Toby Ryter is a freeride skier turned videographer who has turned his passion into a career. Toby spoke to GstaadLife about powder, adventure and friendship.

What is freeride skiing?
It’s skiing out of bounds, away from the main slopes. I do most of it “human powered”, meaning I make my way up the mountain on touring skis. When it gets too steep, I strap the skis to my backpack and walk the rest of the way up then ski down these, big beautiful faces as fast as I can.

Do you ski here in the region?
I’ve been up most of the mountains in the region, but prefer the ones that are steeper and more remote. The places where you won’t see many people. But if I’m in the main part of a ski resort I’ll go to the left and right of the main runs to find my own fun terrain.

How long have you been doing freeride skiing?
I began skiing at a very young age. My grandma was an Olympic skier and my dad was a professional snowboarder so skiing was part of my life. I lived opposite the Wispile so would run home from school each day to cram in an hour of skiing before the lifts closed! I’ve always been into powder skiing, but really began the human-powered touring approach during Covid when all the lifts were closed.

How do you evaluate risk?
I never go out alone – there are always at least two of us for safety. We always consult the avalanche forecast and check the snow ourselves too. We have search and rescue training, especially for avalanches and know how to keep an injured person alive. That’s important because when we ski in very remote places help can be four to five hours away.

It’s important to listen to your feelings. If one of us feels that something’s “off” with the snow, we respect that and turn around or find something else to do. This can be frustrating if we’ve travelled far, but it’s important to make the right call.

Do you ever get scared?
I think “scared” is the wrong word. It’s more that I have respect for the mountain. Yes, you can get a little nervous just before going down a really steep mountain, but once you’re on the face and doing your first turn, that all melts away and you’re having the best time of your life. My greatest memories are on skis. I have my skis, my friends and a mountain face I want to tackle. It’s quite simple.

And you create films too? How did you get into that?
My dad is a big hobby photographer, so he had all the gear. I began taking photos when I was a teenager then transitioned to video where I get to be even more creative playing with different angles and perspectives. I’ve just finished my first movie “ORKA” which is basically a love letter to skiing … and sore legs!

I love doing what I do. It’s exciting and feels like an adventure every time. So many things get thrown your way, and you just kind of make it work. I would like to go to South America and ski some mountains that have never been skied, which is hard to find in Europe.

What advice would you give to someone new to freeride skiing?
I would definitely say find someone who already has some knowledge of what’s involved. Don’t go out and freeride ski on your own because it can be quite dangerous. Do an avalanche course, learn how to read weather and build up slowly. It’s very important to stay safe because the mountains don’t forgive people. They’re a dangerous playground, but a beautiful one.

Where’s your favourite place in the Saanenland?
My favourite mountain is the Stalden, which I can see from my bedroom window. It’s very beautiful and more of a mellow ski. It’s fun to ski down at sunrise; when I get home I can see my tracks on the mountain, which is quite cool.

ANNA CHARLES