Adrian Sauter

Georgia is known for its hospitality, culinary delights and plenty of powder snow. Nevertheless, there are only a handful of ski resorts in the hundreds of kilometres of the neighbouring Caucasus. One of them is Tetnuldi. A real insider tip for freeriders who are not afraid of the long journey.

The Watzmann crossing is a famous classic in summer. In winter, far fewer summit aspirants get lost on the snow-covered and challenging ridge. The tour leads along an ideal route through one of the most beautiful parts of the Berchtesgaden Alps. If you follow the Watzmannruf in winter, you should be free from vertigo and be and experienced winter mountaineer. If you are prepared to cover over 2,400 metres in altitude and a distance of 23 kilometres in one day, you are guaranteed solitude and an unforgettable adventure.

The tour of the Trois Cols is a popular high-alpine skitour near Argentière and leads into a world far away from the infrastructure and ski hustle and bustle. Thanks to lift support in the Grands Montets resort, you can cover a considerable number of metres in just one day and cross several impressive glacier basins along the way. This very varied tour rewards you with magnificent views of the steep north faces of Argentière and the Mont Blanc massif.

This skiing adventure on the outskirts of Chamonix has everything to make a skier's heart beat faster. A gondola ride up the Aiguilles Rouges, two entertaining ascents and a long, challenging steep chute that leads into a picturesque valley. The remoteness and the picturesque return journey on the little train from Le Buet make this ski safari an exciting day trip.

About 20 years ago, as a young boy, I stood on the Aiguille du Midi in France for the first time with my parents. Without any effort, I climbed to an altitude of 3842m to stand like an astronaut in the face of a rugged, high alpine landscape. Impressed then as I am now, I ask myself whether it is essential for people to be able to reach otherwise almost inaccessible places so easily.

The elegant wooden ski from the small Bernese ski manufacturer Earlybird is a revolution in terms of sustainability and design. The 107 mm wide ski is Earlybird's freetouring model and appeals to deep snow fans with a thirst for ascent who appreciate a racy freeride ski even in the deepest backcountry. Not only the look and durability are impressive, the downhill performance with surprisingly low weight make the ski a versatile companion on small and big adventures.

La Voute is one of the most legendary and longest freeride runs in la Grave. With the ski resorts's lift support, you can embark on a varied adventure in a magnificent setting. The descent leads over the wide Girose glacier deeper and deeper in untouched and wild landscape over 2200 meters of altitude into the valley. Despite its fame, the alpine character of the tour should not be underestimated.

For many freeriders, Grenoble is still a blank spot on the map. Despite its high alpine backdrop, the capital of the Isère region with its 160,000 inhabitants is usually simply ignored and left by the highway. As part of Erasmus, I was able to put the freeride and ski touring opportunities through their paces alongside student life.

The mythical mountain peak of la Meije lends itself to a lift-supported and varied tour in late winter. In the heart of the Western Alps, the 2-day tour leads through steep gullies and a rugged glacier landscape. The route requires frequent changes from ski to carrying passages and, depending on the snow conditions, also offers some technical passages. However, due to its sensational descents over the Glacier de l'Homme, it has more than earned the title of TouringTip.

If you are traveling in glaciated areas, you will inevitably have to deal with the topic of crevasse rescue. The Mammut RescYou offers a complete solution that is quick to set up and easy to use. The RescYou is primarily aimed at freeriders and ski tourers who are not yet very familiar with crevasse rescue and are looking for a compact device for emergencies.

Scott's popular Scrapper 124 now has a little brother, which is supposed to be more maneuverable and an all-rounder at the same time. The ski not only impresses with spectacular images on the screen in "La Liste", but also shows its best side in the endurance test. The combination of lightweight construction and racy downhill performance make the ski very interesting for freeriders who are prepared to take on the odd climb for a big mountain line.

I feel a little strange as I load my powder skis into the car in bright sunshine, blue skies and almost 20 degrees in the shade. But I'm happy to leave pre-summer Stuttgart behind me and make my way to Fieberbrunn for the Risk'n'Fun Chillout, the last stop on my three-stage freeride training course. As soon as I arrive, I'm already looking forward to seeing the familiar faces from the previous camps this winter.