Snowboarding in Switzerland

The slopes cover 6 mountains here, but most members of the one-plank world are drawn to the Jakobshorn like the famished to a fondue. It might have a little something to do with the groomers (we love the red Brama and blue Talabfahrt Gampen) – if not these, it’ll be the abundant off-piste options (the steep Teufi itinerary is a must-ride). Of course it could well be the fact that Davos has a socking great superpipe, and one of the best snowparks on the planet… In the Bolgen area at the bottom of the mountain you’ll find one of the largest half pipes in Europe, a regular host of the O’Neill Evolution competition it’s floodlit on a couple of nights a week for some after-hours shredding. Head to the top, and the JatzPark’s four increasingly difficult lines of kickers and rails await. To appreciate the rest of the area, pop over to the bordercrosses at Madrisa and Parsenn or get up close and personal with the mountain on Schatzalp, where the pace is deliciously chilled.

Legendary powder and extreme steeps unite; Verbier has some of the world’s best terrain in the freeride department. There are deep powder trails from the top of almost every lift, including some corkers on Mont Gele, Vallon d Arbi and off the backside of Mont Fort. On a bluebird, a trip to La Chaux is a no brainer to avoid the queues, and there’s no end of ways to make fresh tracks on the white wilderness. The team at ES Ride Snowboard School provide guiding if you want to experience these (they also do lessons for rookies) but to really push the boat out, book a heli-boarding trip to Petit Combin or Trient. Piste-wise, those with the knack of speed control on reds and blacks will have a blast on runs like the sweeping red from Col Des Gentianes. For park time, hop on the Chaux-Express chairlift and shred your socks off on the Snow Park’s five lines and airbag jump.

It’s a good thing there’s a snow park open in the summertime here, because one week in the winter doesn’t quite suffice. You’ll find an awesome 120m superpipe and kickers twice the size of houses in the Morenia Park, on top of other features for different abilities – and don’t forget to spare some time for the sofas and deckchairs of the Chill Zone… The slopes aren’t bad either - take your pick from the wide, well-groomed pistes like 4, 5 & 6 from Felskinn, which are ideal for getting some Swiss style injected into your carvers. Thanks to the Allalin glacier and the cooling effect of the surrounding 4000m+ peaks, these are some of the most snow sure slopes in Europe - a fine choice for early season, late season or even midsummer riding.

Zermatt’s a big hit for mileage-hungry riders, with 200km of corduroy, and another 160km if you pop over the border to Italian Cervinia. And that’s not counting what’s available for powder hounds, who can test their salt over 36km of smashing itineraries (we love the ones on the Stockhorn) and miles of untouched terrain beyond the markers. There’s also the small matter of the Gravity Park on the Theodul Glacier, where the slopestyle, boardercross and rail garden provide some of the most scenic freestyling we’ve ever known, helped by the presence of the mighty Matterhorn.

Raise your glasses to snowboarder extraordinaire Pat Burgener: not only was he the first to land a backside triple cork 1440, he also helped to create the Adrenaline Zone here, and did a ruddy good job. A championship-sized half pipe and a boardercross are the tip of the iceberg – you’ll find 10,000 m2 of modules and rails to boot. Fanatical freeriders might favour the unparalleled panoramic views up on the glacier – that and the choice of natural itinerary routes leading through the ski area. It isn’t all big stunts and cliff drops though – the pistes are brilliant too. The Tubang red is a glorious 12km cruiser that leads from high altitude peaks to tree-lined trails, and the local Swiss Snow School have Grade-A tuition for fledgling riders.

While some things in St M are invite-only, a humble lift ticket’s your ‘Access All Areas’ pass to the important stuff: there’s an ocean of terrain here (350km to be precise), and it’s yours to surf. Newbies will find a wealth of blues from the Salastrains lift (Munt da San Murezzan’s great for linking those turns). At the other end of the scale you can test yourself on the black World Cup run and the speedy ride from the Fuorcla Grischa chairlift in the Corviglia area. Variety’s the spice of freestyle life here: Corviglia’s Crowland Snowpark is split into an easy and medium parks and a fun slope, Corvatsche’s offering has beginner, medium and pro lines, a half pipe AND a bag jump and there’s another one in Zuoz, including a boardercross, three kickers, a range of rails and a fun box. Day trips over to Livigno in Italy are also doable, where the terrain’s so good it often hosts the Burton European Open.

Mürren is the stuff Warren Miller films are made of. The drop off the Schilthorn is a classic, and after a dump there’s an unholy amount of powder to play in. Slap bang in the centre of the area is the Blumental bowl, where you’ll have a blast as you dodge the rocks and jump the drops before re-joining the piste, hopping on the lift and starting all over again. A heli-trip to the 3692m Aebniflue might be the only way to up the ante – it leads to one of the longest descents in the Alps, and that’s a pretty mean feat. There’s also a sterling selection of groomers ranging from cruisy paths like blue #20 to pitchy reds like #15, and the Skyline Snowpark has beginner, advanced and expert lines to shred until the cows come home.

Access to the same cracking ski area, but without all of Verbier’s razzmatazz, this laid-back sister resort is a bonnie base for boarders. A big attraction is the access to kind blues, which dip in and out of the pockets of trees. The one from the Alpage drag lift is an ego-boosting cruise for newbies, or a great spot for the more advanced to practice their riding switch. Up the tempo on the red by the Plan du Fou drag, for a blast down evenly pitched rollers. Experts will have a field day on stand-out blacks like Les Fontaines, which is topped only by the magnificent freeriding potential from Dent du Nendaz, Mont Gond and the mighty Mont Fort. On the Jean-Pierre piste, the snow park seems to have grown every time we return here, with new wooden features giving it a natural feel and a snowcross to rack up the MPH.

Sharing six mountains with boarding capital Davos, Klosters adds a touch of classic lux to the same epic boarding scene. On the Madrisa Mountain, red 9 has wide twists and turns, making for an XL adrenaline rush. Red 8, further up the mountain, is a real challenge and packs a punch with a steep gradient and a fairly narrow squeeze through the valley. There’s also a boardercross here under the Glatteggen ski lift, and another one on the Parsenn Mountain on piste 15. Stick to the Parsenn area if you have a competitive spirit - piste 5 under the aptly named Rapid chairlift has speed measurements where you can put your turns to the test. Make sure you spend a day or two on the awesome Jakobshorn above Davos, where the Jatzpark’s packed with kickers and rails (all at a heady altitude of 2500m), and the foot of the mountain’s home to a whacking great superpipe.

Small and cosy Grindelwald very well may be, but when it comes to boarding, this place has one big card to play - its membership into the Jungfrau region. Beginners can count on the Altitude Snowboard School to get those heel and toe-side turns flowing smoothly. There are some friendly ‘slow slopes’ for getting to grips with things, and you can finish the day on the blue route from Bort back to the village – it’s wide, open and a sure-fire confidence booster. True speed addicts can catch their fix hurtling down the boardercross from the Schilt chair, while freestylers will be fully occupied dialling in their latest grabs at the White Elements park (for a less intimidating bundle of kickers, boxes and the rest, try the beginners park by the Oberjoch station). If freeriding’s the name of your game, get a guide and head out to the untamed lines in the shadow of the Eiger or explore further afield towards Mürren and Wengen.