Winter is getting closer, the first glacier ski areas are opening and we’re all wondering: How much snow will the Alps get this time? El Niño is getting plenty of attention across North and South America, but what does it mean for us in the Alps? There’s no simple answer. It might be raining in the valley while plenty of snow falls higher up. And an early winter doesn’t tell us much about what the rest of the season has in store. We’re excited for it, though! Here are the planned opening dates for ski resorts across the Alps. Dates may change depending on conditions.

After more than a year in Canada, a winter full of powder right in the heart of Revelstoke’s freeride scene, and her return to her adopted home of Davos, Regina Grill is taking over the editorial reins. Time for a quick introduction!

With the Focus Voice and Focus Pro, Ortovox is ushering in the next generation of beacon devices. Greater range, a significantly larger display, and enhanced voice navigation are designed to make searches faster and more intuitive. While the Focus Voice is designed for ease of use, the Focus Pro offers additional tools for professionals.

The winter of 2025/26 challenged us with difficult snow conditions, but at PowderGuide, things were moving full speed ahead. With the new PG Map, more editorial content and an increasingly international focus, the platform took some big steps forward. At the same time, our community continued to grow, with ConditionsReports, feedback and plenty of interaction once again showing what PowderGuide is all about. Our Season Report looks back at the key developments, highlights and numbers from the past winter.

They’re small, lightweight, and incredibly strong. We’re not talking about Siberian hamsters, but Dyneema slings. They’re so versatile that no mountain adventure should be without them. For the Powderguide long-term gear review, several sets of slings were tested over a period of 10 years. Find out here what makes the Contact Sling 8.0 from Mammut one of the best slings on the market—along with a few tips and tricks for getting the most out of it.

Outdoor community, trail running, live screen printing, and a Repair Corner: On August 28 and 29, Patagonia will celebrate the opening of its new store in Salzburg with a variety of events during its opening weekend. Visitors can look forward to creative hands-on activities, group events, and plenty of opportunities to get to know the local outdoor community.

In my opinion, November is the perfect month to skip waiting for the season’s first powder and instead escape to the tropics to drink endless coconuts fresh from the tree and surf waves that are usually even less crowded!

In spring of 2026 PowderGuide partnered up with endurance athlete Tobias Renggli, who, together with our friend and mountain goat Heli Hoffmann and polar guide Laetitia Lam, intended to scale, as the first of many mountains in America, Denali (6190 m.a.s.l.) in Alaska, the tallest of the USA, by bike, ski and foot. This is the story about how I became their expedition's meteorologist and how they summited despite non-ideal weather conditions.