Lorenzo Rieg

Even at a time when smartphones and Wi-Fi seem to be ubiquitous, there are still plenty of areas where contact with the rest of the world is severely limited. There, a satellite phone is not only useful in an emergency.

Everyone knows that the large Swiss brand with the extinct cousin of the elephant as its emblem is one of the leading manufacturers of mountain sports clothing. It has also been offering clothing specifically for freeriders for over 10 years (i.e. long before the big trend). At the same time, this clothing line is revised and improved every year. We have tested the top models from Mammut for you.

The Canalone Neri on the Cima Tosa is probably one of the most perfect gullies in the Alps. 900 vertical meters, north-facing and steep throughout, the gully is also located in a very impressive landscape!

Next week sees the launch of the Marker Kingpin, not only one of the most interesting products of the season in the ski touring sector, but also the first major manufacturer of ski bindings to enter the rapidly growing and increasingly competitive market for Pintech bindings. We have already briefly tested the Kingpin for you.

Ski touring guides are now almost a dime a dozen. But the relatively new guide "Freeski Alpin" by Reini Scherer is a very special one. Initially, it is dedicated to a single mountain range, the Mieminger Kette, but aims to document all possible downhill variants there. As a result, significantly more difficult and dangerous routes are described than in almost all other guides from German-speaking countries.

Heinz Zak is not only a well-known climber, mountaineer, photographer and slackliner, but also an excellent connoisseur of the Karwendel. With his new book "Karwendel", he brings "his" mountains closer to more than just mountain enthusiasts in 280 pages full of pictures and stories.

The Ultenspitze is certainly one of the most frequently climbed tours in the Schmirntal valley and therefore certainly not an insider tip. Nevertheless, it is often interesting, as its north-facing exposure means that it often offers good snow well into spring. Due to its short length, it is a good half-day tour, although the upper part can of course be done twice.

The "King of Dolomites" Powder Photo Contest was held for the second time in San Martino di Castrozza. This is a photo competition in which teams of two skiers or snowboarders and a photographer have the opportunity to take the best pictures in the impressive mountain world of the Dolomites over two days to win not only fame and glory, but also valuable prizes!

The Mammut Sphere UL Winter is one of the lightest sleeping bags in its temperature class, and is correspondingly high-quality but also minimalist in terms of material and features. You can find out why I like using it so much in this edition of "Gear of the Week".

The small ski resort of Kappl in the Paznaun Valley has been a household name for most freeriders since the Freeride World Tour stop was relocated from Fieberbrunn to the Quellspitze. Reason enough to introduce you to the short tour to the summit, where even non-pros get their money's worth...

The Khamski 38 is a ski touring backpack for all kinds of day tours, but thanks to its volume of 38 liters, it also offers enough space for really extended excursions or light overnight luggage.

There are now various, mostly brightly colored clothing lines from a wide range of manufacturers on the market that are specially designed to meet the needs of freeriders. However, the Salomon Quest Motion Fit combination really stands out: special attention was paid to maximum freedom of movement in the cut and material. We have tested for you how the clothing performs in everyday freeriding and ski touring.