France’s La Grave offers the largest untamed, off-piste riding in Europe. A hardcore and legendary spot, where guides are mandatory. The combination of north and northeast facing slopes and high altitude supply deep powder often from Christmas through to May.
The Couloirs des Fréaux is one of La Grave’s toughest runs, which features a long, narrow couloir that goes from the top station in La Grave, past Vachier Lake, into a narrow gully and ends up in village of Les Freaux. It is 800-metres of pure fear and adrenalin, and known as one of the world’s most challenging, but rewarding, runs.