The Alps are likely to tower to thoughts while you image snowboarding in Europe, chopping throughout France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.

However the continent has loads of various locations that supply distinctive landscapes and cultures – and a number of the finest powder on this planet.

Some areas are elevate accessible. For others, you might must hike or take a snowcast to get you up the mountain.

For a few of these distant locations, you might even must ski tour (the place as a substitute of utilizing ski lifts, you go uphill utilizing ‘skins’, a chunk of cloth hooked up to the bottom of skis to forestall them from sliding again, earlier than snowboarding downhill with skins eliminated).

First compiled in 2021, right here is our decide of Europe’s most adventurous snowboarding areas.

13. Snowboarding within the Balkans

Very like the Alps, snowboarding within the Balkan mountains has a protracted historical past and custom. The lesser-known mountains of Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and Northern Macedonia embrace a number of the highest peaks south of the Alps and are one of many continent’s most unspoiled wilderness.

One of the best factor about snowboarding within the Balkans, says John Eames, from The Off-piste & Telemark Ski Firm, which affords ski journeys to the area, is “the enjoyable and the journey of all of it.”

You’ll discover “small, very pleasant and at all times attention-grabbing ski areas dotted about these culturally-rich mountains. For recent tracks off-piste and off-the-beaten-track touring these areas are unsurpassed … and there may be a lot to go at!”

However be ready, says Eames: “Anticipate and embrace the wacky! Chairlifts and ski tows do work – more often than not – native meals and wine are totally different however wonderful, lodging is assorted however of wonderful worth and with nice hospitality and friendliness.”

“Don’t count on the well-oiled ‘ski resort machine’ that you simply is perhaps used to within the Alps; with a little bit of persistence and persistence, you’ll come again stuffed with tales and recollections of some nice snowboarding.”

12. The Accursed Mountains

Prokletije or the ‘Accursed Mountains,’ a spread on the western Balkan peninsula, are stated to supply a number of the finest snowboarding in Europe. However with no elevate entry, Montenegro‘s mountainous border with northern Albania (often known as the Albanian alps or Montenegrin Alps) receives few guests.

In accordance with native folklore, Prokletije was created by the satan when he was unleashed from hell for a single day of mischief. Its steep rocky faces and big glaciers are stated to be harking back to the Italian Dolomites and just about impenetrable throughout the summer time with solely a sequence of excessive passes linking a small variety of farmsteads within the valleys. 

Right here you are feeling far, far-off from Twenty first-century Europe.

As the best part of your complete Dinaric Alps, which zig-zag throughout the western Balkan peninsula, the ‘Accursed Mountains’ provide steep snowboarding strains from peaks like Maja e Rosit or Maja Jezerca with breathtaking views of northern Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro’s north-east.

One of the best spots are across the Valbona and Thethi valleys. Right here you’ll be able to stick with host households or in one of many winter guesthouses. There are not any apres-ski choices, however you heat up by making an attempt the do-it-yourself rakia – a standard plum liquor.

11. Montenegro’s wilderness of Kolasin and Durmitor

Additionally within the Dinaric Alps, over 90 per cent of Montenegro is mountainous terrain and the ranges of Sinjajevina, Durmitor and Bjelasica are perfect for “off the overwhelmed monitor” ski adventures.

The Sinjajevina Mountain vary stretches for 40 kilometres between the cities of Zabljak and Kolasin. The ski resort of Kolasin 1450 itself has some good tree snowboarding and ‘slackcountry’ (“easy-to-reach off-piste areas simply past the fences and ropes of a resort’s boundaries.)

Brief hikes from the resort additionally give entry to some couloirs from the Bjelasica ridge into the Jelovica valley.

About one-and-a-half hours away, the ski resort of Zabjlak – famend for its apres-ski – permits entry to the Durmitor mountains and the summit Savin Kuk (2322m) from the place you’ll be able to take pleasure in panoramic views throughout Montenegro’s principal mountain vary. The descent again into the ski space is about 900m vertical and will be repeated a couple of occasions.

A five-minute drive from the village of Zabjlak is the beginning of a protracted ascent to certainly one of Durmitor’s highest summits, Sljeme (2,455m) From its ridge is Montenegro’s longest ski run with over 1000m vertical drop.

10. The Sharr Mountains

The Sharr Mountains lie on the border between Albania and Northern Macedonia and finish alongside the southern border of Kosovo. They’re barely extra rounded than the Accursed Mountains, and have many peaks over 2500 metres tall, which supply steep north faces and really secure snow situations.

In Kosovo, the ski resorts of Brezovica, the house of a snowcat free-ride, and close by Prevalla enable easy accessibility to the vary.

The best peak of the 80km lengthy Sharr Mountains is Tito’s peak (2747m) in Northern Macedonia. Positioned very near the border with Kosovo, it is named after Josip Broz Tito, the one-time president of Yugoslavia.

A number of peaks together with Tito will be accessed from the ski-resort Popova Sapka (Priest’s Hat) which is lower than two hours west of Skopje.

With 20km of slopes, it has a restricted variety of ski tows and chairlifts. The one to take is the double chair elevate to the summit of the resort. This elevate opens as much as the expansive backcountry ski terrain of straightforward alpine bowls, steep chutes, and tree snowboarding.

Visiting Popova Sapka can also be stated to be a cultural and culinary expertise; making an attempt the Vranec wine, identified additionally as black wine in Macedonia, is a should.

9. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Additionally a part of the Dinaric Alps, Bjelašnica in Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics again when Bosnia and Herzegovina was a part of Yugoslavia.

The snowboarding is usually between 1200-2300m providing 800m to 1000m of ascent and an identical quantity of descent.

Half an hour away from the ski centre at Bijelasnica is the Vrela mountain hut at an altitude of 1210m. From right here you’ll be able to entry many peaks between 1300m- 1800m (equivalent to Veliko Brdo Peak, Drstva Jelenaca, Puzim, Mokre Stijene and Baturak.

Six kilometres from the Vrela mountain hut is Umoljani village (1330m). 

A two-hour climb from right here results in Obalj peak (1900m) from the place you’ll be able to ski all the way down to Lukomir (1500m) the best ethnic village in Bosnia.

8. The Caucasus

The place Europe ends and Asia begins lies the untapped ski terrain of the Caucasus Mountains. The house of Europe’s highest peak, Mount Elbrus stands at 800m larger than Mont Blanc.

The entire vary is greater and feels extra rugged and dramatic than the Alps and you’ll count on to ascend 1000-1500m vertical metres and extra.

7. Elbrus and past

IFMGA trainee information and founding father of Primalscapes, Andrey Golovachev, says whereas the lifts are comparatively new on the resort on the flanks Elbrus, the variety of pistes is surprisingly small and the snow is “not as dry and fluffy as in Siberia.”

“Other than Elbrus itself,” says Golovachev, there are a variety of rickety chairlifts servicing off-piste areas of Mt. Cheget circa 3,700m proper throughout the valley with its enormous ungroomed love/hate moguls and iconic steep and lengthy couloirs on the Northern face.” 

From right here you see ‘mighty Elbrus’ proper throughout the valley.

“There’s additionally loads of lodging and a few apres-ski choices for each Elbrus and Cheget in Terskol and Azau villages.”

“One other alternative to remain off the grid are Adyr-Su and Adyl-Su valleys the place one can ski tour on the foothills of the Higher Caucasus whereas staying at primary cabins. Loads of ski touring routes.”

6. Snowboarding in Georgia

Snowboarding in Georgia is each distant and distinctive. The nation has “develop into extra engaging for folks all in favour of excessive winter holidays, who wish to ski off-piste, go heli-skiing or ski touring,” says Shota Komakhidze from Climbing Georgia.

There are 4 resorts within the east and west of the nation, of which Gudauri close to the southwestern Russian Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, is the biggest, set at a excessive altitude of 2196m.

Gudauri itself has slopes going as much as 3279m with 14 lifts and over 70km of runs. From the resort, you’ll be able to entry peaks like Lomisa, Dedaena, Narovani, Meliona, and Bidara which supply 900-1200 vertical metres on wonderful powder and secure slopes.

A ski tour to the ninth century Lomisa Monastery affords each nice backcountry snowboarding and a cultural expertise. There are a lot of legends concerning the monastery that stands at 2200m.

One tells the story of Saint George who saved a Georgian hostage captured within the thirteenth century when the Khwarazmid military pushed from his realm by the Mongol Empire, tried to recapture misplaced territories, together with Georgia. As an indication of appreciation, the hostage saved one of many chains within the Lomisa Church.

The large chain remains to be discovered there and you’ll put it round your neck and make a want, earlier than snowboarding again all the way down to Gudauri.

“One other very lovely and attention-grabbing area is Svaneti, within the central a part of the Caucasian mountains, of northwestern Georgia,” says Komakhidze.

The house of the Tetnuldi ski resort and 4 of the ten highest peaks within the Caucasus equivalent to Mount Shkhara 5,193m, Mount Tetnuldi 4,858 m and Mount Jangha 5,051m.

The culturally-rich area its additionally as well-known for its Twelfth-century fortified towers which have been used each as dwellings and as defence posts towards the invaders, and its stone homes that characterise its villages, together with Ushguli, the best village in Europe (2200m).

Georgia is, in fact, famend for its meals with influences from Greece and Turkey in addition to Iran and their wine-making expertise which return 8,000 years.

“Snowboarding the central Caucasian slopes provide the alternative to see totally different villages and landscapes on daily basis and can depart you with unforgettable recollections,” says Komakhidze.

5. Snowboarding in Armenia

One minute you are exploring first-century Graeco-Roman temples and different antiquities of one of many earliest Christian civilisations on earth, you then’ll be passing former Soviet factories, historic vans and Ladas.

“The meals, kiln bakeries, mad wind and sunny skies, deserted battle shelters, pink bricked buildings, church buildings in rock faces and a few youngsters with trainers nailed onto ‘skis’. These are my recollections of Armenia, far-off from war-torn zones… a completely totally different ski expertise and world,” says Caroline Mulligan, who just lately skied in Armenia with Climbing Georgia.

Snowboarding in Armenia with its panorama of extinct volcanoes, limitless canyons and lots of 3000-4000 metre peaks and the backdrop of Mount Ararat (the place Noah landed the Ark!) is a land of distinction and as a lot concerning the tradition and historical past as it’s the snow.

There are not any actual glaciers within the Little Caucasus mountains of Armenia, however they get a great deal of snow in winter making it the perfect place for easy-going ski touring staring in numerous cities and villages.

From the spa resort city of Dilijan you’ll be able to entry Mt Tezhler (3101m) or from the city of Byurakan, a 40-50 minutes drive from the capital Yerevan, you’ll be able to entry Mount Aragats, an remoted four-peaked volcano massif.

From the small village of Sevaberd you’ll be able to cross the volcanic plateau east of the capital, whose highest level is Volcan Azdhaak, 3609m.

4. Norway, Senja Island: Summit-to-sea snowboarding

If you wish to hunt for the Northern Lights, go fishing or take a sauna and leap into the freezing ocean then Senja Island is for you.

Norway’s second-largest island location deep into the Arctic Circle is filled with secluded untracked peaks. excellent for powder snowboarding.

There are not any ski lifts round simply quaint fishing villages and rorbuer, conventional fisherman’s cabins, which were transformed into vacation lodges who will transport you to the snowboarding areas by boat.

The surroundings in Senja is filled with contrasts from deep fjords to rolling peaks dotted with lakes, which stand between 700m to 1300m so you’ll be able to climb a number of of them and ski again all the way down to the ocean in someday. And the snowboarding is comparatively secure with the coastal mountains within the higher 20 to 35-degree vary.

Camilla Antonsson from Pure Ski touring who runs journeys to Senja says it is particular for 2 causes:

“Nature with its proximity to the mountain peaks and the ocean. The whole lot is so shut, lovely and difficult. And two, the variation within the mountains. There are steep, slim couloirs, but additionally large, friendlier mountains to take pleasure in untouched off-piste.”

“The character and number of so many alternative ski touring alternatives imply that skiers can benefit from the expertise no matter its expertise,” says Antonsson.

“Nonetheless, you must go on ski touring with a information, until you’ve excellent expertise of ski touring in excessive alpine environments. Native data is vital as Senja is uncovered to each wind, speedy temperature modifications and snow variations.”

3. Greece: Snowboarding with sea view

“Snowboarding untouched and uncrowded powder with a view of the Aegean Sea on one aspect and the Gulf of Corinth and the Peleponnese on the opposite,” is the very best factor about snowboarding in Greece, in line with John Eames, from The Off-piste & Telemark Ski Firm, which affords ski journeys to the Mt. Parnassos area.

Greece shouldn’t be so well-known for its snowboarding. As an alternative, most of its tourism is predicated on the pleasures of its shoreline and islands. However with almost 80 per cent of the nation is roofed in peaks, it is the second most mountainous nation in Europe and though not as giant because the Alps, they’re completely suited to snowboarding.

“Don’t count on the modern operation and amenities of an Alpine resort with miles and miles of runs and an enormous vertical,” says Eames, however “do count on wonderful and assorted terrain, some adventurous and difficult off-piste, some great touring choices and constantly pleasant and useful locals. Plus, the ski move is reasonable!”

Positioned 180 km from Athens, the nation’s’ largest resort, Mt. Parnassos affords ski areas of Kelaria and Fterolaka at 1700m, which have good and dependable snow with as much as 36 kilometres of slopes, lift-served off-piste and Greek meals and wine to sit up for.

A lot of the snowboarding is above the tree-line however at Fterolaka, you may discover an incredible tree snowboarding space with runs by means of a sequence of bowls, and a singular view out over the Gulf of Corinth and the Aegean Sea.

From the resort, you’ll be able to entry peaks like Liakoura at 2455m, Gherondovrachos (2395m), Touborachi (2431m) and Tsarkos (2415m) and lots of open valleys, gullies, and faces to play on in between.

By staying in Delphi you may make the very best of the elevate entry and luxuriate in its eating places and bars – and the world-famous Delphi Oracle and related temples.

With all kinds of climates, and a minimum of 40 mountains at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, every peak in Greece is exclusive, and you’ll discover wild mountains within the Pindos vary in northern Greece and southern Albania, unique mountains in Crete and Taygetos within the Peloponnese in southern Greece, probably the most spectacular.

Pindos, the biggest mountain vary in Greece affords steep ravines, rivers and historically stone-built villages and the alpine ‘Greek diamonds’ of Tymfi (2497m), Tzoumerka (2393m) and Lakmos (2294m). There’s additionally an alpine lake at 2050m, and plenty of archaeological and cultural websites. Dimitra Koutsotheodori from Wayout Adventures, specialists in adventures in Greece, says its’ “the last word technique of escape.”

Crete, Greece’s largest island and the birthplace of the nice Greek poets is finest identified for its Mediterranean gastronomy, music custom and people artwork and is taken into account probably the most “unique” backcountry ski areas in Europe.

52 per cent of the island’s complete space is roofed by mountains; the White Mountains within the Chania area prolong for 40-45km from west to east, and have 57 peaks over 2,000 metres tall and the mountain vary of Psiloritis dominates the centre of Crete,

“The Cretan mountains provide distinctive experiences. Countless mountain ski fields and routes that fill you with awe overlooking the Libyan and the Aegean Sea,” says Koutsotheodori.

The best and most alpine mountain in Greece, Mount Olympus (2918 metres), often known as the “Throne of the Gods” is positioned 80 km southwest from Thessaloniki and high of the agenda for ski tourers, with its southern aspect beginning simply above Olympiada village and the Aghia Triada-Sparmos Monastery providing the very best snow.

2. Poland’s Tatras Mountains

The Tatra Mountains that type the border between Poland and Slovakia are a part of the Carpathian vary and provide some nice snowboarding alternatives from wide-open ridges, difficult tree runs, gullies, and couloirs to light valley slopes with near 30 peaks over 2500 metres tall.

Piste snowboarding largely takes place within the excessive southern area of Kasprowy Wierch. The ski resort city Kasprowy Wierch – Zakopane is the best in Poland. Positioned two hours south of Kraków it’s identified for its turn-of-the-Twentieth-century picket chalets and its six slopes aren’t crowded.

Use the lifts at Kasprowy Wierch – Zakopane to entry peaks like Liliowe (1952m), Karb (1863m), and ski all the way down to Czarny Staw Gasienicowy (1650m) which affords straightforward ski excursions for rookies, or all the way down to Dolina Pieciu Stawow Polskich (The Valley of 5 Lakes).

The surroundings within the Excessive Tatras area is extra alpine than the Western Tatras, that are additionally price a go to. Mixing lovely slopes on peaks like Trzydniowianski Wierch (1758m), Starorobocianska Dolina (1350m), Siwa Przelecz (1812m) and Kondracka Kopa (2005m with snowboarding by means of woodlands, the western Tatras provide an attention-grabbing various to the granite mountainsides of the Excessive Tatras.

End the day with typical Polish delicacies equivalent to Bigos (half soup/half sauerkraut), szaszłyk, (skewered and grilled cubed meat), Szarlotka (much like an apple crumble) and an area vodka (for digestion).

1. The Dolomites

Sure, they’re technically a part of the Alps, however most locals in Italy’s northeast mountains check with them because the Dolomites, whereas these within the northwest, within the Valle d’Aosta, are the Alps.

Though in Italy the principle tongue is German, in addition to Ladin, an historic Rhaeto-Roman or Romance language, spoken by the primary inhabitants of the valleys of the Dolomites.

The mountain vary was declared a UNESCO World Heritage web site in 2009 and for former British alpine ski racer, Konrad Bartelski, who produced the very best end result by a Briton on the Alpine Snowboarding World Cup circuit in 1981, “it’s the dramatic and distinctive geography of the Dolomites that instantly catches the attention.”

“But the snowboarding is understood to be maybe extra comfy than say the difficult reputations of the likes of a Chamonix or Engelberg.”

Nonetheless, “it is just when ski touring there that the soul of the dramatic cliffs and valleys will be explored and revealed,” says Bartelski. 

“There are such a lot of nooks and crannies that it’s like working by means of a maze across the spectacular landforms and the hidden couloirs that plunge off down between the vertical cliffs will definitely get that coronary heart pounding.”

Though it’s recognised as a well-travelled area of Italy, and lots of the key touring areas are fairly documented, the intricacy of the geological formations imply that to get probably the most from exploring this space, it makes an enormous distinction to have the data of a wonderful native information.