone, boot-packing along the ridge to find my line. It’s spooky being on a big line with no one else’s energy or guidance, just your own intuition and self-belief as you wait for the radio call. I take a deep breath and drop in. Although I appear small on this giant face you’ll can see I only made a couple of turns as I had to ski fast to race the sluff chasing me. It felt like it was over in 10 seconds. This image represents a pivot in my career and the culmination of many lessons learned in the mountains. To capture it in one word? Personal progression (I know, it’s two!)

It’s good to see more women getting more opportunities to shoot in ski films and creating our own opportunities but there’s so much work still to be done. Brands need to get behind a diverse range of athletes. We all need to see people ‘like us’ doing what we dream of doing.

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FOR THE LOVE OF SKI MOVIES

Amy David “It feels amazing to have achieved a goal I worked towards for so many years. I remember the first TGR film I watched in Jackson as a teenager and how inspired I was seeing what is possible on skis and incredible places around the world. My mind was opened… and now I’m featured in this year’s film, I’m still inspired by the other athletes and what they accomplish.

This photo was taken on my first day of filming in Cooke City, Montana. Nic Alegre took the photo as the sun set behind the mountains. We were on the hunt for beautiful light, and we found it at this moment…. I recall this day feeling like a major breakthrough. If I were to caption this image with one word that would be it – breakthrough.

The first time I saw my segment of Magic Hour was at the premiere in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. My dad and I sat together which meant a lot to me, a long-standing family support system has made a huge difference in my life. I was surprised to hear a squad of kids cheering my segment. It was especially surreal when a group of girls came up after the show and were so stoked. It brought me back to how inspired I was as a kid and continue to be when I see people I relate to and look up to. My goal is to inspire others to push themselves and know their value.”

Amy has said as a kid she’d check photos of herself skiing or horseriding to see if her ‘hair was blowing back’ because that meant she was flying or going fast. Safe to say if that helmet wasn’t on this shot would pass the test.

Photo Nic Alegre / Teton Gravity Research 62 62

Caite Zeliff “The second I started watching ski films my world changed forever and I knew I wanted to be in one. I was so inspired by the terrain, the attitudes of the athletes and the outdoor lifestyle I saw in those films. I was hooked and started rearranging my life to make my new dream a reality. Sharing my skiing with an audience can be nerve wracking because it is something that means so much to me and I put a lot of time and energy into. When an audience responds with hoots and hollers and excitement, it fills me right up. I love the opportunity to inspire and share the art we create with the world.

This photo was taken during my first AK film trip with TGR on the coast in Seward. We’d been struggling with conditions and high winds, so we had to be really focused on this day. In this moment I was fully consumed.

When I am airborne, time stops, and everything becomes quiet. I love this capture of that peaceful moment when everything feels right in the world. That would be the one-word caption – peace.

I am really excited the ski industry is seeing the importance of representing people of every walk of life. I was lucky enough to have people like Angel Collinson, Elyse Saugstad, Ingrid Backstrom, Michelle Parker and others to look up to. They showed me it was possible to be a woman and jump off big cliffs. It is easier to push yourself when you are surrounded by others showing the way.

When I watch another woman lace a backie or stomp a 50-footer it gives me confidence to step up too.”

Caite Zeliff has slid across our ski movie screens for many years in Warren Miller, TGR and now Matchstick Productions projects. Chugach Range, Alaska.

Photo Eric Parker / Teton Gravity Research

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FOR THE LOVE OF SKI MOVIES

Elyse Saugstad “I remember loving ski films as a kid but there were very few women in them – and I think we can still do better. You cannot underestimate the impact of seeing yourself represented – there is such power when someone who looks like you is doing what you aspire to, it underlines what’s possible and is so important.

I think we are steadily moving into a time when our gender is less interesting to people and are having a conversation that is simply about being professional athletes, and the skiing itself.

In this shot I am up in Alaska, it was getting late in the trip, so the pressure was on to capture footage as the days ticked down. It had been hard to find good snow that season and we’d started moving inland to zones we’d not scoped. That’s always unsettling in AK because you want to let it rip and ski hard to create an impact for the camera, but you can’t just dial it up to 10 on unknown terrain. It’s so dangerous and consequential up there. My memory of this day was we were cautious, feeling our way and finding a fragile balance.

If I was to caption this image with one word to sum up the feeling in that moment it would be a sound rather than a word, a deep sigh of relief.”

Long may these films celebrate skiing and give a stage for athletes like Amy, Caite, Elyse and Anna to inspire us, even if we may never ski quite like they do.

Join the awesome Amy David in Magic Hour (2022) and revisit Stoke the Fire (2021) to see the phenomenal Elyse Saugstad and fierce Caite Zeliff.

Want more inspiration in your Instagram scroll? @tetongravity @amyjanedavid @ elysesaugstad @caite_zeliff @anna_segal @seasons.film @warrenmillertour Third generation Alaskan Elyse Saugstad looks completely at ease airing it out, although this is home she’s very clear, “I’ve never thought ‘I can ski that just because I grew up here’. It takes a lot of experience and skill to take on the more difficult terrain that exists all over the Chugach mountains.”

Photo Eric Parker / Teton Gravity Research 64

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NGARIGO COUNTRY BIG LINES, BIGGER AVALANCHES AND A PARTY AT CLUB LAKE. WORDS: DREW JOLOWICZ PHOTOS: DYLAN ROBINSON

When planning a Spring trip on New South Wales’ Main Range fresh snow and the potential for avalanches are not usually the first things that come to mind. It’s nearly October, days are longer, usually warmer and it’s time to harvest corn on the steeper Western Faces. Skiing consistent corn is the next best thing to powder except your toes don’t get cold. In many ways a strong argument can be made it’s just as good. Mind you, for this story discussion of Spring corn is irrelevant as it’s not what we found on this trip out the back.

Fresh (or not) off a gruelling week at the CAA Ops One Avalanche* course at Charlotte’s Pass the plan was to regroup in Jindabyne, grab some supplies and head out onto the Main Range for some camping, skiing and touring.

It had been a long winter and in a sense this trip was an end of season celebration in the backcountry where like-minded folk could catch up, shred some lines and bask in the spring sun.

As luck would have it great friend and photographer Dylan Robinson was in town along with Mountain Safety Collective’s assistant forecaster and Alpine Access Australia guide Kyle Boys. They’d been working at the Arc’teryx Backcountry Weekend and were keen for some type two fun. Considering the date, the weather was anything but typical for this late in the season.

Kyle Boys has guiding, forecasting and educating roles with Alpine Access Australia and the Mountain Safety Collective. A strong voice for safe backcountry travel, here he discusses the options for skiing under a stunning alpenglow sky.

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NGARIGO COUNTRY

A full-blown winter storm had just lashed the range leading up to the weekend, leaving the Aussie Alps with a tonne of fresh snow (there goes our corn harvesting plans).

Checking the snow-cams on the morning of our intended departure all the major resorts were reporting big numbers and a good cover of fresh snow. Serious FOMO set in as I relayed this to the crew. What are we doing? Here we were sitting in Jindabyne not skiing, preparing for a suffer-fest, while there was powder on offer straight off the chairs. ‘Maybe it’s heavy, yeah definitely heavy,’ I told myself. Should we ditch the blisters, 20-kilogram packs and a bad night’s sleep in a tent and hit the resort?

Questioning the wisdom of our choices, we were sticking to Plan A. Cloud was still lingering when we headed out from Guthega that afternoon, with the ceiling sitting just below the summit of Mt. Twynam.

Crossing the Illawong Suspension Bridge and 70

touring up towards Twynam the cloud cover was stubborn and didn’t burn off as hoped.

We had planned to set up a camp somewhere high, so we would be in the go-zone the following day, but in the end, we settled on digging in beside Little Twynam for the night.

Later that evening the clouds parted and intermittent snow showers gave way to a crisp and starry night.

Peering out of the tent the following morning we were greeted with a landscape seldom seen in the Aussie Alps, like a purple Sahara Desert as far as the eye could see, the snow glistening in the pre-dawn light.

“Where’s the corn?” Dylan quizzed. “You said there’d be corn.” “Who cares, there’s powder.

Forget everything I said about corn, it gets stuck in your teeth anyway.” It was time to get some sunrise turns on Australia’s third highest peak Mt. Twynam.

This was the first clearing after the storm and the snow felt great underfoot. In the back of my mind, but much further to the front of Kyle’s, was the potential for a wind slab problem on certain aspects and we agreed caution and sound decision making was the order of the day.

As the sun appeared on the horizon we dropped into some dreamy turns in the alpenglow before heading back to basecamp for breakfast.

Not long after we made our way towards the Carruthers/Sentinel area and it was hard to imagine a better day. Here we were riding quality dry snow in late September on the Main Range with no wind. I was still stoking out on the warm up run and anticipation levels were high with the Sentinel in our sights.

Above: From dawn to dark, bridge crossings and the different faces of the Main Range, as Drew Jolowicz drops into Mt. Twynam at sunrise. Right page: Drew Jolowicz leaving pow sprays and vapour trails at Club Lake. For a sunny afternoon in late September the snow quality felt more like mid-winter in the glacial cirque.

“CLUB LAKE, A NATURAL AMPHITHEATRE THAT HAS A MORE FAVOURABLE ASPECT LATER IN THE DAY AND HOLDS AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF SNOW LATE IN THE SEASON.”

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NGARIGO COUNTRY

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NGARIGO COUNTRY

Considered the ‘Jewel of the Main Range’, this pyramid-shaped gem stands proud at the end of an arête ridge and as it came into sight, its summit looked pristine and untouched in the morning sun.

However, peering around the corner excitement quickly faded as we came across the aftermath of a large avalanche. Kyle’s suspicions were confirmed and a wind slab looked to be the cause of this size-three slide.

It was in the same location as another large avy that had ripped out earlier in the season. On a similar aspect and close to the Sentinel, Kyle and I looked at each other and we really didn’t need to say anything more.

Would we be skiing the Sentinel? After all avalanches don’t happen in Australia, do they?

Thankfully attitudes are changing in our local industry. By releasing daily Backcountry Condition Reports during the Aussie winter, the Mountain Safety Collective is playing a key role in advocating for safe backcountry travel.

‘Ignorance is bliss’ as an excuse simply no longer cuts it.

Avalanches do happen here. I’d just spent the previous week studying the ‘White Dragon’ and here we were looking at a big one. Skiing the Sentinel that day carried an unacceptable risk, one we weren’t willing to take.

The question was, where to next? North Carruthers looked inviting with its craggy chutes and rocky outcrops caked with fresh snow. Although still early in the day, the heat of the spring sun combined with its solar aspect meant we had to hurry. Standing at the top looking down we picked a line each and I’d skied a chute that I had skied a few times over the years but never on snow this good.

Dropping in the snow was smooth and it was an awesome feeling to open it up.

At the bottom while putting on crampons for the boot-pack up, Kyle came over the radio: “Dropping in 5, 4, 3…’ you know the rest. It was definitely a high-five moment when he arrived at the bottom. We had just scored first tracks down some of the best terrain in Australia on near perfect snow.

It was getting hot as we hiked back out and was obvious we had to switch aspects.

We could see some tiny ants at the top heading towards Club Lake, a natural amphitheatre that has a more favourable aspect later in the day and holds an immense amount of snow late in the season. Sometimes you can ski the Glacial 74

Lakes into December – big mountain summer camps in Australia, now there’s an idea.

The party at Club Lake was underway and we bumped into some familiar faces in the Glacial Cirque enjoying the spring pow. Often overlooked (I’m not sure why), this zone offers a myriad of options. One by one everybody stepped up and sent it to the bottom, the snow over this side was still delightfully dry.

The scene resembled some sort of big mountain jam session and within an hour the Cirque was tracked from wall to wall.

Thredbo skiers Cameron Wood and Lachlan Short weren’t going to miss out on the party with Woody ripping a rowdy line next to the main chute.

To cap it all off Dylan was still at the top ready to drop. Sensing the moment, it was tools down and camera packed away. Peeling out to the far skiers right Dylo found his own Main Range nirvana arcing perfect left and rights all the way down to the still frozen Club Lake.

“How was that, bro?” “Run of the season for me,” his response. Stoked.

Standing at the bottom looking up there were tracks everywhere and you could feel the sense of freedom and energy in everyone who was present. It was one of those rare perfect days on the Main Range and seemed the fitting culmination to a big season that started way back at the start of June.

And just like that the party was over. Without saying as much everyone knew last drinks had been called and the bar was closing and began dispersing in different directions. We still had to skin back and pack down camp before skiing back to Guthega.

On the way home we toured back past the Sentinel and there were some tracks on it.

Were we still comfortable with our decision to give it a miss? Given what we’d seen in the morning it was an easy decision to make and besides, we couldn’t miss the party at the Club. The Jewel of Ngarigo Country isn’t going anywhere and would wait for another day.

Previous spread: Avalanches don’t happen in Australia, do they? If photos can speak a thousand words then this one spoke ten thousand, forcing us to re-evaluate our objectives. This page: Drew Jolowicz drops into North Carruthers. With its long sustained craggy chutes, the skiing off North Carruthers is some of the most sought after on the Main Range.

“IT WAS HARD TO IMAGINE A BETTER DAY. HERE WE WERE RIDING QUALITY DRY SNOW IN LATE SEPTEMBER ON THE MAIN RANGE WITH NO WIND.”

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Wanaka A FREESKIER’S PARADISE

BY REGGAE ELLISS

After two years of lockdowns many Australians skiers headed back to New Zealand last year, not surprising given the quality of the resorts and sheer beauty of the Southern Alps. I was one of them, heading across the Tasman in early September with my 18-year-old daughter Arkie for a junior freeride event in Treble Cone and basing ourselves in Wanaka for the week.

On our last visit to New Zealand in 2019 we stayed in Queenstown, so I was looking forward to checking out Wanaka, the quieter of the two prime South Island destinations which is nestled on the shores of Lake Wanaka, at the foot of Mount Aspiring National Park. Wanaka is one of the most scenic, beautiful places in the world, a small but growing town surrounded by green pastures on one side, expansive views of the lake on the other.

Wanaka is also the gateway to some of the best skiing in New Zealand, just a short drive to Cadrona and Treble Cone resorts, incredible backcountry and for those with a bit of extra coin, the largest heli-skiing terrain in the southern hemisphere. In short, there is a lot to like.

Wanaka is home to some of New Zealand’s best skiers and snowboarders, not surprising as the combination of Treble Cone’s terrain and Cardrona’s incredible park make it a freeriding Mecca. But skiing, snowboarding and the mountains are part of Wanaka and the people who live there. Many of the pro skiers who come from Wanaka are second or third generation skiers and skiers like the Wells brothers, Finn and Hank Bilous, Sam and Anna Smoothy were introduced to the skiing and the mountains by their parents.

In an interview we ran with Jossi Wells in our 2021 issue, he said Wanaka’s location had a lot to do with it. “The whole southern alps are right at the end of the lake, just right there. So, it's a place that attracts like-minded people that are into the outdoors. When my parents moved to Wanaka there were 800 people living in Wanaka.

It was farmers and people that were here for the mountains. So, it is a really special place.”

Finn Bilous, fresh lines at Treble Cone on a cold mid-winter’s day. The views from Treble Cone are up there with the best of any ski resort in the world.

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“THE SKI CULTURE HERE RUNS DEEP, AND I THINK JUST BECAUSE OF WHERE IT'S SITUATED. WITH ALL THAT AMAZING TERRAIN, YOU CAN'T HELP IT.”

“The ski culture here runs deep, and I think just because of where it's situated. With all that amazing terrain, you can't help it. I don't know if there are many people in Wanaka that don't use the mountains. It’s a really, really special place.”

other 10% is the beginner area near the base area. Treble Cone’s off-piste terrain is legendary, and we spent our first morning in the Saddle Basin area which offers a variety of open bowls, fun natural halfpipes and rollovers.

That “special place” is very evident on our first morning as we drive to Treble Cone, the peaks of the Mt Aspiring National Park looming large over the lake. The dirt access road to Treble Cone is, let’s say, interesting and a little nerve-wracking for someone like me who is not too good with heights, but once you arrive the drive is quickly forgotten. The views of the Southern Alps, the lake and the green farmland below are incredible, up there with the most beautiful views of any ski resort in the world.

This area is serviced by the Saddle Basin Quad which also accesses the double black chutes in Matapu Basin, an area of expert terrain that requires a hike back out. Matapu was closed when we were there, but we did head up to the Treble Cone Summit, an easy 15-minute hike which is worth it for the views alone, although the 10cms of untracked snow was also a lot of fun.

Treble Cone’s terrain made it a perfect venue for the NZ Freeride Junior event and after watching the comp it is easy to understand why New Zealand has such a solid contingent of skiers on the Freeride World Tour, the standard of skiing, even in the U14s, was awesome.

Treble Cone is a more laid-back resort than Cardrona and the Queenstown resorts, and while it only has two chair lifts and two beginner lifts, they access 550 hectares of terrain, the most of the South Island resorts. The terrain is classed 45% advanced and 45% intermediate, while the 80

Arkie met up with a few girls she had met last time we were in New Zealand and quickly brushed me for the morning. A bit of local

knowledge goes along way and she ended up getting a good appreciation of the terrain around Saddle Basin.

“I like the variety of terrain and there was so much off that chair,” she told me later. “Different gullies where you could do some sick turns on like a wave and some good rocks to jump off.

There were so many line options off that one chair.”

For those who like to rip a few laps on groomed runs, Treble Cone has some long blue runs, including the longest starting at the top of High Street and winding a leg-burning 4.5ks down to the Home Basin base.

While Treble Cone has so much to offer freeriders and advanced skiers, Cardrona caters to a Above: Wanaka is surrounded by incredible scenery.

Photo; Tony Harrington. Opposite page, top: Jess Hotter, Matapu Chutes in Treble Cone last winter.

Photo: Jason Beacham Below: Finn Bilous, nose butter in some Cardrona powder. Photo: Mark Clinton

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THE RESORT PRIDES ITSELF ON ITS WORLD CLASS TERRAIN PARKS AND HALF PIPES WHICH HAVE PRODUCED SOME WORLD-CLASS FREESKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS OVER THE YEARS. broader standard of skier and snowboarder with plenty of intermediate and family friendly terrain. It has an extensive snowmaking system and some long cruisy on piste runs and we had a couple of early morning warm-up laps on perfect corduroy. Cardrona also boasts some of the most reliable snow in the region, thanks to its high elevation topping out at 1860m and favourable southerly aspect. It has a good variety of off-piste terrain and while we didn't get any fresh snow, we had the next best thing with good spring conditions and nice mid-morning corn snow in the terrain around the Captains Express Quad.

a big contingent of international pro skiers and snowboarders were back in Wanaka for preseason training and to compete in Jossi’s event.

The resort prides itself on its world class terrain parks and half pipes which have produced a number of world-class freeskiers and snowboarders over the years. The current crop of young locals is continuing the tradition and includes Olympic ski halfpipe champ Nico Porteous and snowboarder Zoi SadowskiSynnott, Olympic slopestyle champ.

There has been significant investment in Cardrona over the past five years, including the addition of a chairlift in the Soho area on the southern face of Mt Cardrona. Named Willow Basin, the area covers 65 hectares and made up of two big bowls, with undulating intermediate terrain. It opened for the 2021 season and the basin is south-facing with fantastic snow quality and stunning views towards Queenstown.

The park was going off when we were there with the NZ Winter Games underway while the Jossi Wells Invitational started on our last day.

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Swedish freeskier Henrik Harlaut has been coming to Wanaka to train in the Cardrona park since he was 15 and said it’s like a second home.

“I came here for eight years straight,” he told me. “I always love starting my season off here, getting a bit of shredding going and get ready for the northern hemisphere winter. The park this year is probably the best I’ve ever skied it. Perfect shape and so many features. It’s awesome.”

Treble Cone and Cardrona are both owned by the same company and you can ski both resorts on the same ticket, a great way to mix things up

if you are there for more than a few days. While not as bustling as Queenstown, Wanaka boasts plenty of excellent restaurants, bars, breweries and near-by wineries for those bad weather days. For those who like to indulge in a bit of retail therapy you’ll find everything from ski and snowboard shops, to high-end fashion boutiques and galleries.

Wanaka definitely left an impact on Arkie, and when I asked her she’d like to do a season there she looked at me, dumfounded I’d even ask the question. “Yes, I’d do a season here, for sure. The freeride terrain at Treble Cone is so good and it's also close to Cardrona, so you can ski in really good parks. The freeride culture is a lot bigger over there than it is in Australia. Less rich ski mum vibes and more real skiing. And Wanaka is a really cool town.”

Clockwise from top: A competitor in the NZ Junior freeride comp at Treble Cone: Photo, Leon Butler; evening views, Photo: Tony Harrington; Henrik Harlaut, Cardrona park, photo: mark Clinton; Sam Smoothy on a rare day on Wanaka’s Mount Roy. Photo: Mark Clinton

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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.

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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 86

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 87

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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!

A few pointers on where to stay when you visit Silvretta Montafon: •

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.

During our visit we connected with just three other Aussies. Nick from Mt Buller and Jack and Holly from Perisher – all working in mountain operations. They are rostered four days on, two days off, have good accommodation, pay and food as part of their package and all are adamant the working and living conditions are the best they’ve experienced.

If you’re thinking of working in the European Alps for a winter season, why not send an email to the HR manager of the resort Anna Kofler anna.kofler@silvretta-montafon.at to find out more and see if there is a role for you.

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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.

For more explore: silvretta-montafon.at/en 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, 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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Winter Love the Austrian way

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Japan’s Largest Snow Resort

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Photo by Hiroya Nakata

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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.

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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 festivities and provides a first-hand account of proceedings.

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“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.”

progressing his skiing skills and through his Dad Owen has developed a passion for the backcountry with ambitions to break into the freeride competition scene in the future. It was great to see the next generation of Aussie free skiing up close and Theo is a skier to watch.

“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.

Another member of the team was an up and coming Australian freeskier 14-year-old Theo Lansbury from Sydney. Theo’s has been

People come to Japan in search of the deepest snow of their lives. Here Drew Jolowicz finds flow state through another bottomless forest.

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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 98

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.

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. Next page: Theo Lansbury is one Australia’s up and coming free-skiers. With the love of snow embedded in the family genes, this was one of the deepest runs of his life. Remember the name.

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.

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

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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.

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 camps) will make to unlocking terrain and experiences you’d never manage rolling solo.

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).

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. Don’t be one of those losers that gives Aussie skiers a bad reputation by not doing so. The guides are sharing so much more than a paid service on the day, they are generously sharing the wealth of experience they’ve amassed over decades of skiing so you can slipstream into a superior ski day.

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 share in between shots. Here’s local legend photog Chris Figenshau scoring his fix. Middle left to right: Dave Miller, one of the vast array 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 page sequence: Jeff Ledger dolphining in the goodness away from the masses. Last page: Max Bardas frolicking in-bounds. It pays to be shown where to go.

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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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AT THE GHEE FREESKI WORDS AND PICTURES: TONY HARRINGTON

Grand Targhee is one of those sublime, under the radar places that feels like you’ve stumbled across a local’s secret. This low-key ski area regularly reports 500+ inches of deep, cold powder each season thanks to its position on the western flanks of the Teton Range on the far western fringe of Wyoming, but it doesn’t make a big fuss about it.

When you turn off Route 33 in Driggs and follow your nose along the humbly titled ‘Ski Hill Road’ the small farms soon give way to a series of switchbacks delivering you to ‘the Ghee’. People come here to ski, so if you’re looking for shops, scented candles, sushi and somewhere to parade your latest season ski fashion – move along.

But don’t let the small-town folksy vibes fool you. The resort team here at Targhee are working consistently to improve and modernise the resort in the ways that matter for their clientele. They unveiled a new lift this season and this high-speed six-seater Colter chair unlocks a generous zone of blue/ black glades on Peaked Mountain that was previously only accessible via cat-skiing.

This is very much billed as a family resort, but that doesn’t mean it’s full of bunny runs; far from it. It is full of friendly locals, Mums and Dads sharing their passion for pow with their kids and where groms can stretch their independence on terrain that funnels them back to the bottom. It’s the kind of place where people leave backpacks tucked under a bench and offer to share their snacks. Kids

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PEOPLE COME HERE TO SKI, SO IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SHOPS, SCENTED CANDLES, SUSHI AND SOMEWHERE TO PARADE YOUR LATEST SEASON SKI FASHION – MOVE ALONG. here quickly progress from the green runs on Shoshone lift to earning their black run creds skiing “The Good”, “The Bad” and (you guessed it) “The Ugly”.

With the massive housing affordability challenges in neighbouring Jackson Hole, more and more Jackson workers, especially those with families, are being priced out and have made the move over here to the Idaho side of the Teton Pass for a better life.

It’s no surprise this cohort of ski bums, and their shredder kids, include some of the well-known and up-and-coming names of the freeski world. On any given day at Grand Targhee you’ll rub shoulders with skiing faces you’ll recognise like Olympic Mogul skier Jaelin Kauf (who has a run under the new chairlift named for her) and freeski, Red Bull athlete Kai Jones (who’ll you find backflipping off cliffs). Needless to say, there’s a wave of new generation athletes coming through the ranks and Grand Targhee provides all the terrain, challenge and inspiration they need to become the best in the freeski world.

Targhee is seeing a few more visitors than it used to but in the scheme of things across the US it’s still nowhere near what you’ll find at larger resorts. A very “busy” day at Targhee

is still clocking in at around 1600 skiers.

The semi-remoteness, limited parking and limited village infrastructure keeps a lid on things, which is a win for locals and visitors alike. I was there on the busiest day of the 22/23 winter, President’s Weekend (to be avoided at all costs at most major resorts) and once the lifts were all rolling the ‘crowd’ was quickly dispersed across the vast ski area and the smooth, short lift lines were at a level mountain managers dream of.

The glade skiing here is world-class and there’s plenty of it, with heaps of corridors, alley ways and spacious fields to lose yourself in. Weekdays in particular offer endless untracked laps.

There are enough sneaky boulder fields and cliff bands to keep things spicy if that’s your thing, and this is where the freeride groms, both young and old, froth out. One particular ridgeline has numerous cliff drops. Bob Cat, Cornice Interruptus, Toilet Bowl and Wolverine lure free-spirited purveyors of airtime when the conditions allow.

Top left: Cooper Watson down the jib line. Top right: “The Coach” Gary Mckenzie leading by example. Right page: Freeride head coach Gary Mckenzie in speed mode

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Targhee skiers are often granted their wish for soft landings due the continual barrage of storms that come in from the west and northwesterly quadrant. These storms tend to slam into the Tetons and stall over this zone giving Targhee multiple helpings of pow before the buffet moves across to Jackson. The snow stays cold and dry for days on end and steep landings are a cliff droppers delight.

I caught up with Gary McKenzie, a former IFSA tour athlete, who heads up the freeski seasonal programs here.

We talked about what an incredible zone this is for emerging young skiers and the sheer depth of talent and stoke there is in the coaching program Gary leads. He’s fired up about the opportunity to grow a relationship with Australian coaches and athletes and I’m happy when I hear that discussions are progressing to make this happen.

There’s no question Australia has a pool of talented skiers and snowboarders who have what it takes to step on up into the 114

international freeski circuit. A limiting factor is Australia currently has no clear big mountain pathway for these kids on Australian snow (and here lays a story for another issue of Chillfactor). For Aussies to build the skills and experience to unlock access to the FWT and international big mountain competition they need time on snow in this kind of terrain with this level of coaching. Australia does a great job building solid foundations for skiers in racing and moguls, and some programs like the Team Buller Riders and Hotham Freeski are leading the charge into the freeski realm.

Grand Targhee hosts a Junior IFSA 3-star National event and competent groms in the freeride programs are perfectly positioned to participate. There is a solid regional tour that also passes through nearby resorts including Jackson Hole, Snow King and Big Sky providing even more opportunities for event experience and a chance to earn IFSA points.

There’s an exciting opportunity for Aussie groms and their coaches here, and the crew at Grand Targhee are ready to welcome them into their amazing terrain and their friendly community. Last year when I chatted to Ski School Director Brian Maguire (who Buller readers will know from his time in the Ski and Snowboard School there) he made it clear that the door was wide open and he’d love to see more Aussies make the visit to set up a training camp.

Top left vertical: Charlie Burnham firing it off the Toilet Bowl. Top left to right: 10 minutes before the lifts open on a powder day and hardly anyone around. “The stick of truth” snow reporting. Middle left to right: Nathan Cyr shifties between pow turns and air turns.

The Trap Bar. Bottom left to right: The old time ambience of Grand Targhee. Cooper Watson about to get a face full. Right page: This is how I met Garret Waltz, one of the Teton Gravity Research groms throwing down out and off the Toilet Bowl.

For athletes wanting to step things up the opportunity to rub shoulders with the USA’s best young riders and build up some freeride competition skills is significant.

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THE GLADE SKIING HERE IS WORLDCLASS AND THERE’S PLENTY OF IT, WITH HEAPS OF CORRIDORS, ALLEY WAYS AND SPACIOUS FIELDS TO LOSE YOURSELF IN. WEEKDAYS IN PARTICULAR OFFER ENDLESS UNTRACKED LAPS.

And let’s not overlook the bonus for the parents; they get to lap uncrowded powder and glade skiing while the kids are training!

The icing on the cake here is the on-slope lodging. It has to be some of the best value you’ll find slopeside anywhere. It’s cosy, warm middle-of-the-road accommodation, it’s literally steps from the lift and includes access to the hot tubs and pool.

The village is tiny by US standards – but has one of my favourite authentic ski bars in North America. The Trap Bar & Grill is where on any given day you can end your ski day dancing in ski boots to a six-piece band complete with brass, duelling banjos and searing violins. Tip - you’ll need to recruit some friends if you order the big nachos.

Travelling with a posse? AirBnB options abound at the base of the resort offering plenty of size, space and style for any budget.

Interested in the freeride camp? Drop in to www.tvsef.org or email Head Coach Gary on gary@tvsef.org to start a conversation. grandtarghee.com

16 year old Groms Cooper Watson and Nathan Cyr playing hide and seek amongst the powder fields. Next page: Cooper Watson - a protege of the Grand Targhee freeride program.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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 NORWAY, SO FAR BUT SO GOOD 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.

Full disclaimer: It ain’t cheap. If you’re on a shoestring budget and looking for bang for buck this isn’t for you. Also, it is not exactly easy, geographically speaking. For most of us, Norway is kind of far away. All that said if you can make it happen I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed.

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 Tom Costa taking in a spectacular view in Norway’s deep north 128

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and a few moose-spottings later we pulled over and geared up for an afternoon tour.

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.

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The morning brings a sunny if blustery view of our new beachfront home. Coffee, breakfast, and packs filled with snacks, we set off along 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.

The following morning with the help of a local

WITH

NEARLY

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METRE

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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, Tom in the trees.

Top: Tom Costa, a pristine line with an impressive backdrop. Below: The Aurora Borealis is a regular night show inside the Arctic Circle 131

INTO THE ARCTIC

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 small island. The ferry captain gave us a tip on 132

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.

Tom Costa, finding respite from the wind deep in the trees.

SUUNTO VERTICAL Adventure starts here.

Some people choose to take the lift

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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 135

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“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 136

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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.

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“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).

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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, 140

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.

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‘THE GRASS IS GREENER IN THE MEADOW’ WORDS: COEN BENNIE-FAULL PHOTOS: COOPER JAMES STANKOVICH

A SEAT ON THE PLANE DOESN’T GUARANTEE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE DESTINATION. As humans, we are the drivers of our own destiny; luck, timing and the connections you hold play a role in the outcomes of our lives, but ultimately, we are the pavers of our path. In the mountains however, our own personal realm of control is trumped by the complexities of the environment and the collective capabilities of your companions.

Belittled by the enormity of the surroundings, personal interests become dwarfed by mutual objectives and our voice, muffled against the hum of communal anxieties. In a world where we fight for personal significance and control of our destiny, the mountains have a way of humbling our intentions.

In the midst of one of the driest starts to a winter Interior British Columbia has ever seen and in search of the quintessential Canadian winter experience, January in Revelstoke left a lot of unanswered questions this year. We’d come for the steep and deep for which this place is synonymous, but when we arrived we were left scratching our heads. Driven by the purpose of creating a ski documentary, my brother and I were left waiting on a Hail Mary to turn our season around.

Easing the pain of yet another let down pow day by indulging in one of Revelstoke Mountain Resorts’ legendary Outpost burgers, Aussie transplant Murray Elliot’s phone pinged, sparking a sly smile across the table.

The cold air of the interior mountains means winter is always out there for those up for the search, and the extensive hut system that the ACC (Alpine Club of Canada) has on offer was the last stone unturned. As luck would have it, a group had cancelled last minute at one of the most sought-after huts in the area and

Murray’s phone received the answer to our prayers.

Usually reserved six months earlier via a lottery system and with a booking fee approaching a house deposit, the Bill Putnam/ Fairy Meadow hut is located deep in the Selkirk Range north of Rogers Pass, and boasts a plethora of glowing reviews across the internet. With only three-days to plan, pack and prepare, we threw the offer out to anyone within ears reach we thought would be up for the challenge. We assembled a motley crew of friends of friends and booked ourselves in, knowing little to nothing about what we were in for.

We arrived by heli on a brutally cold -30o morning and had a small glimpse of the terrain from above and a brief snow report from the departing group as we loaded and unloaded gear beneath the turbulence of the helicopter blade. As the last load lifted and disappeared down the valley we were left with the sudden realisation we were entirely on our own, but with a giant backyard of possibility. Despite the cold temps, we set off a short reconnaissance tour to find the sun and our bearings, but the glowing enthusiasm of the group was quickly replaced by cries about cold toes and we retreated to the warmth of the hut, tail between our legs. This wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

We were one of three groups who’d jumped on the last-minute opening at the hut and over a few easing whiskeys by the fire it became ever apparent that the short window of planning meant we were wildly under-prepared.

Coen Bennie-Faull, finding a steep line on a blue bird day.

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WITH NO SAFETY NET FOR MISTAKES, IT BECAME EVER APPARENT WE’D NEED TO FACE OUR FEARS AND WORK AS A TEAM. With little knowledge of the area, no reception and negligible beta, we were left to our own devices to poke over the edge into uncharted territory. Self-reliant, with no safety net for mistakes, it became obvious we’d need to face our fears and work as a team if we were to create the experience we were searching for. A seat on the plane doesn’t guarantee the experience of the destination.

melted away as we grew more attuned to our surroundings.

Nightly top ups of 20cms of new snow meant previous groups’ skin tracks were all but erased, making route-finding hard going.

Joining forces with new found friends we’d made in the hut, we searched for new viewpoints daily and planned routes using a combination of phone videos from the heli ride in and FATMAP’s of the area we’d saved.

Slowly we pieced the puzzle together, feeling out our surroundings and unravelling the skiing mecca beneath our feet.

We shared a deep connection to place and each other as we leap-frogged ridges lined with endless pillows and possibilities. As the snow tumbled down silently each night we enjoyed the luxuries of a fully-stocked kitchen and the wood stove sauna, sharing tales of adventures over a cold one. Every morning felt like Christmas as we awoke to a fresh blanket of snow, setting off to see what was around the next corner.

Individually we were all seeking adventure and a chance to disconnect but an amazing thing happened as we released our attachments to external lifelines. The rational mind stepped aside as we learned to tune into and trust our instincts. As we became more disconnected from the outside world stronger connections between us and a collective experience replaced individual pursuits. What began as an assortment of experiences and knowledge transformed into a cohesive group, ready to throw caution to the wind and poke our heads into the unknown.

Opportunity favours the brave and as confidence in our group decision-making grew across the week, our sense of adventure did too. Each day we tipped further into the abundance of terrain we had at our fingertips, gaining a new perspective. The hesitance we felt at the beginning of the week

Built in 1965, Bill Putnam’s glorious meadows hut has provided shelter to so many before us and will see many more after. Although the paths we travelled were well worn, the lack of a guide book left us with a sense of pioneering exploration at every corner.

Comfort zones were stretched, leading us to lean into the teachings of the mountains.

We found our own path – how travelled the path was became irrelevant as what we were discovering was inside of us, the meadow was just the classroom. We finished our seven days in paradise with a new-found sense of self-assurance that each of us were on the right path if only we gave into the experience and followed our nose. We learned that each and every one of us has everything we need to reach new heights but the opportunity to do so will fly you by if you’re not willing to step up to the challenge. What ensued was one of the greatest weeks our lives, a lesson in self-discovery and a reminder that a sense of adventure has a way of awakening the child within us all.

Main photo: Coen Bennie-Faull finding what he was looking for.

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TIM MARKLOWSKI MOUNTAIN GUIDE 148

JOURNEY 1884

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STEEP REFLECTIONS NEW FILM TURNS THE FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE MAIN RANGE WORDS: LACHLAN SHORT

A combination of better gear, busier ski resorts, COVID lockdowns and the simple allure of untracked snow has seen the number of people enjoying the backcountry explode in recent years. The positive side of this is we have more people than ever before exposed to the beauty of this environment and a growing awareness that we have a short window to act to protect our winters from global warming.

We’ve seen a big change in recent Australian elections with climate positive policies already being enacted and a recognition that these are issues worth fighting for.

While it’s hard to imagine the worst when we’re still skiing world class lines, the small changes we begin to experience each season are early warning signs of what’s to come.

When Scotsman Cameron ‘Woody’ Wood first landed in front of the Thredbo Backcountry team in May of 2022, he noticed two things.

The first being that these backcountry frothers were foaming at the mouth as they spoke about the powder stashes the forthcoming winter might bring. The second was the love and appreciation this group had for their alpine playground.

For the Thredbo Backcountry Guides, this love and appreciation translates to a sheer determination to protect the precious alpine environment they’re lucky to call their backyard. This is something shared firsthand each season as the guides lead the fellow ski-obsessed through the awe-inspiring parts of the Snowy Mountains. More than just guides for skills, safety and stoke in the backcountry, the Thredbo team are educators and advocates who are constantly searching for ways to rally the community to take action and protect our winters.

A new addition to the team, Woody offered a fresh perspective that sparked some ideas and inspired the guides to make some noise.

They’d all been dreaming it, and Woody put it out into the universe.

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“Bugger it, let’s make a ski film.”

“I’ll be honest, I came to the Snowy Mountains with very low expectations,” Woody says.

Steep Reflections follows the Thredbo Guide team and some local backcountry legends as they explore the precious alpine environment and unpack the frightening reality Australian ski resorts face if radical behavioural changes aren’t made.

“But this beautiful snow-capped region continues to surprise me every day. Beautiful peaks, fun lines, good company and some damn good skiing.”

Mountain Safety Collective’s Communications Manager, Owen Lansbury, says 2022 was a great example of what we can expect in the near future from climate change.

The film, which will be released this winter, offers a chance to reflect on the incredible terrain we have in Australia, and to recognise we should do everything we can to protect it, so that future generations can experience the same epic lines in their lifetimes.

“Bigger storms, punctuated by rapid temperature changes meant we had large volumes of snow that became very unstable on steep slopes,” Owen said. “Anecdotally, there were more large avalanches observed in 2022 than in living memory. The other very obvious factor is the creeping rise of the snow line as average temperatures rise.”

If the community fails to unite and take charge of the threatening situation, Steep Reflections will merely serve as a reflection of the past. Memories of the steep lines shredded when Australian winters still delivered the good stuff.

“When I started working in Thredbo over 20 years ago, we would regularly ride backcountry lines to the village in the valley floor at 1300m. I’ve done that once in the past decade - it’s simply not possible below about 1600m most seasons.”

You only have to look at Woody’s home in Scotland for a glimpse of what the future in Australia could look like. The ski seasons he fondly remembers as a grom, have been reduced to less than a month in some resorts.

“The crippling blow of warmer temperatures cuts much deeper than less days on skis and people’s way of life. It will affect the ecology and hydrology of the area. This may include changes to species, composition and distribution, and thus, biodiversity.”

Steep Reflections seeks to motivate the community to fight for their right to ski and snowboard. It showcases the remarkable beauty of the Australian backcountry, that many need to see to believe. Including Woody himself.

“We can all sit and pray that someone else will fight for the things we love, but that is no representation of the determination and will power of mountain people. Make this planet your priority. Make a difference.”

Gather your crew for the premiere of Steep Reflections at The North Face Winter Kick-Off Events or catch a screening when it tours major ski resorts in New South Wales and Victoria.

This film project was made possible by Filmmakers Daygin Prescott & Henry Smith, the entire Thredbo Backcountry Guide Team & Cameron ‘Woody’ Wood, along with support from The North Face, Dynastar Skis, SMITH Optics, Rhythm Snowsports, Joey’s Custom Footbeds, Mountain Safety Collective & Protect Our Winters Australia.

To Woody - thank you for dreaming big and going for it.

Photos: Daygen Prescott; main photo Tom Roffey

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KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE BACKCOUNTRY WORDS: OWEN LANSBURY PHOTO: BOEN FERGUSON

Australia’s backcountry scene has exploded in the past few years, with estimates that the number of people embracing ski touring and split boarding quadrupled on previous participation. This spiked as COVID restrictions limited our access to ski areas, especially in Victoria, and Aussie skiers embraced ‘earning their turns’ like never before. Although lifts are rolling again it’s clear plenty of skiers have developed a taste for backcountry alpine adventures away from the controlled, and sometimes crowded, resort boundaries.

As the numbers grow, so do the statistics of reported alpine incidents. This is where Mountain Safety Collective (MSC) saw a need for daily condition reports to support the growing backcountry community.

Who is the Mountain Safety Collective?

Founded in 2017 to measure and report daily snow conditions for the Australian backcountry community the Mountain Safety Collective (MSC) is a not-for-profit association that works every day of snow season to keep skiers and boarders safer. The MSC relies on support from members, government bodies and commercial organisations like Arc’teryx to improve awareness and education for everyone heading into the backcountry.

MSC has developed a range of information resources including the Victorian Backcountry Companion and education facilities,

Australia’s first Avalanche Training Centre in Victoria and another scheduled to open in NSW this year. MSC’s team of professionally certified field observers and forecasters head into the mountains every day to dig pits, tap shovels and analyse snow crystals in the name of providing the most accurate, timely backcountry information possible.

During snow season this invaluable intelligence is made available via the daily Backcountry Conditions Reports so skiers can make informed decisions. Reports are an important risk-mitigation tool helping people make more informed decisions about where and when they should go taking into account avalanche danger, what the snowpack is doing, weather, ice and other hazards. Craig Sheppard leads the team and has the highest level of Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA) qualifications from his 20-year career in Canada before he relocated to Australia.

Support and join the Mountain Safety Collective If you are a backcountry skier or are thinking about learning some skills and spending time away from piste skiing this season – you need to become a Mountain Safety Collective Member. MSC’s winter Membership Drive kicks off from May 1 until the June long weekend. For just $50 you unlock access to MSC backcountry maps and guides, the daily report and a mountain of member perks like 35% off merch and special access to events.

Your membership allows MSC to maintain the records and data of their daily reports, which helps the thousands of people accessing backcountry zones more safely.

You’re also making a smart investment in safer adventures for you and your mates.

Good vibes are a given but you’ll also go in a draw to win some seriously cool prizes from brands including Arc’teryx, Mammut, Burton, Marker/Völkl, POC, Rhythm Snow Sports, Thredbo Backcountry Tours and more!

Alpine Education Series To get avalanche and backcountry safety messages out to more people before the season MSC has collaborated with Arc’teryx and Alpine Access Australia to bring an Alpine Education Series to Melbourne (May 18), Sydney (May 25) and Canberra (June 6). It’s for beginners and experienced alpine explorers alike, bringing together like-minded crew who are passionate about the Australian backcountry for a social gathering in each city.

Tickets are $15 for MSC members ($22.50 standard), with all proceeds supporting MSC’s daily reporting services. Come and get stoked for winter, start building smart backcountry habits, and support safety in the mountains by becoming a MSC member.

For more information and to book tickets for the Alpine Education Series jump online and head to mountainsafetycollective.org 153

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DAYMAKER 73RD ANNUAL WARREN MILLER FILM TOUR HERALDS THE START OF THE SNOW SEASON Daymaker, the 73rd Warren Miller film, starts it cinema run across Australia and New Zealand in May, an annual celebration that crosses generations and a sign that the 2023 snow season is just weeks away.

There are over 40 screening s across the two countries, kicking off at the Jam Factory in Melbourne on May 18-22. Then the tour heads to Sydney with shows on the northside at the Hayden Orpheum in Cremorne on May 18-22 and the at the Randwick Ritz on May 28-30.

From Alaska to Greece and beyond, Daymaker, will replace the mountains in your mind with ones that free your mind. Join Crazy Karl Fostvedt, Michelle Parker, Katie Burrell, Hana Beaman, Daron Rahlves, Ryland Bell, Cam Fitzpatrick, Connery Lundin, and more on the hill and you can’t really have a bad day.

British Columbia’s Monashees? Yes. The literal throne of the gods in Greece’s Olympus Mountains? Yep. Alaska? Twice. We hit Snowmass for the biggest party of the winter, and surprise a Warren Miller superfan at the base of Snowbasin for a day skiing with Jonny Moseley and Marcus Caston. We follow one of Europe’s most legendary mountain guides, rewrite the rules of adaptive backcountry riding, and try to keep up with some of the most exciting young skiers and snowboarders on the planet.

Segment Round Up Mustang Powder, BC: Back in January, Madison Rose, Simon Hillis, and Marcus Goguen arrived at Mustang Powder in BC, just in time for a killer storm cycle.

Greece: Legendary guide John Falkiner (who skied for us back in the ‘70s and ‘80s) shows Michelle Parker and McKenna Peterson the magic of skiing in Greece.

Mike Wiegele Heli-Skiing: Adaptive skier

Pete McAfee and snowboarder Dominic Davila head to Blue River, BC, for the legendary Mike Wiegele Heli-Skiing experience.

Haines, Alaska: Snowboarders Cam Fitzpatrick and Ryland Bell get the heli tour of all the steeps in Haines, Alaska.

SELECTED MOVIE TOUR DATES Visit the website for more screening dates AUSTRALIA ACT Canberra − Dendy Theatre − 3 June NSW Wollongong − Gala Theatre − 24 May 2023 Sydney North − The Hayden Orpheum − 25 - 26 May

Snowmass, CO: Join the biggest party of the winter with the National Brotherhood of Skiers.

Meet the leaders of the NBS, as well as emerging talent that the organization supports to further its goal of placing Black skiers and snowboarders on the U.S. Team.

Sydney East − The Ritz − 28 - 30 May Blue Mountains − Mt Vic Flicks − 30 May Cooma − Cooma Twin Cinema − 1 June Sydney Northern Beaches − Glen Street Theatre − 1 June Sydney Inner West − Dendy Theatre Newtown − 6 June Central Coast − Avoca Beach Theatre − 7 June Jindabyne − Jindabyne Cinema − 11 - 12 June QLD Brisbane − New Farm − 4 June

Sun Valley’s impact on skiing began with the world’s first chairlift in 1936 and hasn’t stopped. But the Idaho community’s most recent contribution—Crazy Karl Fostvedt— may be its most unique. Join the fun with this freeskiing phenom and a crew of young locals.

Gold Coast − HOTA − 8 June

Eagle Pass Heliski, BC: On her Canadian road trip this February, Katie Burrell linked up with Lexi duPont and Hedvig Wessel. They’re fresh off the Freeride World Tour and ready for some heli-skiing.

VIC

SA Adelaide − Regal Theatre − 2 June TAS Hobart − The Peacock −18 May

Geelong −Village Cinemas − 31 May Melbourne − Jam Factory − Village − 18-22 May Bright − Sun Bright Theatre − 10 - 11 June WA Perth − Luna Leederville − 9 June

Snowbasin, UT: We asked our audience to nominate their favorite Warren Miller superfan to be featured in this year’s movie.

When Marcus Caston and Jonny Moseley intercept them on their way to the lift, they never saw it coming.

Switzerland: And grass skiing is back, baby!

We film the ultimate grass skiing run with Connery Lundin in Wengen, Switzerland.

Above: Darren Rahlves, Alaska

NEW ZEALAND Auckland − Rialto Cinemas Newmarket − 12 - 14 May Dunedin − Rialto Cinemas Dunedin − 12 May Wellington − Penthouse Cinema & Cafe − 12 - 14 May Tauranga − Event Cinemas − 18 May Christchurch − Hoyts entX −26 - 28 May Arrowtown − Dorothy Brown − 14 - 16 July Wanaka − Paradiso Cinema − 20 - 21 July Get your tickets before they sell out, warrenmiller.com.au warrenmiller.co.nz 157

DAYMAKER 73RD WARREN MILLER FILM TOUR

SKIING IN GREECE AND THE ENDURING LEGACY OF JOHN FALKINER

BY SKYLAR KRAATZ

It’s the evening of March 1st, 2022, and pro skiers Michelle Parker and McKenna Peterson are hunkered down in the tiny village of Smixi, Greece, being served a traditional mushroom dish. A local villager is preparing the food, having picked the mushrooms himself the summer before in the surrounding Grecian countryside.

Michelle and McKenna have already been here five days to shoot for the upcoming Warren Miller ski film, but missing luggage, a big snow event, avalanche danger and heavy fog have limited their ability to adventure into the mountains around Smixi. At least for now, they are content with good company and delicious food.

After dinner, their guide John picks up his guitar and starts strumming. He happens to be one of the most legendary 158

guides in Europe, although originally John Falkiner came from Australia. It wasn’t long after his 18th birthday when he scrounged up the cheapest ticket he could find out of the country, which involved a ship to Singapore then a flight to Athens.

He didn’t plan on staying in Greece, but lost luggage (which seems to be a recurring theme) kept him there for days, so he wandered the city eating magnificent food, hearing new languages and meeting people.

It was a journey of discovery - an experience that introduced him to the world at large.

John eventually landed in Verbier washing dishes and ski bumming. There, he teamed up with the likes of Marco Sharpiro and Ace Kvale, who would both go on to become pioneers in ski and action photography.

Along with his new friends, John found

himself centered in the ski history, at one point becoming the official tripod carrier on a Dick Barrymore film shoot the winter of 1974. He became known as the go-to Verbier guide when ski production companies came to shoot. In 1986 he was hired by Warren Miller to guide Scot Schmidt and Tom Day on production for “Beyond the Edge.”

John’s ski career grew to legendary status, even becoming a stunt double in the James Bond movies. Over the decades, he witnessed the evolution of skiing. As he put it, “my career has spanned from freestyle through extreme through freeriding, old school to new school.” He became specialized in guiding in hard to reach, obscure places, like Siberia, Kazakhstan, Lebanon and Kashmir.

All the while, Greece kept calling him back.

Then in early 2022, so did Warren Miller Entertainment.

It’s now two days after their mushroom dinner in Smixi, and the sun has finally come out, revealing beautiful conditions for filming.

Michelle, McKenna and John skin up the mountain called Smolikas outside the town of Samarina and take turns gliding down through the untouched powder. In John’s opinion, this is Greece at its finest.

Greece isn’t necessarily known for its ski culture, but actually has dozens of small resorts scattered across the country, and plenty of snowy mountains in the winter. Over the next two weeks, John shows Michelle and McKenna some of his favorite spots, from the Vasilitsa Ski Center in northwestern Greece, with its Japan-like dry powder and thin trees, to the new ski center Kalavrita close to the ocean, resembling British Columbia with its big think evergreen forests. Bad weather in Kalavrita halts production for a few days. According to Greek Mythos, the ski center is close to the ‘River Styx’, connecting the real world to the underworld, which is the apparent cause of constant thick fog and heavy weather.

By the time filming wraps on March 9th, the crew has traversed the country from North to South and witnessed the grandeur of a Grecian ski tour. For John, introducing this side of Greece to Michelle and McKenna is special. Like it has been for the decades he’s been a guide, sharing places and cultures and mountains is an enriching experience. The excitement of adventure never gets old for John, even 48 years after he left Australia on a ship bound for Singapore. Skiing will continue to evolve and James Bond actors will come and go, but the feeling of splendour from exploring the world on skis, at least for John, will never change.

Clockwise from left: McKenna Peterson; John, McKenna and Michelle taking in the views; Michelle Parker. Photos; Ian Anderson 159

WIN A 10-DAY ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME IN UTAH PLUS SHARE IN A SNOW PRIZE POOL VALUED AT $30,000+ WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO CHILLFACTOR

GRAND PRIZE Win an epic $7,555 Utah snow experience* with 10 nights of accommodation and 5 days of skiing at Utah resorts for you and a mate that includes:

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• VISIT SALT LAKE – Two-day ski pass for Salt Lakes 4 resorts, and two nights’ accommodation (lodging to be confirmed).

• VISIT PARK CITY – Two nights’ accommodation at the YotelPad Park City + Park City Mountain two-day lift ticket.

• HEBER VALLEY – Two-night stay at the Zermatt Resort, Sundance Ski Tickets, Utah Crater, Solider Hollow – Snowshoeing or CrossCountry Skiing or Tubing and Ice Castles.

• BRIAN HEAD – Two-night stay in Brian Head + two-day pass for two people to Brian Head Ski Resort.

MAJOR PRIZE Ski Revelstoke* in style with an unforgettable 5-night stay at The Sutton Place Hotel and a 5 day lift pass for 2 people valued at over $5,000!

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ATTEND Buy a ticket to any screening of Warren Miller’s DAYMAKER and scan the prize pool QR code at the show!

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To get the details on all the epic prizes and read the T’s&C’s, head to chillfactor.com or snowaction.com.au.

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*Please note: Prize package is available for the 2023/2024 season only and is subject to availability. All conditions noted on each prize certificate must be adhered to. Rental car, meals, insurances and travel to/from applicable resort and any additional costs are at the winner’s expense.

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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.

RRP $299

Giro Tor Tanya 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.

RRP $489

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.

RRP: $429.99

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.

Sizes: Women’s XXS-XL / Men’s XS-XL AU$699.95 162

XTM Palladium II 3 in 1 jacket With a 20K waterproof rated membrane and breathability of 15K the Palladium II is the most technical and sustainable in XTM’s range.

Using XTM’s Reflex recycled fabric and a PFC free water-repellent coating the Palladium is fully seam-sealed lightweight shell, the tightly-bonded fabric protecting you from the wind while the breathability makes it perfect for spring touring.

When paired with XTM’s Australian merino backcountry mid-layer it is also perfect for riding in the storm, providing all the warmth you need for the coldest days. Again, tried and tested during the storms we’ve had this year when howling WNW winds took the wind-chill down to -20 and the snow was epic and and kept lapping for hours.

The Palladium has all the tech features you’d expect with fully taped seams, four-way stretch and waterproof zips while standard features include a powder skirt, two-way pit zips for venting, an internal goggle pocket, phone pocket and the jacket is 100% carbon neutral.

The 3-in-1 versatility allows you to wear this jacket as a mid-layer, a shell or combo.

RRP $449.99

Lanky Bear With around 130 million skiers and riders heading up the mountains every year, a small block of wax can make a huge difference to the environment. Enter the brand’s flagship product—a plantbased ski wax that contains 0% paraffin wax, 0% toxic fluorocarbons, and 0% preservatives. Not only designed to completely break down, four years of research and development have gone into it to make sure its performance keeps up with its toxic competition.

RRP $34.99

MT610G Personal Locator Beacon The MT610G is a super-compact, lightweight PLB, offering an impressive 7-year battery life and a 6-year warranty. Featuring an integrated 72 channel GPS receiver, zero warm-up time, high-intensity LEDs, IP68 Ingress Protection, and an inherently buoyant design, the MT610G has not compromised the safety features included.

The MT610G has been designed, engineered, and manufactured in Australia, to provide the outdoor adventurer with a GPS PLB solution that is compact, easyto-use, and affordable.

RRP $356

mountainFlOW For context, nearly all wax is made from petroleum and whatever you put on your skis/board goes directly into the snowpack and eventually into local rivers and lakes. mountainFLOW’s is a plant-based ski and snowboard wax that is completely biodegradable and works just as well as a conventional, petroleumbased wax. In fact, mountainFLOW now has a team of world class skiers and snowboarders including Chris Davenport and Victor de Le Rue and riders. There are a variety of waxes available for different temperatures.

RRP $34.99

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There’s simply nowhere else like Utah. From mesmerizing hoodoo formations to towering rock arches to world-famous, powder-packed peaks to steep and deep canyons, it’s the sort of place you’d expect to have to travel to the ends of the Earth to find. Yet it couldn’t be easier to get to. Skiers know this better than anyone. The new international airport that’s 10 minutes from exciting downtown Salt Lake City delivers you to a skier’s paradise that’s home to 15 major ski resort destinations, 10 of which are within a one-hour drive from the airport!

Three of those downhill ski resorts (the appropriately named Powder Mountain and Snowbasin, plus Nordic Valley) are reached through the historic railway hub of Ogden. The city manages to mix rustic ruggedness with hip urbanity, nowhere more so than on the vibrant

25th Street, an eclectic main street scene that you won’t find in any other ski town. The magical time warp effect of this Old West town that has become new again adds an unbeatable element to any ski vacation.

Further south, Brian Head Resort is perfectly positioned to catch a full nine metres of annual snowfall. With a base elevation that’s the highest in all of Utah, you know the dry, light snow that Utah is famous for abounds at Brian Head. The mountain’s 71 runs are split evenly between beginner, intermediate and expert terrain, so there’s something for everyone at Brian’s Head.

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HEBER VALLEY

IT’S TIME YOU DISCOVERED HEBER VALLEY, UTAH Located less than an hour from the Salt Lake City International Airport and only 15 minutes from the iconic Park City, sits the burgeoning town of Heber Valley, Utah. Former site of the 2002 Winter Olympics biathlon and cross-country ski events, home to three expansive state parks with miles of trails, and surrounded by mountain vistas, this quaint valley has become a distinguished destination for outdoor adventure. Summer provides hiking, biking, fishing, camping, river rafting, and ziplining. Winter offers snowshoeing, snowmobiling, skiing, dog sledding, and ice fishing–along with one of the world’s most amazing Ice Castles experiences. Come enjoy one of Mother Nature’s favorite destinations!

BRIAN HEAD

BRIAN HEAD–UTAH’S FAMILY-FRIENDLY SKI PLAYGROUND Brian Head Resort is an unforgettable winter getaway. Located just 90 minutes of Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, here’s a one-ofa-kind ski destination with short lift lines and Utah’s highest base elevation; all within a three-hour drive of the glamor of Las Vegas.

Brian Head is a laid-back western town with easy access to snowmobiling, ice skating and snowshoeing. Being close to multiple national parks makes it easy to extend your vacation, packing your itinerary with extraordinary sites and experiences.

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Plan your trip at brianhead.com

Discover the diverse dining, lodging, activities, events, and attractions in this alpine town. Here, we’ve coined the phrase “après all day” as the culture and lifestyle of Heber Valley invites guests to explore more, whether that be on a snowmobile or mountain bike, spa day or midday cocktails. With so much to do, see, taste, and experience, a visit to this beautiful mountain town leaves you longing for more.

The cool temps and dry warmth of summer is a perfect blend for golf by day and stargazing by night. And known as a true winter wonderland, the valley becomes a skier’s paradise during the winter months. With the new Mayflower Mountain Resort opening in winter 2024/25, Heber Valley, Utah is becoming a top ski destination for many around the world. Now is the perfect time to plan a visit and discover Heber Valley for your next vacation, work trip, family reunion, or important destination meeting and event.

SKI UTAH Take me to bottomless powder and endless après. Take me to big mountains and big smiles. Take me to places made for photographs. Take me to making memories with my friends and family. Take me to 10 resorts less than an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City International airport. Take me to The Greatest Snow on Earth®. Take me to Utah.

PARK CITY

Home to two world-class ski resorts, Deer Valley, and Park City Mountain, and the Sundance Film Festival, Park City is a charming historic town with award-winning restaurants, a vibrant nightlife, unique art galleries, a variety of shopping, and some of the most ambitious sustainability goals of any mountain town. Guests can experience an array of activities including snowmobiling, dogsledding, wellness activities, bobsledding at the Utah Olympic Park, and a progressive snow playground at Woodward Park City.

Located just 35 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport, your dream winter holiday has never been closer.

SALT LAKE

Salt Lake is a premier ski destination boasting unparalleled access to world-class skiing and snowboarding.

With four ski resorts located just a short drive from downtown, you’ll dive into over 500 inches of annual snowfall, varied terrain, and stunning mountain views. But Salt Lake is more than just a winter sports paradise-it's also a vibrant urban center with an exciting culinary and cultural scene, making it the perfect destination for those looking to combine outdoor adventure with city exploration.

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California Dreaming PALISADES TAHOE AND A SEASON OF PLENTY Like many resorts in the western US, Palisades Tahoe had an amazing year, clocking in a record-breaking 18 metres of snow for the 2022-23 season. It seemed like there was a storm every week and while locals had a difficult time clearing so much snow, they also enjoyed day after day of incredible skiing.

Palisades Tahoe has some of the best inbounds terrain in North America and has a long history of producing world class skiers and with skiing such an integral part of the Tahoe community, it still does. These photos

by Jeff Engerbretson are just a taste of what went down this season.

This page: Noah Gafnney sending it off of the Palisades at Palisades Tahoe. Next Page: Aimee Engerbretson dancing inbetween shadows at palisades. Photos: Jeff Engerbretson 166

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