PLANETSKI GOES EAST

24th January 2018 | Jane Peel, Jasna, Slovakia

Last modified on January 12th, 2026

With much of the Alps hit by a cycle of storms, we made our way to the Low Tatras. Where? A mountain range in Slovakia.

The Low Tatras.

Doesn’t sound too promising, does it?

I have an image of dodgy snow conditions, rickety old lifts, unchallenging runs.

Welcome to Jasna.

It’s not what you think.

Welcome to Jasna

It’s the biggest and most popular ski resort in Slovakia and it has an impressive modern lift system.

I head up the mountain on one of the first chairs out of the base at Lucky (pronounced Looch-key) at 8.30am.

First lift from Lucky

Fast, comfortable lifts

Yes, big in Slovakia is small by alpine standards, but first impressions suggest it has plenty of terrain to explore.

Unfortunately, on day one, I can’t actually see much of it.

At the top it’s cloudy.

Strike that. It’s foggy.

And there’s a little bit of wind. OK, OK, a lot of wind.

But the snow feels good. I can’t see it, but it feels good.

Down in the trees, visibility improves and the snow is still good.

In the trees

We might be in the Low Tatras – the skiing is from 943 metres up to just over 2,000 metres – but, as they say in these parts, what this place lacks in altitude it makes up for in latitude.

It is just south of the border with Poland and has a cold, snowy climate in winter.

Jasna – snowy & cold

Cold climate

Jasna – very cold at the top

Jasna has just under 50km of groomed slopes for all levels of skier and snowboarder and plenty of freeride options.

Somewhere out there in the murk beneath Mount Chopok are the couloirs where the Freeride World Tour held qualifiers in 2017.

If the weather improves, I might manage to get a photo to show you.

Who knows, I might even get to try one or two of them out, although I can pretty much guarantee that I’ll be heading for the least gnarly of them.

It’s early days but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my first ski experience in what we used to call Eastern Europe.

Oh – and the Goulash soup I had for lunch on the mountain for the grand sum of €6.90 was THE best.

Full stop.

Goulash soup

The clouds lift

Now that’s better.

I can see the peak of Mount Chopok from the bottom…

Clear view of the top

…and when I get to the top I can stand upright.

Today there’s no wind and the sun is shining.

At the top

As I head down the north-facing slopes, I can see some of the couloirs used for the Freeride World Tour qualifiers.

Gulp. Erm, maybe not.

FWT drop-in zones are over there

And in the distance are the High Tatras, and beyond them Poland.

Looking towards the High Tatras

The south facing slopes, which had been completely obscured by low cloud on day one, are now clear.

I can literally see for miles.

Sunshine on the southern slopes of Jasna

On the south side of the mountain

There’s even some chalky snow off the sides of the piste to enjoy.

My guide for the day is Justin Garrett of Jasna Adventures, whose newly-built chalet, The Dragon’s Lair, opened for guests just before Christmas.

He’s not your typical Slovak guide but he is passionate about skiing in Jasna:

I’m certainly beginning to appreciate what this place has to offer.

There’s far more extensive and challenging skiing here than in many resorts in this part of the world (and I might yet get to experience some its freeride terrain – my visit’s not over yet), but where it does resemble other eastern European ski areas is in the value for money it offers.

Half a litre of very good beer will cost you under €3 on the mountain and far less than that in town.

And where in the Alps can you get a seriously good hour-long apres ski massage for €30?

Post ski pummeling

Where are the slopes?

That wind and fog on day one?

Pah. Nothing.

When the gondola you’re travelling in to the top starts swinging like a pendulum, you know it’s bad.

And when the clear skies vanish to be replaced by a pea souper, you know it’s going to be one of those days.

Pea souper

We won’t be exploring the off-piste today.

I once tried on a pair of ski goggles set up to show exactly what the visually-impaired British skier Millie Knight sees when she’s racing.

Basically, it’s very, very little.

So when the wind blew freezing snow onto my googles – and try as I might I couldn’t shift it – all I could think of was ‘I am seeing what Millie Knight sees’.

I had one clear spot the size of a 2p piece, but at least I wasn’t racing.

The group I was skiing with decided the only thing for it was to head low and spend the time refreshing our avalanche search training.

Avalanche rescue refresher

By the looks of the queues for the lifts, the weather hadn’t deterred the regulars.

Queuing to brave the elements

I have one final morning to give freeriding in Jasna a go before leaving Slovakia.

Let’s see!

Freeride time

My last day in Jasna dawns and it’s a bluebird one.

I’m finally going to get to try out some of the ski area’s famous off-piste.

That avalanche search training yesterday – my first of the season – was well-timed.

Togged up for freeride

We are a group of four. I’m with a mountain guide called Martin and two friends, Luke Rees and Mark Barber, who are both snowboarders.

We are fully kitted up with transceivers, shovels and probes, which is more than I can say for a couple of reckless skiers we later encounter.

The avalanche risk has reduced from 3 out of 5 earlier in the week to 2.

While that means improved safety off-piste it’s going to be tricky to find decent conditions.

Mountain Guide Martin assesses the route

It hasn’t snowed for six days, there’s been a lot of wind with fluctuating temperatures.

We will ride the north-facing slopes and hope for the best.

They’re rock hard.

Off-piste in Jasna

The snow is unforgiving – the teeth-chattering, knee-battering kind.

And there are so many shiny ice patches that one of the snowboarders is offered an ice-axe.

Ice axe for safety

To say that the Meterological Couloir (40 degrees at the top, according to our guide) is a challenge in these conditions, is an understatement.

About to head into the Meterological Couloir

Heading into the Meteorological Couloir

Even the Little Girl Couloir – so called because it’s wider, less steep, so one of the easier couloirs – is not exactly a doddle.

Little Girl Couloir

We all get down safely, though not necessarily elegantly.

In just over four hours we’ve sampled a small bit of the freeride terrain here but not the FWT couloirs. They would have been lethal in these conditions.

Mark Barber & Guide Martin Off piste in Jasna

A rest and a cuppa for Mark

It’s a shame there was no soft, knee-deep powder but I saw enough to convince me that they weren’t lying when they told me that Jasna has skiing and snowboarding for everyone – on and off-piste.

Slovakia was a new experience for me but I would willingly return.

Thanks to Luke Rees of the action sports website Awe365.com for taking some of the freeride photos.

FACT BOX

Jane stayed with Jasna Adventures in their chalet, The Dragon’s Lair, prices from £533pp, Saturday to Saturday.

Included: