La Grave

About one of the longest descents in the Alps, the dangers of "getting stuck" in La Grave and how long ten minutes can be.

For almost 15 years now, we have been taking an annual ski trip as old friends. The destination is always drawn by lot - and at the end of the last trip, the lot decided: in February 2025, we were going to the Pyrenees. Unfortunately, Mrs. Holle had barely laid a hand there, so we quickly changed our plans to the French Alps. With the two campers from our partner Sunlight, we had the flexibility we needed. We, that's Benni, Dan, Roman, Jörg, Steffen, Totti and Jan.

Ski skins are essential for anyone who wants to be independent of lifts in the mountains. This week I present the Contour Hybrid Pure ski skins - a great choice for ski tourers looking for a high-quality companion.

Having unfortunately not found the time in recent winters to travel to the beautiful mountains of the Western Alps as often as I used to, contact with La Grave has also become somewhat more sporadic. So I was all the more pleased when we finally decided to spend a few days in La Grave again this year. But I was all the more shocked when Anne, Guillaume's girlfriend, replied to my email to him to say that he had died unexpectedly last winter. It's been a week and a half now and I'm still collecting my thoughts.

Without anticipating the ContestHappening too much, the Verbier Xtreme must be briefly mentioned here. It is the annual highlight of our scene, and its date at the end of March also marks the peak of climatological snow depths. The search for powder is becoming increasingly difficult. But as you can see in the latest conditions reports, it's still well worth it!

La Voute is one of the most legendary and longest freeride runs in la Grave. With the ski resorts's lift support, you can embark on a varied adventure in a magnificent setting. The descent leads over the wide Girose glacier deeper and deeper in untouched and wild landscape over 2200 meters of altitude into the valley. Despite its fame, the alpine character of the tour should not be underestimated.

For many freeriders, Grenoble is still a blank spot on the map. Despite its high alpine backdrop, the capital of the Isère region with its 160,000 inhabitants is usually simply ignored and left by the highway. As part of Erasmus, I was able to put the freeride and ski touring opportunities through their paces alongside student life.

Looking for exciting stories and breathtaking nature shots? At the Alp-Con Cinema Tour you'll find exactly that! Spectacular stories from a wide variety of sports at exciting natural locations are brought to the big screen at Alp-Con.

The mythical mountain peak of la Meije lends itself to a lift-supported and varied tour in late winter. In the heart of the Western Alps, the 2-day tour leads through steep gullies and a rugged glacier landscape. The route requires frequent changes from ski to carrying passages and, depending on the snow conditions, also offers some technical passages. However, due to its sensational descents over the Glacier de l'Homme, it has more than earned the title of TouringTip.

Steep larch forests, couloirs and descents of up to 2,000 vertical meters make La Grave one of the top destinations for freeriders in the Alps. The future of the ski resort is uncertain - 2017 may be the last winter in which the freeride Mecca still exists in its current form. Long-time PG and mountain guide Stefan Neuhauser is offering a freeride camp in spring, where you can get to know La Grave in its original state.

PowderGuide is organizing a freeride camp in La Grave for the first time this year - together with mountain guide Stefan Neuhauser. An interview about the uniqueness of the area, an unforgettable experience and a passion for skiing that knows no bounds.

There has been concern about the legendary ski resort in the Hautes-Alpes for some time: since the closure of the Chambon Tunnel last year, visitor numbers in La Grave have fallen sharply. In addition, the lease for the gondola and ski area expires in June 2017. Many locals fear for the future of their local mountain if large investors from the neighboring mega resorts get involved.