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Black Crows Heads to old Stomping Grounds in Chapter Four of the Ghost Resorts Series

Featured Image: Courtesy of Black Crows


Freeskiing is exponentially evolving, but this process inevitably leaves bits and pieces of the sport scattered in the past. Some of these are cultural, others institutional, and still some are a blend of both. The Ghost Resorts series from Black Crows explores the areas and infrastructure left behind by the changing tide.

While these spots may be abandoned, their stories continue to evolve, as is the case in Chapter Four, as several Crows head to Super Saint-Bernard on the borders of France, Italy and Switzerland.

Once a bustling resort nestled high in the alpine near Mont Blanc, Super Saint-Bernard played host to skiers and border smugglers alike for years, with many seeking to acquire glorious turns by day and transport cigarettes by night. Chocolate, coffee and other goods were hand-carried over the mountain tops for years after the nearby Grand St. Bernard Tunnel was built, connecting Italy and Switzerland.

This was just one piece of the larger web that comprised the Super Saint-Bernard community. Started with a practical purpose of connecting the road from Bourg Saint-Bernard, at 1,932 meters, to the Col de Menouve, at 2,775 meters, it quickly became something more than just a station in the hills. This mountain oasis saw the rise of freeride skiing before it was popularized around the globe. Avalanche mitigation and other skills of mountain travel were utilized and pioneered here. This drew in a passionate crowd that kept the resort humming for over 45 years.

But as is always the case, times change and stability is anything but a guarantee. Facing financial troubles and finding it hard to draw consumers to the remote reaches of the alps, the resort launched a freeride competition with support from the local ski community, leading to some of the public’s first introductions to an up-and-coming ski brand called Black Crows. Though the resort was forced to close in 2010, it’s authenticity never dwindled from its first days to its last.

Today, the area is a backcountry hub, with the parking lot welcoming dozens of riders each day throughout the winter. There’s a mix of nostalgia and liberation here, as the area, once crowded with enthusiastic travelers, now provides an escape for those willing to earn their turns. Though the lodge remains empty and the lift towers frozen in time, the story is never over, as our friends at Black Crows thoroughly demonstrate.

From YouTube:

The fourth in the Ghost Resort series, the story of Super Saint-Bernard is intimately linked to blackcrows. The brand’s founders often crossed the border to enjoy its undeniable charms, thanks to its excellent off-piste possibilities and snow cover at the start and end of winter. But it was also the site of the first blackcrows ski tests, notably through the Alp & Ride event. So it was with great emotion that this new episode was produced.

Five blackcrows’ skiers, including co-founder Camille Jaccoux, set off to explore the memories of this small resort on the border between Switzerland and Italy. A place steeped in history, this documentary traces the resort from its beginnings in 1963 to its definitive closure in 2010. Carefree joys and poignant melancholy come together in interviews and archive footage, but there’s no trace of regret in this place, now untouched by human activity. The blackcrows skiers provide us with dazzling proof of this with beautiful powder images shot in this mythical free-skiing spot.

A relic of a world that was not yet super-connected or super-tracked, the Super Saint-Bernard station was born of a simple vision: to link the road from Bourg Saint-Bernard, at 1932 meters, to the Col de Menouve, at 2,775 meters. Inaugurated in 1963, a year before the opening of the Grand Saint-Bernard tunnel, the station benefited from this new crossing point between France and Italy.

As such, it represented the first Swiss infrastructure for motorists arriving from Italy. For 47 years, the small resort of Super Saint-Bernard became Le Super, delighting families on both sides of the border. Its small north-facing ski area was a gateway to numerous off-piste itineraries, making it a powder Eldorado for several generations of freeskiers. Unfortunately, despite its altitude and excellent snow conditions, the resort was too isolated and too small to modernize its facilities, and was forced to close in 2010. So long Le Super, you remain a Super souvenir.


To celebrate the release of the film, Black Crows has announced the new Ghost Resorts capsule. This includes a special edition Navis Freebird, their 102 mm agile and stable touring ski, as well as the Duos Freebird Poles, Dorsa 27 Backpack, and a special edition of the ATK Raider 13 Evo touring bindings.

Each piece is dressed in a limited-edition print that salutes the Swiss heritage of the Super Saint-Bernard area and the brand’s initial freeride roots. The collection drop February 4, 2025 on the Black Crows site as well as exclusive European retailers and Black Crows shops.

The new Ghost Resorts Limited Edition Collection in all its glory

If you find yourself reading this from across the pond, be sure to note that Black Crows will be hosting a special event back at Super Saint-Bernard. “On February 6th and 7th, Black Crows is hosting a Ski Sauvage event at Super Saint-Bernard, in the Swiss Valais,” the brand announced.

“There will be a screening of Ghost Resorts film, food and beverage and an overnight stay at the Bivouac Napoléon. The following day, there will be the opportunity to tour and ski the valleys of Super Saint-Bernard. Registration for this event includes half-board accommodation from February 6th to 7th, a blackcrows ski test and a ski touring experience with Camille Jaccoux and Liv Sansoz for February 7th. “

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