Léa Klaue’s bio reads: Lover of the flow and pursuer of the seemingly useless.
A professional big-mountain snowboarder with a PhD in social anthropology, Klaue embodies an impressive blend of intellectual curiosity and physical prowess. Based in Switzerland’s Valais Alps, she describes herself as a “Social/visual anthropologist, adventure snowboarder, writer, filmmaker, question asker and answer questioner.”
From Freestyle to Freeride
Klaue’s journey in snowboarding began with freestyle in her teens and early twenties. She later transitioned to big-mountain snowboarding, consistently ranking in the top 10 of European freeride competitions. However, her current focus has shifted towards high-alpine, remote, and big-mountain expeditions.
“I find every type of backcountry interesting, especially playful and powdery terrains, but it is the high mountains, steep slopes and remote areas that truly make me feel alive,” Klaue explains. Her preferred tool for these adventures is now a splitboard, which she uses while continually improving her rope and alpinism skills.
For Klaue, snowboarding transcends mere athleticism. She views it as a means of exploring her relationship with the environment. “Controlling an edge on a very steep slope and negotiating speed and resistance, feel to me like having a superpower that allows me to stop time and attain a state of hyperfocus and harmony that’s unmatched by any other experience,” she says.
The Kyrgyzstan Expedition
In May 2022, Klaue embarked on a groundbreaking four-week expedition to Kyrgyzstan’s Kakshaaltoo range. As the sole woman in a team of skiers and filmmakers, she faced not only the challenges of the mountain but also those of gender dynamics in extreme sports.
“Everything actually went well. I really like this expedition team, we’re all still friends. But you could tell that they weren’t used to being on the road with a woman,” Klaue recalls. “There was this automatic thinking that a woman is perhaps more fragile than a man and that she can therefore take fewer risks. Simply because she is a woman. I hope this group learned a lot – with me! But at the very beginning, I had to really fight to be allowed to ride the same walls.”
Despite these challenges, Klaue found the expedition profoundly rewarding. “When you experience something so intense, which can also be difficult and painful, it’s an extreme privilege,” she reflects. “Because on a trip like this, you’re already on adrenaline somehow.
You’re in full flow and simply living in the moment. There’s no time to think – and that’s the real beauty. When you’re so far away from everything, you also go on an inner journey. You realise what is important to you and why you do these things and why your passion for them is so great.”
A Multifaceted Adventurer
Beyond her snowboarding prowess, Klaue is fluent in four languages and works with film, text, and ethnography. Her diverse skill set, coupled with her willingness to haul a 30-kilogram pack, makes her an invaluable team member on challenging expeditions.
Léa Klaue’s story is one of relentless pursuit – of knowledge, of adventure, and of self-understanding. Whether she’s analysing cultural phenomena or carving down untouched slopes, Klaue approaches life with a spirit of inquiry and a passion for the “seemingly useless” that often leads to the most profound discoveries.
The film about Léa’s Kyrgyzstan Expedition will feature in the 2024 Radical Reels Tour of Australia. Get your tickets HERE
Follow Léa Klaue on instagram HERE
