France: Freeride College in Val Thorens
The winter sports resort of Val Thorens is located in the Haute-Savoie Alps in France and is part of the Trois Vallées, the largest ski area in the world. At the start of the winter season, it has become a tradition in Val Thorens to hold a Ski and Boarder Week, packed with new attractions and events every year.
Ski and Boarder Week in Val Thorens
This year, Ski and Boarder Week in Val Thorens takes place from November 12–19, 2009. For the first time, a Freeride College is being offered for anyone who likes to find their own way down the mountain away from the pistes.
France: Freeride College in Val Thorens
Date: 30/09/2026
Freeride College in Val Thorens
As part of the Freeride College in Val Thorens, guides and ski instructors with several years of experience in the field and specialist knowledge of the Haute-Savoie Alps will introduce participants to the fundamentals of freeriding. This takes place in a practical, hands-on way in the deep-snow landscapes around Val Thorens, where aspiring freeriders receive valuable tips on choosing the right route and preventing avalanches. To make the equally important, but often rather dry, theory just as enjoyable, these lessons are held during a convivial evening at the ski hotels in Val Thorens.
Risks of freeriding
Since freeriding is a potentially dangerous discipline in the world of alpine skiing, interested skiers and snowboarders should always join larger groups and have several years of experience on the slopes. Among the greatest risks of freeriding are avalanches triggered by careless behavior. For the duration of the Freeride College in Val Thorens, France, participants are provided with rental equipment consisting of an avalanche transceiver, shovel, and probe.
