Press trip winter 16/17 , freeride paradise

Option A : Val d’, Verbier Dates: Wednesday 29th March to Sunday 2nd April 2017

Topics: Freeride terrain in Valais, Verbier Xtreme Freeride World Tour

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION

Valais winter magic Winter in the canton of Valais is like no other – a paradise between heaven and earth. The majestic four-thousand-metre peaks not only create an impressive panorama, they also provide a unique setting in which to experience winter sports. Valais – which is nestled in the midst of 45 four-thousanders – is home to the highest ski areas in , thus offering guaranteed snow cover. Skiers and snowboarders have more than 2,400km of pistes to choose from. And sheer, unadulterated winter fun is also waiting to be had off-piste. Snowshoe trekking through high-alpine landscapes and daring descents in the powder snow create a real sense of freedom. An idyllic hike through snow-clad woods, like sledging fun with all the family, is a great way to recharge your batteries.

If you love winter, you’ll love Valais!

Val d’Anniviers Surrounded by peaks higher than 4,000 m, the Val d’Anniviers is an Alpine valley linking Sierre with the resorts of St-Luc, Chandolin, Zinal, Grimentz and Vercorin. Infinite slopes open up before you – an expanse of ski pistes and freeride zones against an incomparable high Alpine backdrop, in 3 skiing areas accessible with 1 skipass.

Possibile interviews in Val d’Anniviers* - Pasco Zufferey, director of the Anniviers mountain guides’ office - Jean-Christophe Crettaz, security chief of the Grimentz-Zinal ski area.

Verbier An internationally renowned Alpine resort, Verbier has everything it takes for a winter of sheer energy. The region is linked to the 4 Vallées, the largest ski area in Switzerland. A cable car leads to summit of (3330m) with magnificent views to the , and , offering everything it takes to delight skiers and snowboarders of all levels as well as freeriders who let it all out on routes that are famous all over the world. But the joys of snow extend to a multitude of other activities in the heart of nature: hikes on snow shoes or on foot, back country skiing, heli-skiing, cross-country skiing and even one of the longest bobsled runs in Switzerland at for a fun moment with friends or family.

Possible interviews in Verbier* - Lionel May, mountain guide and president of the Verbier mountain guides’ association - Nicolas Hale-Woods, founder of the Swatch Xtreme Verbier - Carl Renvall, Yann Rausis or Léo Slemett, professional skiers competing on the Freeride World Tour and members of the Verbier Freeride Association - Dominique Perret, co-founder International Snow Training Academy (ISTA)

*Interviews can be organised according to journalists’ interest and availability of the speakers.

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION

th Wednesday 29 March 2017 – Hello Valais!

16:00 Arrival in Val d’Anniviers. Check in at your hotel. to 18:00 Hotel Europe CH-3961 Zinal Tel. +41 27 475 44 04 www.europezinal.ch

18:00 Meet with Benoît Caloz (+41 79 265 87 37) from Sierre-Anniviers Marketing in the hotel lobby. Rental of the freeride ski equipment for the following day.

19:00 Welcome drink, tasting of local beers and presentation of the freeride offer in the Val d’Anniviers : - Freeride Zone "Garde de Bordon" Zinal - Mammut Avalanche Training Center Zinal - Freeride Weeks : 5 nights, 4 day of skiing with a mountain guide http://www.sierre-anniviers-booking.com/tourism/freeride-weeks.html

19:30 Raclette evening in Zinal

Overnight in Zinal, Val d’Anniviers

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION

th Thursday 30 March 2017 – Freeride in Val d’Anniviers

7:30 Breakfast at your hotel

8:30 Meet with your mountain guide in the hotel lobby.

9:00 Discovery of the freeride zone in Zinal (Sorebois sector) : The “Gardes de Bordon” freeride area has at least 100 hectares of non- signposted pistes. Made up of steep slopes and vertiginous walls, it is entirely dedicated to extreme skiers and snowboarders. At an altitude of between 2400 and 3000 m, it delights powder enthusiasts and aficionados of wide open virgin snow slopes. This freeride area is not safeguarded, and is therefore only opened at the stage of the season when the risk of avalanches is less than “3”.

Freeride zone in Zinal : http://www.rma.ch/tourism/grimentz-zinal-freeride- area-65.html

12:30 Lunch at La Buvette de La Marmotte on Zinal ski area

15:30 After-ski in Grimentz

17:00 Tasting of the Glacier wine, the « sherry » of the Valais Glacier wine has originated in the Val d´Anniviers, a valley south of Sierre/Siders. The traditional blending method consisted in earlier times of 90% Rèze wine and 10% Humagne Blanc, Ermitage, Petite Arvine and Malvoisie. Nowadays glacier wine is produced mainly from Ermitage. As far as the oxidation process is concerned, the wine is usually aged for 10 to 15 years in a series of larch-wood barrels. Grimentz glacier wine is a legend that can only be tasted in Grimentz village wine cellars. The story behind glacier wine is extremely simple: the casks are never completely emptied and each year new wine is added. The oldest drops can be over 125 years old!

Glacier wine : http://www.valdanniviers.ch/tourism/glacier.html

18:00 Transfer to Zinal by car (15 minutes)

19:30 Dinner at Restaurant de La Poste in Zinal

21:00 After at E Vox Bar in Zinal

Overnight in Zinal, Val d’Anniviers

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION

st Friday 31 March 2017 – Mountain recognition day

7:00 Breakfast at your hotel and check-out

7:30 Transfer by minibus to Verbier (1h30)

9:00 Arrival in Verbier. Check-in at your hotel.

Hotel to be confirmed later on

9:30 Meet with your mountain guide in the hotel lobby. Freeride ski rental.

10:00 Introduction to freeride skiing in Verbier/4Vallées ski area

12:30 Lunch at a mountain restaurant (depending of the ski itinerary)

13:30- Bec des Rosses Face inspection with the riders at Col des Gentianes. 15:30 Possible interviews with organizers, riders, judges and security crew members (on request).

Freeride World Tour : www.freerideworldtour.com

16:00 Back to Verbier.

16:30 Welcome drink & presentations on Freeride topics (place to be defined) :

- Verbier : off-piste secured itineraries, DVA Park La Chaux, Heliskiing presented by Vincent Riba, Communication manager at Verbier Promotion (20 min). www.verbier.ch - International Snow Training Academy (ISTA) presentated by Dominique Perret, co-founder of the ISTA (to be confirmed) (20 min). www.ista.com - WhiteFrontier brewery, official partner of the Xtreme Verbier, presented by Nicolas Roberti, CEO & Owner, and Xavier de Le Rue Freeride world champion, co-founder (20 min). www.whitefrontier.ch

17:30 Tasting of the WhiteFrontier beers

18:00 Free time

18:30- Opening ceremony of the Xtreme Verbier at village (main stage on Rue de 19:00 Médran).

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION

20:00 Media dinner organized by the Freeride World Tour at Restaurant Le Carrefour

Overnight in Verbier

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION

st Saturday 1 April 2017 – Verbier Xtreme competition

07:00 Breakfast

07:30 Meeting at Médran lift

09:00- Swatch Freeride World Tour at Bec des Rosses 13:00 Public zone at Col des Gentianes Access to guest zone (accreditation requested) – Col des Gentianes Live competition on giant screen – Rue de Médran

12:00 Lunch at Col des Gentianes – Guest zone

13:00- Flower Ceremony at contest site. Possible interviews with riders. 14:00

14:00 Possibility to discover Verbier/4 Vallées ski area and off-piste secured itineraries (Gentianes-Tortin, Mont-Gelé, Chassoure-Tortin, Vallon d’Arby etc.)

16:30 After-ski in Verbier and Xtreme party – Rue de Médran

17:30- FWT Prize giving ceremony – Rue de Médran 18:00

20:00- FWT Official Dinner by Audi – Location TBC (accreditation requested) 22:30

22:00- FWT Official Party – Pub Mont-Fort (accreditation requested) 04:00

Overnight in Verbier

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION

nd Sunday 2 April 2017 – Introduction to risk management in the mountains

08:00 Breakfast & check-out

09:00 Meet with your mountain guide at Medran lift.

09:30- Research exercise with avalanche transceiver and workshop on mountain 12:00 risk management supervised by a mountain guide.

12:30 Lunch at a mountain restaurant or in the resort (restaurant to be confirmed)

14:00 End of the program. Individual departure of the participants.

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION

Additional information for your article www.visitvalais.ch - Official Website of Valais/Wallis Promotion with thousands of ideas what to do in our region and news about Valais.

Websites of the visited destinations: www.valdanniviers.ch - Val d’Anniviers www.verbier.ch - Verbier/Val de /La Tzoumaz

Photos about Valais By accepting the terms and conditions under the following link you will get a login to our photo database : http://mail.valaistourism.ch/applications/photos.nsf/ConditionsGen?OpenForm&en

Insurance Insurance is up to participant’s own responsibility.

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#Valais #MyWinterInValais

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION

Contact for your press trip

Valais/Wallis Promotion Nancy Pellissier Rue Pré Fleuri 6 Media Management International CH-1951 Sion Direct: +41 27 327 35 78 www.valais.ch Mobile : +41 79 304 06 11 E-mail: [email protected]

Sierre-Anniviers Marketing Benoit Caloz Place de la Gare 10 Media Manager CH-3960 Sierre Phone: +41 27 451 71 18 www.valdanniviers.ch Mobile : +41 79 265 87 37 E-mail: [email protected]

Verbier Promotion SA Vincent Riba Chemin des Marais Verts 9 Communication manager CH-1936 Verbier Direct: +41 27 775 23 78 www.verbier.ch Mobile : +41 79 482 24 48 E-mail : [email protected]

VALAIS/WALLIS PROMOTION