Zach Paley

In the last part of Zach's South America reports of this year's southern season, he takes us to lesser known corners of the Argentine Central Andes on spring tours with tents, lots of wind, rocks, good and not so good weather and mixed feelings about the end of winter in summer:

Our globetrotting Skibum correspondent Zach talks about life in the "Corvus" apartment, a rotten vacation home in the chronically muddy part of Las Leñas, behind the garbage containers of the big hotels, where a sworn crew of Las Leñas enthusiasts meet up year after year. But: the future of the Corvus family is uncertain because the lift operator is making life increasingly difficult for freeriders.

When the ski resort runs out of snow, you have to look elsewhere: Our roving Skibum reporter and South America correspondent Zach Paley reports on a multi-day tour with a tent and the challenges that come with it.

Our roving ski-bum reporter Zach loves to spend his winters in Japan. Rishiri, the legendary volcanic island off Hokkaido, has been on his to-ski list for a long time. This year the time had finally come and the Gaijin crew made their tracks in the - would you believe it - fluffy powder on the spectacular Mount Rishiri.

Our travel reporter Zach Paley, a.k.a. Mr. Worldwide Skibum, spent the spring in Kyrgyzstan taking in the mountain air, drinking vodka, freezing in his tent, carrying his skis over scree for hours on end and experiencing so much more. Here he reports on a special kind of ski adventure: ski mountaineering near Bishkek, in Karakol and on Lenin Peak.

With the Vertic GTX 3L jacket and pants combination, Scott has a robust and stylish outfit in its range, which our global Skibum correspondent Zach took a closer look at in his Japanese winter domicile.

Our traveling reporter Zach Paley reports from Japan for the last time this season. As has been the case all winter, the conditions are changeable and you have to work harder for the powder turns than usual in Japan. Nevertheless, every now and then you are richly rewarded. Next stop for Zach: Alaska.

Winter. It came for a brief moment. We welcomed snowfall in the valley with more gratitude than usual. Hope that our favorite runs would fill in was briefly restored. Whisky consumption had a positive rather than bitter note to it.

There's a lot unsaid about returning home. As much as there is an allure to new adventures, being among good friends in familiar places has a therapeutic quality. And we need this therapy because the snow in Hakuba has been absolute shit. Except for a very small handful of moments in the alpine, Japow has yet to Japow this winter.

October can be a difficult month in Argentina. As if on cue, the country realizes winter in the northern hemisphere is near, and that it's time for a change in seasons. Chairlifts close, temperatures rise, and snow retreats up the mountainsides. Walking farther and farther in shoes each day gives one plenty of time to ponder their situation, and the farfetched nature of their pursuits.

With the "Khion", Dynafit remains at the forefront of the rapidly developing market for downhill-oriented ski touring boots, which are now also ideal for ascents. The boot not only performs excellently on the descent, but is also almost in a class of its own on the ascent, both with and without skis.

The story of the GPO (short for Giant Pacific Octopus) began in the fall of 2012, when Drew Tabke designed a ski with which he would later win the Freeride World Tour. And although the GPO has proven big mountain qualities, it is still an all-round freeride ski for (almost) everyone.