Jan. 11, 2025
Timing is everything in skiing – fresh snow can arrive on your first night or the bus ride back to the airport. Several days after the last significant snowfall, you jump on the ski lift expecting a day of long turns and coffees. That was the plan for today, but for a series of chutes that had escaped the riders of Axamer Lizum, Innsbruck.
Treasure lasts longer on north-facing backcountry. The entire ski area was bashed flat today, with many guests having had their off-piste fun over previous days. Yet a 200m hike along a ridge was enough to access some premium snow. After fresh snow, resorts serve up plenty of powder lines, but as time passes, sun, wind, skis and snowboards all conspire to exhaust the powder fields. Forests and north-facing slopes avoid most of the vagaries of the weather, but tracks also appear in these spots. But there are treats to be found days after snowfalls.
Know the area like a local and these powder stashes are available long after the storms have been and gone. Our clients who get the most out of a corporate ski trip are those top-level skiers and snowboarders who take a guide and discover the secret spots. Time and again, no matter the prevailing weather, guides will find the absolute best snow in a ski area.
When the webcams are showing epic conditions just days before the start of a corporate ski event, there is no need for despondency. Trust the guide and know that even after several days of attention, ski regions can dish up some exquisite powder lines.