Antonia Paulus

We spent three days together with Patagonia-Europe in the Rauris Valley and, in addition to the new product presentation, we paid a visit to the Sonnblick Observatory. There, Dr. Elke Ludewig, head of the high-alpine research station, gave us interesting insights into how research has been taking place every day at an altitude of 3,106 metres since 1886. Topics on glacier degradation, sustainable materials and climate change were at the centre of the event.

Severin's life revolves around snowboarding. Here he tells us how he went from two boards to one and what the everyday life of a professional snowboarder is like.

The 3-layer Dermizax shell jacket from the Swiss company Penguin offers a water column of more than 20,000 mm as well as very good breathability and is a faithful companion for your adventures on cold days in combination with a down jacket or on warm days with just a shirt as a base layer.

The Arc'teryx Academy 2024 in St. Anton am Arlberg was an impressive experience for freeride enthusiasts from all over the world. The event offered a varied programme full of clinics, workshops, film evenings and talks with Arc'teryx athletes. In this report, we dive into the eventful days of the Academy, from the night tobogganing to the clinics led by experienced athletes and mountain guides. A behind-the-scenes look at an event that not only pushed the boundaries of ability, but also created a strong sense of freeride community and sharing.

More than 40 different courses were on the programme at the Arc'teryx Freeride Academy from 1 to 4 February 2024. PowderGuide was able to attend the Avalanche Awareness & Mountain Safety Clinic with Recco at the Arc'teryx Freeride Academy on a sunny and cloudless day. The avalanche course took place in a group of six participants plus two mountain guides in the terrain of the St. Anton am Arlberg ski resort. The course was designed for all levels of skiers/snowboarders and yet each person was able to expand their knowledge and skills individually. The exact daily programme of the Arc'teryx Clinic and the most important aspects and procedures of an avalanche search can be found here.

The Arc'teryx Freeride Academy will take place for the third time in 2024 from 1st to 4th of February in St. Anton am Arlberg and offers a varied programme of courses, workshops, film evenings, parties and other opportunities for exchange to all freeriders. From beginners to experts, everyone is welcome at the Academy, so exciting days in the company of Arc'teryx team riders and other snow sports enthusiasts are just around the corner. We will be there, live with PowderGuide, taking part in various practical training sessions and workshops over the four days and report back to you!

The glove comes from Roeckl Sports' PFC-free, ecologically orientated Ecoseries and has been tested on the piste as well as freeriding, in imperial weather and in snowstorms. The gloves are characterised by their combination of design and functionality. Roeckl has been developing gloves for almost 200 years, and the new ECO.SERIES has now been created using the expertise and experience gained to offer sustainable alternatives.

The Safety Academy Lab Snow has been revamped by our partner Ortovox and offers multimedia, high-quality avalanche instruction for all skill levels. We spent a weekend gaining an insight into the digital realisation of avalanche training and learning about the latest findings in person from mountain guide and co-developer of the Lab Snow, Chris Semmel.

The Tour 30 Women Removable Airbag 3.0 from Mammut promises optimum carrying comfort with a hip belt customised for women and a shorter back length. Thanks to its low weight, the good organisation of the interior and its visually appealing appearance, the backpack will make freeriding and ski touring fans' hearts beat faster.

The Aenergy Air HS Hooded Jacket Women hardshell jacket from Mammut promises very high breathability thanks to its optimised membrane technology and is characterised by its light weight and high durability. A faithful companion both on often sweaty ascents and adrenaline-fuelled descents.

Innsbruck can be seen as the freeride capital of Europe. Where, if not here, should children and young people have the opportunity to explore the terrain together with professional instructors and experience freeriding in a safe environment? The Freeride Academy Innsbruck pursues precisely these goals. The vision is: "to ski or snowboard well, have lots of fun and be out and about with maximum safety away from the secured pistes".

The Snow Safety Sessions organised by our long-standing partner Mammut have kicked off this season and we were there, live in the Allgäu! The event focussed on safety on the mountain - whether for ski touring or freeriding. Avalanche awareness is refreshed directly in the terrain! During a joint ski tour with state-certified mountain guides and Mammut safety experts, search scenarios are discussed, tried out and emergency equipment is tested.