March 29, 2025: Banzag

The Banzag aims to bring together all skiers, snowboarders, or telemarkers who use skins from time to time, or even all the time for some!

Since 2013, the venue for this gathering has been the Grands Montets area in Chamonix, and after a brief outing to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre in 2020, then in the Ossau valley, this year the event will take place at Luz Ardiden.

The principle is relatively simple; a DVA search precedes a timed uphill hike in waves of 5. This is followed by a descent in a secure setting with the only constraint being a start point and an end point.

Some renowned freeriders are then using binoculars to observe the style, control, and commitment of each participant. 

This is followed by an overall score and ranking, but above all a good meal and the unforgettable memory of a day spent in the mountains with enthusiasts of all kinds and all levels.

All this set against one of the most beautiful panoramas in the entire Pyrenees!!

So see you all on March 29!

To learn more and to register, everything happens here:

We are in the early 2010s, and people are starting to talk about a new way to practice off-piste skiing that aims to bring together all those who explore the mountain off the beaten path. 

Until now, on one side there were the freeriders with their big fat skis on their feet, their airbag backpacks, and their helmets tearing down the slopes with big turns, and on the other side the hikers with their skinny skis, their fanny packs, and their small goggles trying to fit as many turns as possible into a descent.

Nevertheless, even if they do not have the same aspirations, they are driven by the same passion: the mountains. 

It is at this point that manufacturers began to imagine wide and light skis so that the summit marathoners could finally enjoy the descent a bit and so that heavy skiers could exceed 200m of vertical drop per hour when they want to find new slopes to ride. 

This is truly the rise of freerando that we are witnessing, and it is not just a marketing concept aimed at refreshing ski touring, which had become so outdated, but a real strong trend that will lead all experienced skiers further and further away from groomed ski areas.

The race for lightness is in the specifications of all ski, boot, binding, and accessory brands, but divisions still exist between those who prioritize the effort on the ascent and those who focus on the pleasure of the descent.

It was then that ZAG decided to break down these barriers and bring all these people together around an event called Banzag, whose first edition took place in Chamonix in 2013. The concept is simple: a timed avalanche beacon search to see if your buddy can count on you in case of trouble, a timed uphill ski tour with a mandatory ski carry on the backpack, and finally a descent to be tackled at each person's level during which the chosen line, style, and control will be evaluated.

The success is immediate, bringing together both alpine skiers, experienced freeriders, and even casual Sunday hikers who want to share a good time in the mountains. 

The editions took place in Chamonix for six years and then in the Pyrenees since 2020, and it is indeed in Luz Ardiden that the event will take place this year on March 29!!

All the information on www.banzag.com