Men's Journal

A climber at last year's Big Ice Weekend, in the Adirondacks. Photo credit: Courtesy Alpine Endeavors

This weekend’s to-do list: ice climbing in the Adirondacks, snowboarding in Colorado, and keeping up with the FIS World Cup. So much for that holiday shopping…

by Kate Cassidy

Big Ice Weekend, December 19-21
Adirondacks, New York

The Adriondacks aren’t just famous for their deck chairs. Join Alpine Endeavors for their Big Ice Weekend, where you can strap on snow boots and take on some of the frozen terrain with the experts. The weekend package includes three days of ice and mountaineering climbing and instruction in the scenic locales of your choosing: Cascade Pass, Roaring Brook Falls, and Poke-O Moonshine, to name a few. With two guides per climber and all of the high-tech mountain gear already supplied, all you’ll need is a little cash and a lot of layers ($260 per person/per day; alpineendeavors.com).

Accommodations and Travel: Meet your guides and equipment at the Rock and Snow shop on 44 Main St., in New Paltz, NY. It’s easily accessible from I-87 and Rt. 299 W, and has designated parking for gear pick-up. For detailed directions go to alpineendeavors.com. If you make advanced reservations, a hotel can be booked for you. Otherwise their website has a list of nearby lodging ranging from cheap motels to rustic B&Bs.

Friday Night Rail Rodeo Steamboat, December 19
Steamboat, Colorado

Steamboat has plenty to keep your adrenaline pumping, and the six mountain peaks, 164 trails of almost 3,000 skiable acres, and superpipes up to 500 feet long are only the beginning. This weekend the town’s highlight is the Rail Rodeo at Stampede Run, where skiers and boarders will pull out all their tricks for a shot at glory and a handsome prize purse. Watch as they pick up speed on the pipes, tackle rainbow and slider rails, and pull tricks for the $250 top spot. To catch a glimpse of the Rail Rodeo, you have to spring for the $91 daily lift ticket. If you like what you see, season passes start at $1,329 (steamboat.com). You can also test your skills on the Mini-Mavericks Superpipe, which has eight-foot walls that are only slightly intimidating. 

Accommodations and Travel: Steamboat is one of the most conveniently accessed ski resorts in Colorado. With nonstop flights from nine major airports and highway access from US 40 — hop on it if you’re coming from Denver, Salt Lake City, or Colorado Springs. Steamboat Resort will put together a lodging package for you or arm you with a list of nearby condos, lodges, and hotels (steamboat.com/plan-vacation/).

LG Snowboard FIS World Cup, December 19-21
Arosa, Switzerland

Whether you feel like jet-setting to the mountains of Switzerland or catching video clips on the couch, this stage of the Snowboarding World Cup is one of the best. The multi-race tournament runs September through March and travels to 20 different venues in 15 countries to test the speed, skills, and strength of some of the world’s most seasoned boarders — a bunch of these pros will head to the 2010 Winter Olympics. This stage of the downhill race will be snowboard cross style, meaning bumps, jumps, and full body contact with other boarders. Check out the highlights from the motocross-inspired event on grindertv.com, or start packing your suitcase (free; fissnowboardworldcup.com).

Accommodations and Travel: The best way to get into Arosa is flying into nearby Zurich. Once there, you can do some winter camping, stay in a historic mountain hut, or go the typical hotel route. Visit Arosa’s official tourism website for more details (arosa.ch).

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