The five most unexpected places on Earth for snowboarding

On November 12 at the left of the new Russian snowboard movie "the Turning" — a large-scale project, bringing together the best Russian riders and stars of the real world of snowboarding, breathtaking scenery from a totally different mountain regions of planet, a new level of filming and hundreds of stories that preceded the release of the film. The shooting of the project was often in the most difficult places, and we will tell about them in this article. Project Director and photographer Andrei Pirumov shares experience and advises a most unusual ski vacation places.

1. The Himalayas, India





In the Indian Himalayas there are two places to snowboard: this is the Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. In Kashmir there is a full ski resort Gulmarg with three queues, lifts and fantastic skiing. Now there is a lot quieter — no hostilities between Pakistan and India, who for some time restrained the flow of tourists. Now in Gulmarg travels far more people, there is construction of new hotels is a great place to travel with a snowboard.

In the Himalayas very quickly come spring, so the best months for riding there — February and early March. Pros Gulmarg — great skiing on the snow fields and an unforgettable ride in the woods. During periods of heavy snowfall, the top of the queue closed, but you can have a great ride in the forest between the huge Himalayan pine trees, which reach epic proportions. They are often sitting monkey — full exotic!

However, the filming of "Turn" we were in Himachal Pradesh. It is a religious centre of India: if in Gulmarg Muslims live in Himachal Pradesh — Hindus, and Buddhists, and each has its own specific communication. Accordingly, if in Gulmarg mostly mosques, in Himachal Pradesh — Hindu temples. In Himachal Pradesh there is a very small resort of Solang. There is only one place, and it only works when it snows richly. So if you don't have a helicopter, you to do in Himachal Pradesh is nothing. However, if you have the possibility to order a helicopter, then skiing will be incredible.

Organization of flying in the Himalayas has been the company HeliPro, on their website there is all information, a company Himachal HeliSki, you can refer to them.

The complexity and interest of the Himalayan skiing is that everything happens at very high altitudes — landing can be up to 5000 m above sea level. And is exotic: the rarefied air, the helicopter is much more difficult to perform the operation in such conditions, you have to take fewer people to neoplasty tanks, etc.

But at this altitude, its climate, its life, its snow bowl and at night can fall to a meter of fresh snow. However, in Himachal Pradesh and ride units, because Heli-skiing in the Himalayas is one of the most expensive in the world.

2. Patagonia, Chile





 

Principal mountains of Chile is the Andes. However, the Patagonian Andes is a different riding. It is a volcanic region, which falls into two countries: Argentina and Chile. And they have resorts, but I particularly recommend the Chilean Patagonia. All the skating going on there in the region (the municipality) Pucon — there are a few volcanoes, and some of them are lifts, or you can rent snowmobiles, helicopters to ride in the wild. One volcano has erupted, the other is clogged and at some point explode, the third periodically smokes.

What you can see, riding in Patagonia, you will not see anywhere else: an endemic species of plants and animals, a fantastic lake — the entire picture has nothing to do with what you're used to seeing. The lower part is a subtropical forest where you can see hummingbirds, some semi-tropical butterflies, and entourage at some point starts to make snow. Conifers Araucaria, more like palm trees, grow in the snow, then riding a snowboard, you can meet parrots and small ostriches. That is in itself a crook may be inferior to the Central Andes, but exotic locations are just incredible. But there are certain difficulties — unstable weather conditions due to the fact that Patagonia is close to the South pole. One day the weather can change six times.

Interesting fact — in Patagonia living descendants who fled in his time in Argentina the German Nazis. Go to the gift shop in Pucón, and there's half of things, it's all Indian and half — a swastika and daggers. I stop in Pucon and see a sign: "German brewing factory", "the ski school", "Bar Octoberfest" — all in German, well-groomed, everywhere Biergarten.

In our film there will be a separate story about the Chilean Patagonia and expedition to the volcano. He's already erupted, so he formed a large crater, inside of which look crazy slopes, vertical lines, as in Alaska, where well-kept snow, as in a closed crater is not such a strong wind. The problem is that the volcano you have to walk. We stormed this volcano twice, the first time the attempt was unsuccessful due to weather conditions, in the second we managed to ascend. First went to the horse — then the horse stuck in the snow, we went ahead, spent the night in the house of the Forester, following the night spent at the crater in tents, woke up this morning and began to ride, making a few unique shots with skiing.



3. Kamchatka





Kamchatka is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. This is a real pearl of Russia. Unfortunately, the infrastructure there was not adjusted, and only recently began to build roads, tourist centers around Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Before everywhere was accessible only by helicopter, now this becomes a little easier.

Now it is a place where every skier or snowboarder wants to go or have been there. Unfortunately, the larger resorts there, so all the skiing is either with snowmobiles or helicopters. The best base for this — "snow valley", it lies at the foot of Vilyuchinsky volcano, offering close access to diverse backcountry slopes. If you enjoyed Heli-skiing, you can tremendously go with skiing out to the ocean in the Vilyuchinskaya Bay when you start high in the mountains and finish the descent right on the beach.

You can also take the course by Snowmobiling — local relief is great for riding on it. For example, in the Caucasus on a mountain is simply impossible to enter in Kamchatka, the entire terrain makes it easy to move and master the snowmobile. Just one week course to get a good pump in this case.

In Kamchatka, there is one important point — bears. They Wake up in the mid-to late April, fear them not, but we need to be careful with them. To keep the group, not to go alone, to be attentive to the nature around. Much more danger hides itself skiing — cracks, avalanches, etc. But every year there are terrible occasions when bear someone bite, it happens that a whole family. This happens in Alaska and Kamchatka — anywhere where there are bears.

The best time for skiing in Kamchatka is the beginning of March. Already leave the February cold, but still a lot of snow. Also cool to ride closer to spring — in April-may, but fewer guarantees to grab fresh snow.

4. Kulusuk, Greenland





Greenland — the most unusual item from this list because it is the wildest place on Earth where the Eskimos live. Live, basically put, probably, as well as lived a Millennium ago. Their main craft is the hunting of seal and whale, and major tasks of life — to feed themselves and their families.

Life in the North is fierce. Though the Danish government, under the patronage of which is Greenland, and put them in there houses when you go inside, you will understand that nothing to do with the appearance of the interior of their house has not. People live absolutely ancient way of life, and their main means of transportation is sled dogs. People live closer to the coast of Greenland and on the Islands. Its center is the ice cap of the Earth. Like all Northern peoples, they are among the endangered.

No resorts in Greenland is not in sight, there's only helicopter skiing, but if you went by helicopter to the mountains in Greenland and the weather is good — you will open the following pictures that you will never forget. Blue icebergs, and whales... we Have the shooting experience of skiing on Greenland iceberg, but it is impossible to obtain official permission, so it is rather isolated case, rather than the opportunity for tourism.

Skiing starts from the end of April — beginning of may, the best first two weeks of may. There is no guarantee that you'll get lucky with fresh snow, but the main feature there is, of course, types. Icy slopes, up into the dark watery abyss, is very beautiful.

The journey itself is expensive. As a rule, the worse the infrastructure (and it is not there), the more expensive the trip. The main skiing is in East Greenland, Kulusuk is a small airport two cottages and one landing strip, the hotel for 30-40 people and a village of 20 houses. Further for hundreds of kilometers there is nothing there: bears, whales, seals, ice cracks and weather conditions that change very often.

5. New Zealand





New Zealand is the birthplace of Heli-skiing. Besides the beauty, which everyone has heard, in New Zealand a lot of resorts. And, most interestingly, there is the official resorts, and there are so-called private club resorts — resorts that belong to the commune or to a rich man. Get your own ski pass at them on a good day, not a problem — you just have to know where these resorts are hidden. At these resorts, very few people, and you can ride even on the track, even in the woods, some even have snowboard parks.

The main feature of the New Zealand and Chile — that the ride there in the summer. Also at this time there is very good surfing. All skiing is on South island of New Zealand, where are located all major tourist places.

Again, a lot of exotic animals and plants, large parrots Kea, which fly directly into the resort, called "mountain clowns". Local not very fond of these parrots, because they are very annoying and sometimes attack the newborn sheep.published

P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©

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Source: www.moya-planeta.ru/travel/view/5_samyh_neozhidannyh_mest_na_zemle_dlya_kataniya_na_snouborde_15307/