Chasing powder in the Italian Alps: A freeride trip to Sestriere and Limone
Some ski trips are carefully planned months in advance. Others begin with a quick look at the weather map and a sudden decision to go. For three riders based in Chamonix, a promising storm system over the Italian Alps was all the motivation they needed to head south in search of fresh snow.
Three friends left Chamonix to chase a Retour d’Est storm into the Italian Alps.
When a rare Retour d’Est storm appeared in the forecast, Montec rider Johan Malmbeck knew the best snow would not be in Chamonix. Instead of waiting for winter to arrive, he decided to follow the storm south into the Italian Alps.
Alongside freerider Arnie Lammers, former Dutch National Freeride Champion, and Elias Ejderhamn, a photographer based in Chamonix, the crew packed their gear and set off before dawn. Their destination was the small resort of Limone Piemonte, with plans to continue further into the mountains if the forecast delivered.
What followed was a classic storm chasing mission. Deep snow, heavy conditions, changing plans and the constant need to adapt to whatever the mountains gave them.
We caught up with Johan and Elias to talk about the trip.
What inspired this trip, and what was it about the forecast that made you want to go?
Johan: After another day skiing the pistes on Flégère in Chamonix I sat down at an après bar with Arnie talking about the conditions. It had been an unusually dry December and we had not had a single day skiing soft deep snow yet.
We checked the forecast and saw a Retour d’Est storm coming into the Piemonte region in the southern Italian Alps, with meters of snow predicted over the next few days around Christmas.
The idea came instantly. Why stay here waiting for snow when we could just chase it where it was already falling?
It is about a four hour drive through the Mont Blanc Tunnel so we figured we could celebrate Christmas in the Italian Alps instead, hopefully in powder. We went home, packed our gear and set alarms for a five in the morning start the next day.
Elias: December had been completely dry in Chamonix and there was a real feeling of powder withdrawal around town.
Two nights before Christmas I came home and Johan and Arnie were already there laughing, planning and packing. Johan pulled me aside and told me quietly not to mention it in front of my girlfriend. He said they were chasing powder in Italy for a few days and the forecast looked crazy.
Last year I left Chamonix for Christmas right before the biggest storm of the season arrived and I regretted it all winter. So I apologised to my girlfriend and packed my bags within a few hours.
Who were you travelling with, and how did the trip feel when you first set off?
Johan: Arnie and I first had the idea and then we invited Elias to come along and shoot photos.
The three of us left early the morning before Christmas and drove south towards the small town of Limone Piemonte in Italy. None of us had been there before and it is actually one of the southernmost ski resorts in Europe.
When we came out of the Mont Blanc Tunnel and saw it snowing on the Italian side we got really stoked. The further south we drove the more snow we saw.
By the time we arrived Limone was completely buried. We had not seen anything like it all season.
Elias: A few hours later we were driving through the tunnels of the Aosta Valley heading towards Piemonte. The car smelled like energy drinks, ski boots and excitement and it was packed.
The crew dynamic was pretty funny too. Johan is probably the chargiest skier I have ever met. He skis with endless energy.
Arnie is a former Dutch national freeride champion and knows quite a few people around that region so he was our semi local connection.
And then there was me, a powder hungry photographer who secretly just wants to throw my camera in the snow and send a backflip.
When you think back on the trip now, what moment stands out the most?
Johan: One moment that stands out is arriving at the lifts one morning and finding them closed with no clear answer on when they would open.
So we put skins on and started walking. We were there to work and we were there to ski powder so we were going to find a way.
Halfway up the piste we suddenly saw the gondola start running. We ripped the skins off again and skied back down to catch it.
Sitting in the gondola looking out through the fog trying to spot lines under the lift was a special feeling. It was the first time that winter with that level of excitement again.
We also did not know the terrain at all which made it even better.
Elias: For me the strongest memory is the uncertainty. It is rare that we go somewhere where we do not know the mountains and do not really have local knowledge.
The visibility was poor and everything felt a bit dreamlike.
The first day was difficult. The snow got heavy very quickly and it was hard to ski. The faces we had scouted on the way up had melted away by the time we came down.
That evening we sat in the hotel room with Italian beers looking at maps, forecasts and avalanche reports trying to figure out the next move.
Eventually we split up. Arnie went to Prali and Johan and I drove to Sestriere looking for higher elevation and colder snow.
What did you expect the conditions to be like, and how did they compare once you arrived?
Johan: The night before I was imagining bottomless powder, bouncing over pillows and skiing through trees.
But when we arrived we realised the snow was heavier than ideal. So we had to adapt and focus on what we could do with the conditions we had.
Elias: We expected huge amounts of snow and we definitely got that, but the weather behaved strangely. Clouds got trapped in the Sestriere valley instead of moving across the mountains.
Some of the lifts we wanted to take were closed so it took time to reach the terrain we wanted.
But once we got there it felt incredible. There were almost no freeriders around, mostly piste skiers, so the forests were almost untouched.
Later in the day the weather cleared and we ended up having some of the best skiing of the season.
With avalanche risk high and so much terrain closed, how did you decide where to ride?
Johan: In Limone we were skiing low angle terrain so avalanche risk was not a big concern.
When we moved to Sestriere things changed. On the first run right under the lift I triggered a small slab on a convex section of the slope.
That was a wake up call.
With so much fresh snow sitting on top of a weak layer we had to be very cautious. We stayed in the trees on short runs that were not very steep and where the consequences would be small if something slid.
Instead of thinking a slope will never avalanche I always ask what would happen if it did.
If the slope flattens quickly and the avalanche cannot build into something large then the risk can be manageable.
Elias: The first thing that happened when we got off our first lift that day was skiing behind the lift on a convex roll and instantly setting off a slab under the lift.
It was a strong reminder of how sensitive the snowpack was.
After that we avoided convex slopes completely and stayed away from anything too steep. We also avoided open powder fields and focused on ridges and cliffs where there were good outruns.
Where did you end up finding the best riding?
Johan: Because the conditions were unstable we stayed close to the lifts.
The best line was between two pistes, a small spine that ended in a pretty big cliff.
That was definitely the line of the day and we came back the next day to hit it again and throw some 360s off it.
How did the heavy snow and low visibility change the way you rode?
Johan: The snow was heavy so our focus shifted more towards getting good photos in the trees.
It was difficult to ski long lines because the snow was slow and we stayed away from anything steep.
For many shots I skied straight down trying to build enough speed to make one strong turn exactly where Elias wanted it.
Elias: Heavy snow like that can also be tough on knees and ligaments so we had to think about how we rode.
We started looking more for jumps and terrain features instead of focusing purely on powder turns.
What was it like trying to film in those conditions?
Johan: Looking back many of the shots look quite similar. I wish I could have skied faster or added more style but the snow simply did not allow it.
So we focused more on getting strong photos.
Elias: Filming in wet snow is challenging. Moisture gets everywhere and sometimes the viewfinder becomes impossible to see through.
You have to dry everything carefully overnight.
You also need to move quickly because conditions change fast. You cannot spend hours setting up a shot so you adapt as you go.
Looking back now, what did this trip remind you about chasing snow?
Johan: In the end skiing is always about the people around you. Good conditions are a bonus but with the right crew you will always have a great time.
Even though we did not ski the lines we originally imagined I still think we captured the feeling of stoke and friendship that freeriding is all about.
Elias: For me it is about the excitement of chasing.
Sometimes you leave everything behind for the chance of something incredible. Even if it does not turn out exactly how you imagined, the experience of going after it is what skiing is really about.
Follow the crew: Johan Malmbeck, Elias Ejderhamn, Arnie Lammers
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