Freeride — complete freedom of skiing on wild slopes

There is a driving alternative to the beaten track. Extreme lovers should definitely get to know the delights of freeride and backcountry in person. But be careful, because there is a serious risk of falling in love with the emotions that such descents will give.

Speed, variety of maneuvers and an indescribable sense of novelty. You can talk a lot and colorfully about these sensations from the backcountry or freeride, but it is better to experience them personally. So what was the matter? Choose a tour – to Georgia, France, Iran, there are interesting destinations for every season – and go ahead, treat yourself to a sports-filled vacation.

More about extreme descents

It is no coincidence that they are so named, because the key feature of both freeride and backcountry is a high-speed and even aggressive riding style. At the same time, the slope is pristine – a new ski track is laid during the descent. Thats why:

  • On the one hand, you can make more maneuvers, accelerate as you want, and take the steepest turns. Freedom is almost absolute, there are no other skiers in the immediate vicinity – this is why extreme slopes are valued by fans of drive.
  • On the other hand, those who are interested in freeride or backcountry should understand that virgin soil hides a number of dangers, for example, there may be a bump under the snow that you will notice only when you hit it with a snowboard or ski. And that you need to have a certain skill in order to descend really quickly and successfully perform truly complex maneuvers.

The risk of injury in backcountry or freeride skiing is higher than in regular skiing. These are extreme types of skiing in every sense, requiring not only courage, but also experience, skill, and skill. Therefore, before you proudly conquer virgin lands and enjoy freedom, you must first practice.

What is the difference between freeride and backcountry?

The difference is in one, but very significant point – it all comes down to which slope you need to go down:

  • in the backcountry — in the wild, located in the forest zone, at an altitude of up to 3000 m, possibly overgrown;
  • in freeride — on any location located off-piste; it could even be an undeveloped slope near a ski resort.

Otherwise, the two disciplines are similar. The skating style is free – as aggressive as you want, almost any maneuvers can be performed, as long as they do not lead to injuries.

Even the equipment is similar: a snowboard or freeride skis are perfect for downhill skiing. The latter are heavier than ski touring ones, with a wider waist (from 105-110 mm) and truly all-terrain. They are universally suitable for skiing on wet or deep snow, on virgin snow, and on the so-called powder.

Required skills and experience

Required:

  • Endurance combined with an adequate assessment of one’s own strengths.
  • Driving skills on a wide variety of snow (especially important for freeride).
  • Good response – for emergency braking, making sharp turns, and so on.
  • Ability to descend at high speed.
  • Sensitive control of skis or snowboards on any surface, even on fresh, wet, deep snow.
  • Desire to constantly work on improving freeride and/or backcountry technique.
  • Caution is the ability to not lose your head in the pursuit of extreme sports and avoid unjustified risks.
  • Preparedness for unexpected situations and first aid skills in the mountains.
  • Ability to correctly assess the terrain and plan a descent.
  • Basics of avalanche literacy – to know what to do if the snow melts during freeride.
  • Insurance skills and team work in general – you still have to conquer the slopes in groups, albeit small ones.
  • Умение правильно подобрать снаряжение, лыжи, сноуборд.

You can learn all this at a freeride and backcountry school, where ExtremeGuide will enroll you. Call us, we will organize an interesting theory and intense practice. At the same time, you will practice going down and gain the necessary experience to take on steeper slopes.

Popular tours and regions for freeride and backcountry

You can go to Europe or Asia to get impressions; it is not difficult to get them at home, for example, in the Carpathians. We offer you several key areas:

  • Ukraine — a freeride and backcountry school in the famous Dragobrat will give you a good start.
  • Georgia — in Gudauri they will teach you the basics of extreme descents, and Svaneti will also give you an exciting journey through the snowy corners of the legendary region.
  • Türkiye — offers a completely unique freeride experience, descending the slope of the Erciyes volcano.
  • France — The Alps challenge the most daring and experienced masters.

And these are only the most popular of the directions, but there are others. For example, exotic Iran. Call ExtremeGuide, tell us what you expect from freeride, and we will offer you a great tour. And we will take upon ourselves all the worries regarding its organization. You don’t have to create a program or think about transfers — we’ll do it all.

Get ready for the extreme and get the most out of backcountry and freeride with ExtremeGuide.