15 February 10
Features
24-Hour Powder People
Forget the itchy woollens and Glühwein, modern après-ski is all about superstar DJs and Jägerbombs. Owain Thomas takes a look at some of this year's top festivals on the slopes
Mere decades ago, après-ski options were Mere decade bbish. Unless you were James Bond and rubbish. Unles ad a foxy double agent waiting fireside in had a foxy dou your log cabin (ladies: flip roles and select favourite Bond, please), you had to make do with cheese only good for melting, wine only good for boiling and music so bad you had to keep your earmuffs on until bedtime. These days, however, the options have never been better – and with so much decent partying going on this season, it’s surprising that anybody even bothers hurling themselves down an icy slope anymore.
14–21 MARCH
THE BIG SNOW FESTIVAL
Making its much-anticipated debut on Andorra’s tax-free peaks this year, this appropriately titled festival should do exactly what it says on the tin. Set 1,475m up in the little country’s share of the sprawling Pyrenees, the event’s base camp at Arinsal is one of the most snow-sure spots in Europe thanks to Mother Nature (or the mother of all snow cannons if she doesn’t deliver).
As far as the festival bit goes that’s in the reassuringly seasoned hands of the folk behind The Big Reunion weekenders. Curating a similarly attractive line-up of live acts and renowned club DJs that has seen their indoor events sell out every year in the UK, the organisers of this alfresco inauguration will be donning the hats and fingerless gloves and hoping to repeat the raving magic on the peaks. Headliners Calvin Harris, Pendulum and Eddie Halliwell top a Who’s Who of clubland aristocracy that includes the likes of DJ Hype, Mickey Finn and Judge Jules.
20–26 MARCH
ALTITUDE FESTIVAL
The resort of Méribel lies within Les Trois Vallées, the largest ski area in the world, and has been synonymous with serious skiing for decades. But that hasn’t stopped the funny men and women behind the Alps’ renowned Taking the Piste comedy events from bringing a selection of top performers and musical talents together to lighten a hard day on the powder. The only comedy and music festival of its kind in the region, this annual post-piste rib tickler and booty shaker has been running for three years now, and presents a bilingual (French and English) mish mash of improvisation, stand-up, satire, sketch and physical comedy interspersed with quality live music across the cosy bars and clubs of Meribel. Those in charge of the nightly funny bone workout this year include Never Mind the Buzzcocks veteran Phil Jupitus, festival co-founder Marcus Brigstocke and chanteuse Lady Carol. The gigs between gags come courtesy of musical talents like Newton Faulkner, The Cuban Brothers and DJ Yoda.
5–10 APRIL
THE YETI FESTIVAL
The team behind this new five-day festival have enlisted exhibitionism experts Lost & Found to inspire the same high-level lunacy usually seen at Bestival. Cue fancy dress on ice, Winter Olympics with a twist, and slope-side improvisation to warm the cockles. Add to this DJs like James Priestley (Secretsundaze), Eddy Temple-Morris (XFM) and Stuart Patterson (East Village) – playing all day on the slopes and 400m2 sun terrace, before moving on to the buzzing, 1,500- capacity nightclub (pictured) – and you have all the right ingredients for one of the wildest events on the après-ski party circuit. You’ll also get some of the best skiing conditions in Europe, as Nassfeld is located in Austria’s Carinthia region, nicknamed the “Snow Hole” thanks to its regular bouts of heavy snowfall.
5–10 APRIL
SNOWBOMBING
The undisputed heavyweight of the European ski festival season, Snowbombing has been pleasing the freezing at Mayrhofen for five consecutive years, after moving the event to Austria in 2005. Even if you’re skilful enough to skate around the giddy hyperbole of its website, and take the comically immodest self-billing of the “greatest show on snow” with a pinch of salt, you’d struggle not to blurt out your own overstatement on reading the full list of confirmed acts. “Glastonbury on Ice” is the tamest I could come up with.
The likes of De La Soul, Fatboy Slim, 2manydjs and The Enemy take top billing above a mountain of smaller big names that have nearly all made an impact on our music collections over the past decade. If that isn’t enough to see you through the week, there will be dozens of elaborately themed parties, a spectacular snow disco (yes, a nightclub made of snow), and the natural beauty of the alpine peaks, fragrant pine forests and centuries-old snow barns for added atmosphere. Apparently there’s some good skiing to be had as well.
7–10 APRIL
CAPRICES
With the majestic Swiss Alps as its backdrop, this winter music festival has been giving the Crans Montana resort a much-needed boost since 2004, thanks to the creative perseverance of four friends. Worried that the popularity of this once-exclusive resort was draining with the energy of the ageing European aristocracy, they decided to erect a massive sound system, throw a party and let the moneyed and mountains alike know that a new era had arrived.
Packed every year with top live performances, the festival offers a short and selective showcase of alternative electronic acts, established mainstream artists and international DJs, and is divided into “IN” (paying) and “OFF” (non-paying) events. Highlights this time around include tech-tango pioneers Gotan Project, gravel-voiced Macy Gray and neo-disco don Martin Solveig. Sitting at an altitude of 2,200m and with a transparent sun/snow roof, the Modernity club is a pretty big crowd puller too.
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