ANNA HENLY
MY TOP FIVE
Ski Club rep Anna Henly reveals her favourite ski resorts for getting out of your comfort zone
1. Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Canada
Because I believe black diamonds are a girl’s best friend! It boasts 1,300m of vertical, all deliciously steep, gnarly, powdery and bumpy. You'll be begging to stand in a non-existent lift queue just to give your quads a chance to recover. And where better to relax than over lunch at Canada’s highest dining experience, the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant. There isn’t any nightlife, but you want to get an early night; if there’s a dump overnight the locals get a day’s holiday and will be queueing at 7 am. My favourite spot is TerminatorRidge. Load your skis onto your pack and, once your heart rate has steadied after the climb, you’re faced with three couloirs: Truth, Dare and Consequence...
2. Verbier, Switzerland
Boasting one of the largest lift-linked areas in the world, ‘Verbs’ has awesome terrain for experts, and I repped here for the Ski Club for two years. I was desperate to hit the monster black Mont Fort bumps – when I finally slithered down them they were icy and the size of cars. I loved coaxing nervous intermediates down the Chassoure-Tortin on an ‘easy’ day; it takes you down a steep, often heavily mogulled face. My Ski Club group at New Year was in the first cable car up Mont Gelé and the itinerary routes down seemed pure wilderness. The terrain on Verbier’s doorstep has given rise to thrilling spectator events, from the Xtreme Verbier to the Verbier High Five.
3. Tignes, France
This was the resort I chose to reside in 30 years ago as a ski bum, and I’ve enjoyed some of my lightest, bounciest skiing on the Grande Motte glacier at 3,450m. Tignes is linked to Val d’Isère, covering 300km of pistes, with an endless amount of technical terrain. There are some fantastic itinerary routes through the Vanoise National Park. In 1992, I was witness to the athletes hurtling down the north-facing, black-rated La Face run during the men’s downhill event at the Albertville Winter Olympics. Sharpen your edges – and bring your A-game – before skiing this run on an icy day.
4. Chamonix, France
My first trip here was to climb Mont Blanc, which towers above the village. The resort started to attract tourists in the Victorian era, hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924, and still has a historic charm – as well as plenty of gnarly and technical skiing. Chamonix is divided into five ski areas, all linked by bus, but travelling between resorts can be time-consuming, so experts base themselves at Argentière, which offers easy access to its legendary glacier skiing, such as the scenic 20km Vallée Blanche off-piste run. The area attracts ski tourers who flock here to start the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route in spring: a fabulous but demanding ski tour, staying in mountain huts along the way. Former Ski Club mountain guide Nigel Shepherd led my group two years ago
5. La Grave, France
I finally made it to this resort last winter, repping on the Ski Club’s ‘La Grave off-piste’ week. It did not disappoint. Overlooked by the awe-inspiring La Meije mountain, it has a single two-stage gondola up to its spectacular glacial terrain at 3,600m, where you’re faced with an incredible 2,300m of vertical drop. This gives the impression of a thrilling drop off the top of the mountain down to the rustic hamlet below. The terrain is unpisted and unsecured below 3,200m, which means there are more mountain guides than regular skiers in the lift queue. Expect everything from bouncy powder to rock-hopping to get back to the lift in time for another run. While a car is an asset for access to nearby resorts, you’ll need touring skis and fitness to make the most of the surrounding wilderness
Anna Henly Factfile
Anna made her first turns... at the age of 13 in Pamporovo, Bulgaria.
She passed the SCGB Mountain Safety and Leadership course... in 2008 and will be repping the La Grave off-piste week from 20 to 27 February 2021.
Her favourite skiing... has been in Vail in the USA, where she discovered yoga and the outdoor swimming pool at the East Vail Racket Club – after a perfect day spent skiing powder in the back bowls and the best mogul run in the world, Highline.
Her favourite après spot is... bed!
Her tipple of choice is... a Gili-Gili (warm pear rum, spices and whipped cream) at Bergrestaurant, Zermatt.
Her top tip is... do as much fitness training (swim, bike, run, yoga) as you can before you hit the slopes so you can ski the first to the last lift
