Introduction

We spend most of our winter weekend in Flims skiing. The kids are training with the skiclub while we enjoy as much freeriding as possible. Here is a bit of breakdown and guide to some easy access rides in Flims. One thing to note is that Flims-Laax-Falera is an area which offers most freeriding in-bounds (i.e. withing the system) with very little effort of access!

Word of caution

While most of the runs in Flims are fairly short and not so steep there are several other factors at play such as sun, temprature, etc.. Over the seasons I’ve seen quite a few avalanches, both spontanously triggers and by people. Even small faces will trigger and they carry a lot of snow. I’ve tried to write a notice on most runs where I think it is appropriate. If you don’t have the experience and the education, rent a guide!

Overview of the runs

Here is an overview of all the runs. The text has been split in sections depending on which lift you start from.

Offpiste skiing

Here are some pointers to what I would expect if you ski with me.

Basics

• Never ski alone
• Read the avalance bullentin
• While you should always carry a shovel, probe and transciever you also must know how to use them. There is an avalance training center at Plaun - use it.
• Before starting the day, make sure everybody has their transcievers switched on
• Check you batteries before leaving your house/apartment
• Drink a lot of water during the day (keeps your head clear)
• Carry a map and know how to navigate!

Recommended

• Rent a guide and spend a couple of days in the mountain with the guide
• Learn how to navigate and read the mountain
• Learn how the weather affects the conditions (wind, sun, temprature)
• Learn how to be efficent when searching

The gadgets are good but they are no replacement for a clear head and a cautious mind!

Note:Unless certified, don’t educated others. Recommend an education.

Besides water I always pack the following items (from left to right):

• Stuff to sit on, nice when you take a break
• Probe
• Shovel (steel), plastic/alu are too weak to dig in avalanche debris
• Transciever
• Extra googles
• Extra pair of gloves
• First aid kid
• Steel wire
• Gaffa Tape
• Lethermen/Multitool - things break, this has been a life saver many times
• Knife

La Siala

Number of options available directly by the exit from the gondola.

West 1

Go west along the transport piste. Drop in skiers left after about 100-200m before at the apex of the transport “turn”. Before the cross section between the real piste and the transport further of to Vorab. The first two thirds of the run is straight on but before the last steeper portion beware of two small cliffs/rocks coming out. They can be hard to see because of the concave surface. Once you know where they are you can charge the whole face in one go and. You can also hold skiers left (toward the gondola) and navigate through the rocky portion, here the rocks protude higher above ground and you ride through them.

Skiers left gets fairly tracked while the “main” keeps being in good condition for a while. Take care about weather changes, esp. sun exposure later in the season. Can become both crusty and risk of avalanches (esp. in the “main” run).

Fairly long home-run back to La Siala gondola or any other lift.

West 2 - Power Grid

Go west along the transport piste all the way to the junction between the real piste and the continuation of the transport to Vorab. Hit the hiking trail (it carries a ‘forbidden to ski’ sign). The hiking trail is a prepared/groomed trail and you should show respect for anybody hiking there. Take some speed and when it drops keep left. You should now be about 100-200m from the powergrid pylon. From here and up to the pylon you can drop in anywhere. The beginning is a bit step, but not for long before it flattens out and you have quite a nice run. Don’t be intimidated by the drop-in, experienced skiers - go for it, it’s fun!

Continue past the Power Grid and you can ski the ridge on the other side of the little bowl or drop in the bowl.

The steep pre-power grid face is not skied very much, probably because the intimidating drop-in. While the post-power grid ‘bowl’ gets tracked quite quickly.

Same homerun as for West 1.

East 1

Go east along the piste. Keep skiers left. Exit the piste before it gets steep. Traverse around to the left. Point your skies downward. Be sure to hold up skiers right when the run flattens out unless you want to pole yourself back.

Average steepness, snow conditions are good (east facing) gets fairly tracked - there are no real obstacles anywhere and the run is more or less visible all the time you ski (no hidden dangers).

Can be combined with Grauberg

East 2

Go east along the piste towards Nagens/Grauberg. The piste becomes step before going uphill and becomes a flat transport. Somewhere before the middle of the transport exit skiers left and ski down. There is a smaller cliff band a bit down (you can’t see it from above) - unless you want to fly over hit (not recommended) you need to find the holes. There are several and they are quite big but I would recommend a bit of caution after a 200-300m of skiing. Once through the cliff band you keep skiers right and follow the tracks out. Coming out just above Grauberg.

Can be combined with Grauberg

East 3 - The Moutta Bowl

Go east along the right hand side of the pist for a little bit when the piste becomes steeper step out and start traversing. Your aim is above the flat transport (See East 2) and the far end of the transport. When you pass the thick metal wire just continue a bit more and then find a good spot. Take off your skies and boot pack the 20-30m up to the ridge above you. The ridge is normally clear from snow and you can continue up (back) on the ridge for a little bit. The bowl is to your left when you face upwards - you can’t miss it. Ski it however you like.

Perfect January/February or directly after snowfall in Spring. Do NOT ski this after a few days of sunshine in March/April. The steep ridges on the right handside of the bowl are known to release due to sun exposure.

Once down you can either go skiers left towards Nagens or down to La Siala

Grauberg

The Grauberg gondola offers a few runs and is also one of the entry points for some easy skinning runs. The runs from Grauberg can be combined with the East runs from La Siala.

Under the Gondola

Take the piste to the Segnes hut. Take aim at the Gondola pylon when you are standing next to the hut. Ski up to the base of the pylon. Now - facing south - you will see the face. Ski down the face and over the froozen lake at the bottom. Follow the Gondola. Across the lake you take the forest trail down. There is only one exit on this one so just continue.

Be aware - this face can slide! As it is south facing and below 2000m it gets pretty exposed during spring.

Homerun back to Flims base station.

The Long Field

Take the piste and just after the sharp 180 degree turn (in the beginning) you should exit the piste and ski down towards the lake. DO NOT pass the gondol station. Ski down and keep left - take it easy here, it is fairly steep. Once you get a good clean view of the run and the lake you just take speed and go over the lake in a straight line. The ‘lake’ is 20cm deep and froozen - don’t worry. Once on the other side you aim at the boulders. Take off your skies and boot pack for about 100m between the boulder before you put them on again. Now you have a quite long traverse ahead of you. You need to keep altitude and you should pass the ravine on your right. Once done you can take aim on one of the small higher plateaus/ridges. Ski it down. When you the pist junction, keep skiers left. Take an almost 90 degree turn out on the field. Ski the field. At this point you have the piste on your right to guide you. At the end, aim for the piste and follow it. You have to cross the bridge over the ravine at the end. Don’t cross the little ditch/stream on your left - it’s a good marker. Keep skiers right of it.

Note: On the first traverse (after the lake and bootpacking) there is avalanche danger from above. You should not do this if the face has been sunexposed for several days or in mixed temprature conditions.

Homerun back to Flims base station

The Short Field

This is the bottom part of the ‘Long Field’. It’s a fun playfield in fresh snow conditions or spring snow. If you take the piste down from Segnes you will (a while after the hut) cross a bridge. The piste makes a small junction here - keep left on to the trail looking piste. After 50m you will come on the transport from Naraus. Where you have another junction. Cross over and directly aim skiers left off the piste. Traverse a bit, 50-100m up on the first or second ridge. Ski down. Don’t cross the ditch/stream on your left (small tree line) and at the keep skiers right and aim for the piste. You need to get on the bridge (where the piste ends) to get over the big Ravine in the bottom.

Note:This field is fairly low and sunexposed. There is no risk of avalanches. But you can get crust. Best skied in afternoon spring after the apres-ski at Segnas!

Homerun back to Flims base station.

Nagens

As a basepoint Nagens don’t really that many options. But there is one really good run from Nagens.

Calanda Run

This run probably has a different name, but we named it when we did it the first time after going up to Nagens in a Calanda beer dressed gondola.

From Nagens, under the Gondola, keep skiers left. Traverse under the small childrens lift, it’s about 200m. You should now be on the edge of the first part of this run. Ski down and keep gently to the left. You want to hit the opposite ridge. If you have decent with speed take some height on the ridge and go around it. Now traverse a bit more - the longer the better. Drop in anytime you want. Keep on the ridges (there are two) if the snowpack is sketchy.

Once out of the face keep right and either cross over the ravine before it starts or through it in the beginning. There are usually tracks here as this is a popular run.

Note: Before dropping there is a steep cliff-wall marking the end of the face. This steep portion is known to release from time to time.

Homerun back to Flims base station

Crop Masegn

From Crop there are many places you can go. Here are some easy to distill highlights.

North Face - Ridge

The north facing ridge in the eastern direction (towards Crap Sogn Gion) is a fun place. You can drop in a multiple point depending on where you want to exit. The snow here normally is fine very long after snowfall. The ridge provides sufficent shade and the face is one of the few facing north.

You take the hiking trail towards Crap Sogn Gion - this is prepared/groomed hiking trail - show respect for people walking there. I usually ski just beside the hiking trail and keep my distance.

There are several points where you can exist. You should traverse further than you think. Unless you aim for the Fuorcla gondola I suggest you traverse a bit and keep skiers right when you get down. This will bring to the field which leads towards Plaun.

From the North 1 exit you will come up on a ridge after the first section. Traverse skiers right from this until you hit the transport between Alp Dado and Fuorcla. Alternatively you can hold up to skiers right a bit from the mid section which will give you a better entrence to the second section.

From the North 2 exit you will hit the transport between Alp Data and Fuorcla. Just pass this and you are good on the second section.

When skiing the second section you have multiple choices, either keep going just in the fall line or hold up a bit. There is a small ‘bowl’ at the end you will either exit on the skiers left side of it (ski through it - fun ending of this section) or at the skiers right side (if you keep to skiers right a bit). The section ends in the pist to Plaun either way.

Note:The snow conditions are good. I am not aware of any avalanches on the north side.

Homerun to Plaun.

South Face - Ridge

Again follow the hiking trail. Between North 1 and North 2 drop in skiers right (south) follow all the way to the bottom. This is a great run in fresh snow conditions or in spring slush (afternoon in March/April). I generally keep up a bit to the skiers left hitting the lower part of the piste between Alp Dado and Treis Palas - but you can keep skiers right directly in the fall line and hit the piste from Crap Masegn to Alp Dado as well.

Note:Don’t blindly follow the trail directly from Crap Maseng (close to the piste). A lot of people does that and it gets tracked very hard. Not many take the hiking trail first - keeps it fresh longer.

Homerun to Treis Palas.

Treis Palas Ridge

Follow the marked trail south. The junction is just when the pistes to Lavindas and Treis Palas split directly at the south of the Gondol station. Look in between these pistes. There is a marked trail there - follow it. Take speed until the trail makes a sharp right hand corner behind the first ridge - about 500m (perhaps longer). Cross over to the ridge just ahead of you. Either drop early or from the top of it. It’s a short run but steep and nice. The snow keeps decently good. Beginners can drop before crossing over toi the second ridge.

You will end up just at the foot of the Treis Palas chair lift.

Note:I have never seen this face release but I suspect it could. Be careful or drop-in early.

Falera

Start with the Treis Palas Ridge, but don’t drop in on the second ridge instead cross over it (or just behind - skiers right). Follow the ridge down to the forest. This part is marked on the ski-map as an ongroomed off-piste trail. However, once in the trees and you have skied the face after the first farm you MUST hit the road and the bridge back to the Falera side. Otherwise you’ll have a long walk back.

Disclaimer, I have not yet skied this run. But I have hiked it in the summer. It looks quite fun!

Note:Snow conditions will vary. Starting fairly high with good conditions going low altitude on a southface with probably crust or slush. Take care on the second section (steep face in the woods) I suspect it could release. Just grass under.

Homerun via the sledging trail to Falera.

Vorab (peak)

Vorab offers quite a few options. I have choosen to highlight thoose that don’t require a higher skill-level. That’s why the backside is not at all covered. Here I have also not marked the runs which are avalanche prone. I have seen several avalanches on the south / south-west faces in this area and I would recommend caution if you venture them.

Towards Fuorcla

From the Vorab peak you take the piste and keep skiers right up to the saddle. This is the entrence of the black slope. It’s a great slope if you want to ski a good groomer. However, at the saddle your start traverse skiers left until you cross over the ridge on your left hand side. Once on top of the ridge you can basically choose your path as you like. It is also possible to hike to the peak (from the start of the traverse) as this is a marked off-piste run.

Note:Even if this face is pretty high up and facing more or less east it is heavily sun bathed and can get a nasty crust.

Homerun to Fuorcla or La Siala.