Birgit Kantner (ÖAV)

During our mountain adventures, our high-altitude tours - in summer and winter - always take us to the icy glacier regions that are permanently covered in snow. According to the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (FFH Directive), these areas belong to habitat type 8240 "permanent glaciers", which is described as "high alpine zones permanently covered by snow or ice". An extremely inhospitable place - and yet we can certainly speak of a habitat here.

Moonlight tours, full moon hikes, night ski tours, night tobogganing as well as sunrise and twilight tours - the range of night-time events is huge. For many people, the day doesn't seem long enough, so the night literally turns into day. What may be a special experience for winter sports enthusiasts is unfortunately detrimental to many wild animals.

As freeriders and snowboarders, we like to enjoy nature away from the regulated and marked slopes. The free flow, your own line is always interesting. With more freedom comes more responsibility for your own actions. This irrevocable connection is crucial for thriving together in the natural winter landscape. So before we have to regulate, it is up to us to implement the right behavior.

"Respect your boundaries", "Experience the Tyrolean mountain world together", "Naturally on tour", "Your recreational area - my habitat" are all slogans and campaigns that remind us that we are out in nature, in the forest and on the mountain in the habitat of our native wild animals, in their "home" so to speak, and that we are guests there.

A jumble of terms! What do they mean for us recreation seekers and where do they apply - especially now in winter?