Getting started in freeride: how to go off-piste safely
The snow changes, silence sets in, the mountain opens up differently. Freeride means skiing away from groomed runs, in powder and wide-open spaces. It is also terrain that requires knowledge and equipment you never use on the pistes. Here is how to know if you are ready, what to bring, and how our instructors guide your first off-piste turns in Crans-Montana, Verbier and Zermatt.
1. Are you ready for freeride?
Freeride is for advanced to expert skiers, teenagers and adults. A few benchmarks to know if that is you:
- you ski every run in the resort, including black runs, while keeping your speed under control;
- you link your turns without stopping, even when the snow is uneven (moguls, crusty or packed snow);
- you have already enjoyed skiing at the edge of the pistes or after a fresh snowfall.
Not quite there yet? A private lesson on the pistes lets you work precisely on what you are missing before going off-piste.
2. Why go with an instructor?
Off the marked pistes, the terrain is neither secured nor checked by the ski patrol. Avalanche danger, cliff bands or crevasses are not always visible. With an instructor, you enjoy freeride with confidence:
- a methodical and strict approach to risk management: reading the terrain, choosing routes according to the day’s conditions, safety advice at every step;
- step-by-step progress: first off-piste turns at the edge of the ski area to start with, then new lines, lesser-known areas and legendary descents when you are ready;
- lasting learning: your instructor explains their choices so that you build your own mountain knowledge.
If conditions are not safe, the instructor adapts or cancels the outing. You are then offered another date, or the service is fully refunded.
3. Understanding avalanche danger
In Switzerland, the avalanche bulletin from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) is published every day at 5 pm, for the following day. When the danger is considerable or higher, it is updated in the morning at 8 am. It uses a 5-level European scale:
| Level | What it means off-piste |
|---|---|
| 1 – low | Generally favourable situation. |
| 2 – moderate | Mostly favourable situation; choose your route carefully. |
| 3 – considerable | Critical situation, the trickiest for backcountry users: avoid the very steep slopes indicated in the bulletin. |
| 4 – high | Very critical situation: stick to moderately steep terrain; less experienced people stay on the pistes. |
| 5 – very high | Exceptional situation: give up off-piste skiing. |
4. Essential equipment
In addition to your skis, boots and a helmet, three items are mandatory for freeride:
- an avalanche transceiver, switched on and worn from the start;
- a shovel;
- a probe.
This equipment is not included in the price of the lesson, but rental is available on request, on +41 79 855 45 45. Equipment is useless if you do not know how to use it: take advantage of your outing to ask your instructor to show you.
5. Where can you freeride with ActivAlpine?
We offer guided freeride in our resorts in Valais:
- Crans-Montana: a ski area that rises up to the Plaine Morte glacier, at around 3,000 m, with spectacular freeride spots;
- Verbier 4 Vallées;
- Zermatt, at the foot of the Matterhorn: 360 km of pistes and the highest ski area in the Alps;
- the Val d’Anniviers.
Your instructor chooses the area according to your level, the snow cover and the day’s avalanche bulletin.
6. How much does it cost?
| Format | 1 person | Per extra person | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half day | CHF 290 | +CHF 20 | 3 friends: CHF 330, i.e. CHF 110 each |
| Full day | CHF 500 | +CHF 50 | 4 friends: CHF 650, i.e. CHF 162.50 each |
Outings are for 1 to 6 people. The price includes personal coaching by the instructor, a tailor-made programme, and technical, teaching and safety advice. It does not include the lift pass, equipment rental (skis, boots, helmet, avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel) or ski insurance.
7. How an outing works
- Welcome: your instructor meets you at the agreed meeting point. You discuss your level and what you want to do, and they check your equipment, transceiver included.
- Warm-up: a few runs to find your feet, observe your skiing and choose the terrain.
- Off-piste: reading the terrain, choosing the line, deep-snow technique. Your instructor guides and corrects you on every run.
- Debrief: they review the day with you and suggest the next steps to keep progressing.
8. What’s next?
Freeride often makes you want to go further, where the lifts do not go. Ski touring teaches you to climb with skins, to reach even wilder slopes. Ski mountaineering is for those who want technique and race preparation. Our instructors coach you in both disciplines.
Ready to make your first tracks? Book your freeride outing online, or call us on +41 79 855 45 45, every day from 9 am to 6 pm.
Frequently asked questions
What level do you need for freeride?
Freeride is for advanced to expert skiers, teenagers and adults. Your instructor adapts the outing to your level, whether you are making your first off-piste turns or looking for new lines.
What equipment do you need for off-piste skiing?
In addition to skis, boots and a helmet, you need an avalanche transceiver, a shovel and a probe. This equipment is not included in the price of the lesson; rental is available on request.
How do I know if off-piste is dangerous today?
Check the SLF avalanche bulletin, published every day at 5 pm and updated in the morning at 8 am when the danger is considerable or higher. Level 3 (considerable) is the trickiest situation for off-piste skiers.
How much is a freeride outing with an instructor?
CHF 290 for a half day and CHF 500 for a full day, plus CHF 20 (half day) or CHF 50 (full day) per extra person, for 1 to 6 people.
Where can I go guided freeriding in Valais?
ActivAlpine offers guided freeride in Crans-Montana, Verbier 4 Vallées, Zermatt and the Val d’Anniviers. Your instructor chooses the area according to your level, the snow cover and the avalanche bulletin.