The Best Runs for Improving Your Carving
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For this article, we’ve teamed up with IGLU Ski, who are the largest ski travel agency in the UK, offering a huge selection of ski holidays in 140 ski resorts. Their team of avid skiers have handpicked some of the best slopes in the world to practice your carving technique and improve your Ski:IQ™.
So you’ve bought Carv and you’re now probably wondering where the best place is to test out your new kit. Truth be told, it will largely depend on your level of skiing and which runs you feel most comfortable on. But even for advanced skiers, using Carv on an open blue or red will allow you to really focus on the feedback you’re receiving without gaining too much speed and sacrificing control.
We’ve picked out some of our favourite runs from across Europe and the US, so if you do find yourself in one of these resorts make sure to check them out!
Corvara - Piste Boè
The Dolomiti Super Ski Area is one of the largest in Europe and is particularly well suited to beginner and intermediate skiers. Plenty of wide-open blues and reds will mean you're spoilt for choice when it comes to practising your carving. If you're feeling brave, there are two World Cup Racing pistes, the Saslong in Val Gardena and the Gran Risa in Alta Badia. These steep black runs will add an extra challenge, ensuring you really are skiing with the best technique.
Our favourite run for carving practice would have to be the Piste Boè, a red run from the top of the Boè bubble car leaving from the centre of Corvara village. The 2.5km red run back into Corvara is open and has plenty of points to safely review what you've been working on or catch your breath ;-). It's perfect for practising those drills and improving your technique. Just try not to get too distracted by the stunning cliffs of the Dolomites while you are skiing!
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Zermatt - Schusspiste & Stafelalp
For those who haven’t been, Zermatt is a stunning chocolate box resort and a popular bucket-list destination for skiers. The resort boasts the highest lift in Europe and is home to the world's most photographed mountain, The Matterhorn (see above!)
The best way to start your skiing day is to hop on the Gornergrat mountain railway which takes you up the mountain with sensational views of the Matterhorn! From the top station, you have some blue and red runs that are perfect for practising your carving. You’ll ski past Zermatt’s igloo village and several high-end mountain restaurants, great places to stop for lunch.
Your day would not be complete without taking the cable car up to the Glacier and carving your way down the Schusspiste before taking the Stafelalp run right under the Matterhorn. Hopefully the stunning views won’t distract you too much from your Carv training tips. We bet you can't complete the run without stopping to take a picture at least once!
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Alpe d'Huez - La Sarenne
Known as the sunshine state of the alps thanks to its south-facing aspect and notoriously sunny weather, Alpe d’Huez is a favourite amongst many.
It's a resort with plenty of blues and reds to keep you busy, but there is more to Alpe d’Huez than the cruisy blues. Alpe d’Huez boasts the epic 16km summit-to-valley Sarenne run, which will keep intermediate/advanced skiers occupied for days.
Located at the top of the Pic Blanc (don't forget to stop and admire the view!), the steepest part is right at the top, but once you have conquered that the rest is plain sailing, where you can practise your carving on the wide-open piste. Located at the bottom is a mountain restaurant where you can rest the legs and top up those energy levels!
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Val Thorens - Jerusalem
There are so many great runs to choose from in the 3 Valleys area, but one of our favourites for practising your carving would have to be Jerusalem. Just down the valley from Val Thorens, above the small village of St Martin de Belleville, you will find Jerusalem, and due to its location slightly further away from the main area, it’s always quiet, so you don’t have to worry about anyone getting in your way while you work on your turns.
The piste has great views over the valley, loads of fun rollers, and is always perfectly groomed. It is definitely worth finding this run if you are in the 3 Valleys!
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Whistler - Ridge Runner
If you’re lucky enough to be skiing in Whistler and are looking to improve your carving, we couldn’t recommend Ridge Runner more as the perfect piste to really nail that technique. On the west side of Blackcomb, you’ll find this wide blue run that winds its way through the trees.
Catch it early in the morning when it’s freshly groomed, or head over in the afternoon when the setting sun will cut through the trees, making for a wonderful vista.
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Written by: Iglu Ski
The Largest Ski Travel Agency in the UK
Iglu Ski is an independent, UK-based ski travel agency offering ski deals to over 140 ski resorts worldwide. As the UK's biggest ski travel agency, their team of 40 have over 17,000 ski days between them.
To find your next skiing holiday, head to www.igluski.com.