Inside Tracks
Freeride Festival
We ran our prototype Freeride Festival for 30 guests over the second weekend of January. It was an idea we had had for a while, a long weekend skiing off piste for parents and their adult aged offspring, with plenty of apres ski, fun dinners and hearty lunches on the mountain. We had 5 fabulous guides, Georg, Hans-Michel, Bartli, Luca and Robin and each day the party was split into groups of 6 who then ventured into the Klosters back country for fabulous powder snow skiing and adventures. The skiers ranged from those seeking to make some of their first ever powder snow turns to complete experts, and the beauty was there was wonderful skiing for everyone.
Each day we set off and 9 and then all met up for lunch in the same restaurant so everyone could share stories of their morning triumphs, and after skiing many ended up in GT for an after ski beer or "fressbecker". On the Thursday night we had arranged a private viewing of the freeride movie "All In" (a must watch for those who like their thrills and spills) followed by raclette dinner at the charming Murabeizli. On Friday evening the group enjoyed a drinks party at Gotschnasport where 2 of the team, Christophe and Stefan, answered questions from the assembled on all matters pertaining to freeride equipment. The cheese fondue (or pizzas for those who wanted an alternative) at Al Capone afterwards rounded off a memorable day. Finally, the gala dinner on Saturday night, upstairs in the iconic Wynegg, concluded a sensational weekend.
Some of the team then skied on the Sunday as they were on the last flight out of Zurich airport at 9pm in the evening, allowing for almost a full day on the mountain. There was huge camaraderie throughout and and everyone came away having made lots of new friends. The snow was sensational, helped by fresh snow on the Thursday and Friday nights. There were many perfect turns and stories to tell. This weekend will surely be a highlight in the PT Ski history book!