Dan Caruso

It was 20 years ago, but Martin still remembers his first skiing vacation with his parents very clearly. He was only five years old and the five-hour drive to the ski resort in central Sweden was a long one. Martin remembers the joy of the falling snow, the cold wind in his face and the sound of his skis on the icy slope. This experience is probably etched in the memory of many children, but only for a few does the simple joy of skiing reach this dizzying level of excitement.

Graubünden is located in the south-easternmost corner of Switzerland and is the largest canton in terms of area - but also the one with the smallest population. Mathematically speaking, there should therefore be enough space for endless areas of fresh, untracked snow. In practical terms, Graubünden has access to a total of 45 ski areas. This means that some are virtually extinct. Others, on the other hand - especially those well-known in freeriding circles - are crowded and full of hustle and bustle. No matter which scenario you prefer, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone in Graubünden...

Good times were had by all last Saturday just an hour from the metropolis of Grenoble, at the hidden gem of the Alps, La Grave. This rustic little village sits in the shadows of the La Mieje massif and serves as the gateway to the Parc des Ecrins, and it is home to some of the wildest and challenging ski terrain on Earth. On December 20th, the Téléphérique at TGM opened the doors to an excited crowd of backcountry skiers, and the season is off to a great start.

For six long days, we?ve been sitting in a motorhome watching the snow fall in enormous amounts. Almost two meters are stacked up here in the valley and there is no way of knowing how much has fallen in the mountains above. We watch DVDs, drink whiskey cooled with glacial ice, and are just waiting for the blue skies to return to the Chugash.