High altitude zone unpatrolled – you ski at your own risk

La Grave is no resort. Here, if you decide to take the Pantone-colored lifts—originally built for tourists to admire the view — and hop out at 3,550 meters above sea levels, you ski at your own risk. There are no piste markers, no groomers, and no one to hold your hand. Just glaciers, couloirs, and an endless playground of freeride terrain that demands respect. The village’s one pub is also a melting pot of mountain legends, as La Grave draws the most hardcore powder fanatics you can find. Many spend the entire winter here, living simply, skiing hard, and devouring every route La Meije offers: a huge selection of vertical descents of more than 2,400 meters.

GoBeyond’s founder, Jano, first visited La Grave twentytwo years ago, back in 2003. At the time, he was organizing his first ski camps for friends and had spotted La Grave in an Alpine Tours brochure. It was hyped as this incredible freeride mecca, but when he asked about it, the agency admitted they’d never actually run a trip there — nobody was interested. So, Jano decided to go it alone. He booked his own accommodation, hitched a ride on a bus that dropped tourists at nearby resorts, and convinced the driver to let him off at La Grave, promising to be picked up a week later. That was his version of planning.

With a six-day ski pass in hand, he found himself awestruck, and slightly intimidated. Sure, he’d skied off-piste before, but this was different. Signs everywhere warned that you were on your own, skiing at your own risk. Then the snow came, dumping relentlessly for three days, shutting down the lift and leaving Jano stranded on the mountain. On one run, he and his friend tagged along with a guided group just to find a safe way down. But when the storm finally broke, the last three days were pure magic. The lifts reopened, the sun came out, and Jano discovered exactly why La Grave was so legendary.

“La Grave is a whole different scale and perspective. When you’re skiing a 2,000-meter vertical drop, the environment changes as you descend. Up top, it’s glaciers and snowfields—you feel like you can do whatever you want. But the crevasses are invisible until they’re not, and you quickly realize this isn’t a place to explore solo. 

Lower down, it’s vast plateaus dotted with rocks, and between the clusters, you get this mind-blowing terrain that’s hard to grasp. Mid-mountain, you’re threading through narrow rock corridors, and as you approach the valley, you hit the forest—a whole new challenge with tracks, moguls, and a different skill set entirely.

Then, finally, the village. You feel proud, grab a beer with the crew, and just float in the energy of the mountain. Out of a thousand people, maybe one gets what La Grave is about. Here? Seven out of ten do. The mountain gives you the full alpine experience. Every layer of it, in one run.”

The craziness and uniqueness of this place are perfectly embodied in the village’s most important annual event: the Derby de La Meije, which is often called the most dangerous race in the world. Once you sign the waiver taking full responsibility for yourself, it’s a free-for-all. Starting at the highest point of the mountain, competitors race 2,300 meters of elevation down to the valley, the fastest to the bottom wins. There are no rules on how or where you go – ski, snowboard, monoski, or anything else that slides. Add in wild costumes and French absurdity, and you’ve got the Derby.

What makes the February GoBeyond trip truly special is that, despite Jano having visited La Grave more than a dozen times, he’s never tackled a route that requires harness and ropes.

“This year, if conditions allow, that’s about to change. With Charlie, our professional mountain guide—someone we’d trust with our lives—we’ll venture into terrain few ever reach.”

It’s the perfect way to celebrate 20 years of GoBeyond’s connection with La Grave: pushing boundaries, and marking the occasion with the kind of adventure this place was made for.