Franz Thomas Balmer

High 5000-metre peaks, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and remote ski touring and freeriding opportunities: The Georgian region of Svaneti in the wild Caucasus combines two ski worlds with cat skiing and ski touring.

Mud and sweat in black and white: this is as close as you can get to the heartbeat of the National Park Bike Marathon. It's not perfection that counts here, but determination. My camera was right in the middle of it all.

The recently renovated Grialetsch Hut SAC is surrounded by striking mountain peaks in the backcountry between Davos, the Flüala Pass and the Lower Engadine. It is the perfect starting point for a spring ski tour to the Piz Grialetsch.