Remote terrain, blurred rules, and a freeride scene on the rise in northwest China

Out in the Altay Mountains of northwest China, skiing feels raw, new, and a little wild – just the sort of terrain that drew professional skier Tao Kreibich to film his latest adventure. Tao, an Austrian freerider who spent two seasons on the Freeride World Tour and now shares his journeys on YouTube, has built a reputation for seeking out unique lines and cultures across the globe.

The Altay region isn’t your typical ski destination. Snow conditions and terrain are world-class, with vertical drops of over 1,000 m and long snow seasons, but infrastructure and information are still developing. In Tao’s own words, “resorts are fresh, rules are blurry,” and although off-piste skiing isn’t technically permitted, many riders “duck under the fence and hope no one notices” to explore backcountry lines. There’s no official avalanche forecast and barely any shared safety information, so everything is figured out on the go – one wrong turn might even mean hiking back uphill to avoid a police station, as the video summary notes.

Getting to this remote region isn’t straightforward, either. The Altay Mountains sit far from China’s major population centres in Xinjiang’s far northwest, and reaching villages like Hemu – a tiny settlement at the foot of the mountains with a cosy wooden-house feel – is a journey in itself, involving long drives over mountain roads often without the support infrastructure common in established ski destinations. Once there, the freeride scene is still in its infancy, with locals and visitors slowly shaping what could become a significant winter sports hub.

China’s broader ski industry has grown rapidly since the 2022 Winter Olympics, with investment pouring into new resorts and facilities in regions like Altay, which also boasts ancient skiing heritage stretching back over 10,000 years. But high-alpine skiing here remains a frontier by comparison with North America or the Alps – beautiful, unpredictable, and sometimes lacking the safety nets freeriders are used to elsewhere. As Tao and others venture into this terrain, it highlights both the potential for serious skiing and the need for backcountry education on avalanche awareness, rescue skills, and risk management before dropping into lines where forecasts and rescue infrastructure may be limited.

For those prepared to travel deep into China’s northwest, the Altay offers something unique: untracked terrain, emerging local ski culture, and a sense that the freeride scene here is just beginning. And with voices like Tao’s documenting the experience, more riders are beginning to notice what lies beyond the resort gates.