Snowboarding Holidays

Snowboarder’s needs are different to skiers and Skiworld know that. More than half of our seasonnaire staff in resorts across the Alps are snowboarders and many of us here at head office are too. The holy trinity of great snow, minimal cat-tracks and absolutely no button or drags may seem like just a fantasy, but it might be more real than you thought…

The best resorts for Snowboarding

Avoriaz

Home to six snow parks, including Jake Burton’s Eco Park, and one specifically for kids, Avoriaz is a proving ground for many a budding snowboarder. With such a vast choice of parks it’s easy to see why it’s a popular choice, but there’s also excellent freeriding across a variety of terrain – tree glades, powder bowls and the spectacular pistes of the Portes du Soleil.

Snowboard holidays in Avoriaz

Mayrhofen

Penken Park is widely regarded as one of the very finest parks in the Alps. The snow is always good and hard at 2,100m and access is excellent from the Sun Jet chairlift. There’s over a dozen kickers and 30 odd boxes and rails spread over designated intermediate, advanced and pro zones. On the freeride side, the linked Zillertal areas offer untold powder stashes and are worth exploring if the snow is falling, especially in between the trees.

Snowboard holidays in Mayrhofen

Nendaz

A wildcard pick. Nendaz, with it’s easy access to the huge 4 Valleys area which includes Verbier is a real peach if you’re a snowboarder seeking the thrill of more extreme terrain. Across the 4 Valleys there are 6 official ‘Freeride Routes’, but many more secret stashes which are illuminated with the help of a mountain guide. Bruson is also a gem – a small resort beyond Verbier with a handful of lifts and acres of powder bowls to explore.  

Snowboard holidays in Nendaz & Verbier

St Anton

For snowboarders, the pull of St Anton is more for freeriding and exploring than park riding (although the St Anton Park is really good with a variety of slopestyle lines, kickers, rails and other features). The interconnected Arlberg area boasts over 300km of piste, but the 200+km of un-pisted ‘itinerary’ runs or ‘ski routes’ is where it really shines. Explore the Mattun, Mattunjoch or any one of countless itinerary routes and experience the thrill of a steep powder descent 1st hand.

Snowboard holidays in St Anton

Other great Snowboarding holiday destinations featuring the best snow parks and massive areas to explore include Breckenridge, Tignes and Courchevel.

Top 3 Tips: Snowboard holidays

1. Snow Parks - Make sure there’s a variety. Even if you’re experienced, it’s always good to get your snow-legs back at the start of a trip. Start small and build up slowly. No point in hucking your meat off the biggest kicker on day one and spending the rest of the week in the chalet with your feet up!
2. Snowboard-specific Rental Shops – Choose a resort with some so you can give yourself the best chance of finding a board and binding set up that suits you. In a ski-dominated rental shop you might end up with sub-standard gear which may result in a less-enjoyable time on the mountain.
3. Easy to access Freeriding – The feeling of riding in powder is heaven-sent. Any snowboarder will tell you that. Choose a resort that features ‘itinerary runs’ or similar; basically un-pisted areas which fall within the resort and are therefore still patrolled by Pisteurs. Practice your technique safely.