Lorenzo Rieg

As in previous years, a number of innovations from the booming ski touring sector were presented at ISPO 2017. Both the "classic" ski tourer and the "modern" freetourer are addressed. And the ever-growing sector of piste tourers and ski tour racers will also be provided with new equipment. We took a look around the trade fair and provide an overview of new ski boots and bindings that will be of interest to freeriders and downhill-oriented ski tourers.

With the Jetforce airbag system, the two companies Black Diamond and Pieps have developed the first avalanche airbag system that is inflated by a nozzle instead of compressed air or gas. This is powered by a rechargeable electronic system, which has a number of advantages.

With the Alvier combo, Mammut has an outfit in its range that cuts a fine figure for both freeriding and ski touring. The material used is the new Gore CK-nit, which, unlike Gore-Tex, is not only more breathable, but also softer and "quieter".

Anyone who frequently undertakes steep descents, goes on typical ski mountaineering tours or is simply out and about in the firn in spring will also regularly need crampons when skiing. This makes it all the more surprising that there are hardly any crampons that are really well adapted to ski boots. From a bridge that is too short to straps that are also too short and cumbersome to put on, everything happens. With many ski boots, normal automatic crampons also block the walking mode, which is of course particularly suboptimal.

In spring, I was actually in Altenmarkt for something else when I was asked by Atomic's marketing department: "Would you like to have a look at our ski production?" Of course, I didn't have to think twice. It's not every day that you get the opportunity to see one of the big ski production facilities from the inside!

High alpine tour with an almost endless descent down into the Stubaital. Often still worthwhile late in the spring.

Skiing, snowboarding and ski touring may not always take place at low temperatures, but they often do - after all, the beloved powder snow is rarely found at temperatures above zero. Precipitation in frozen form is also usually welcome and the wind, with its well-known chill factor, is more frequent and stronger in the high mountains compared to the lowlands. The sports that PowderGuide is all about can therefore make you feel cold. Or rather, you can get cold if you're not properly dressed!

With the AR version of the popular Nuclei, Arc'teryx is launching a warmer synthetic fiber insulation jacket on the market, which is also equipped with a windstopper membrane, making the jacket not only more robust but also more weather-resistant.

While there has been one innovation after another in the ski touring boot segment (and freeride boots with ascent function) in recent years, things have been relatively quiet in the alpine boot segment. Those who need or want the ultimate performance still reach for a racing boot, which is fitted by a boot fitter and where comfort is usually sacrificed in favor of power transmission and ski feel. All other skiers, whether on the piste or off-piste, use a more or less sporty "normal" ski boot.

San Martino di Castrozza is no longer a real insider tip, even if it is a little quieter after fresh snowfall than in the absolute hotspots. There are of course also opportunities for ski tours from the numerous lifts, with the Cima Valcigolera offering a rewarding descent with a short ascent.

Although the Roter Stein is somewhat hidden, it is still a much-visited classic. Understandable, as it starts quite steeply almost directly from the parking lot and offers interesting terrain almost all the way to the summit. Only the last few meters have to be covered on foot...

On ski tours (at least for me), the hardshell jacket spends almost the entire ascent either in or on my backpack. As I only wear it for the descent, I started looking around for a lightweight model without any frills and ended up with the Alpha FL from Arc'teryx. What was important to me was a robust, high-quality and relatively durable membrane, and the Alpha FL also uses Goretex Pro (in contrast to the Alpha SL, which is identical in terms of cut and details but slightly lighter, which uses Goretex Paclite), which promises long-lasting weather protection.