no hiking just riding
Just be like Hans!
each day we ride different zones
we'll give you some energy safing tips
Off piste snowboarding accessed by lift is a luxury. Snowboarding off piste in the Arlberg with the Black Sheep is like being a kid in the candy store! The Arlberg is known for its large quantities of powder and its variety in off piste routes. You can jump off the chair and can get yourself into the most versatile off piste terrain you want to get as a snowboarder. The Arlberg is known for its tree runs, flowy meadows, and big mountain runs. We have had many international guests, and professional athletes before that have been snowboarding all over the world. Riding with the Black Sheep in the Arlberg has been a highlight for them.
Together with your private freeride guide, you get to choose the best and most fun runs in St Anton that are safe and fit your type of snowboarding. Going off-piste is a risky business; you can minimalize the risk with a professional Black Sheep guide. Safety and route knowledge is even more critical for snowboarders than for skiers because we are less mobile. Some people say skiing is a better tool, and we know that! For us, it is not just a tool, but it is about the pleasure we get from freeriding in deep powder.
As a snowboarder, we have to plan our route even further ahead, choose the terrain accordingly and keep momentum. That’s why we get to hear so many times that it is so much more fun to snowboard with a professional snowboard guide. You will be surprised with the excellent snow we will find for you even after a long drought.
Let me know what you want. Everybody has their own wishes and ideas; I am here to make it happen! Below are just a few ideas to help you out.
3 hours of freeriding
1 person
each additional person €30,-
airbag with shovel, probe and transceiver 40,- per set*
6 hours of freeriding
1 person
each additional person €40,-
airbag with shovel, probe and transceiver 40,- per set*
6 hours of freeriding
1 person
each additional person €40,-
airbag with shovel, probe and transceiver 15,- per set*
travel expenses guide additional
lift-ticket guide additional
*shovel, probe and transceiver is minimum safety equipment. A helmet is strongly recommended!
Safety is our highest priority. Before you can ride off piste, you need to be trained accordingly. We teach you how to work with a transceiver, a probe and a shovel. The minimum time we need for this training is 10 minutes. Generally depending on group size, you can do a proper done training in the safety area of Rendl within 20 minutes.
During a regular day we will brief you in the morning about the current Avalanche bulletin and teach you how to interpret these signs we get from the snow deck, wind, temperatures and observations from previous events. There are many factors that influence our decisions, we take you along in our decisions and teach you how to move strategically and safely in and out of the off piste.
Would you like to learn even more about the cohesion of snow layers? We regularly dig snow profiles and keep track of them; we can show you how this works teach you how to do compression tests. This is a perfect way to spend time when the weather is not so great for example.
Off the lift freeriding in the Arlberg is very popular within reason. Arlberg has a fantastic network of lifts and infrastructure that make it possible to make many good runs in a day. To enjoy the unridden powder you have to be one step ahead of the herds.
We know exactly where we need to go, at what time and which part of the season to let you ride the best snow for your bucks. This is a massive advantage; these are tactics that give us the best chances of riding the best snow. This knowledge comes after of years snowboarding in the Arlberg.
A snowboard used to have a nose and a tail and a twin-ish shape for a long time. Finally, the snowboard industry has realized that these freestyle inspired boards are kind of tame. The characteristics weren’t optimized for snowboarding off piste and deep snow. Some of these alternative freeride shapes also work well on the pistes. Some people used to call these alternative shapes "Learn to ride" powder snowboards.
Our snowboardschool is working closely with Jones snowboards to develop these surf-inspired and powder- shapes. For a lot of snowboarders, these shapes have considerable benefits to float better in powder snow so you can stay fit throughout the day. Your back leg is relieved from carrying all the weight. It will make turning a little different than what you are used to, but you will be sold from the first moment.
You can bring your alternative freeride snowboard, or we bring you one of our Jones Quiver. We can learn how to relocate your weight and adjust your snowboard technique onto these great shapes.
We also teach no-boarding (a snowboard without bindings) and bring you to where the snow is deep enough. No- boarding is only possible when the snow is really really deep.
While a helmet and specialized off-piste insurance are highly recommended, a complete avalanche safety kit (transceiver, probe, and shovel) is mandatory for all freeriding in the Arlberg. We also strongly advise using an avalanche airbag for your day in the backcountry.
We can provide you with all the necessary professional-grade safety gear. Please let us know in advance if you would like to rent equipment with us so we can have it ready for your session.
We meet at 08:45 AM for a mandatory safety briefing and avalanche transceiver check. Before heading into the deep Arlberg backcountry, we always start with a warm-up run. This allows your guide to assess the group's off-piste technique and riding style.
Based on this first run, we customize a freeride itinerary for the day, selecting the best powder zones and lines throughout the Arlberg region that match your skill level to maximize your stoke. We usually enjoy a lunch break at a traditional mountain hut and wrap up our off-piste adventure between 15:30 and 16:00.
Safety and expertise are non-negotiable. We work exclusively with Austrian qualified Level 3 "Snowboardführer"—the highest level of snowboard guiding certification in the country.
This means your guide has undergone rigorous training in alpine safety, avalanche science, and high-alpine terrain management. When you ride with Black Sheep, you are riding with the elite of the Austrian snowboard industry.
