Philip Crivelli

A third layer jacket with merino wool sounds a bit strange at first. On closer inspection, however, you realize that the merino wool is only used on the inside. On the outside, the jacket shines with the high-performance Dermizax®EV membrane from Toray with a water column of at least 20,000 mm and is therefore permanently wind and waterproof.

Since the patent for the pin binding expired in 2014, new bindings using the frameless design have been appearing on the market at regular intervals. Apart from small details and design, the bindings hardly differ. The functional principle has mostly been adopted without any new innovation. The TR2 from Ski Trab is one of the few exceptions.

At 2341 m above sea level, the Alvier is one of the higher peaks in the St.Gallen Rhine Valley. The summit is easily accessible from (almost) all sides. As it has no larger neighbors in the immediate vicinity, you can enjoy a fantastic view from the summit. Including the castle in Vaduz.

There was already a GOTW article about this product some time ago. In it, I described my first impressions. Since then, the gloves have regularly accompanied me into the mountains, not only for skiing, but also as a warm glove for summer mountaineering in the Alps.

You would think that ski gloves would have the least influence on our performance on the ascent and descent. However, as everyone knows, cold fingers and wet gloves can spoil the fun. Since the overall experience usually counts when skiing, snowboarding or any other snow sports activity, it's worth taking a close look at your gloves.

The Piz d'Err is one of the highest mountains on the Julier Pass, the gateway to the Engadin. Although the mountain itself is well-known, it is not overrun in winter. This is probably mainly due to the fact that the climbs are a little more challenging or involve an overnight stay in a hut. However, the descent and the panorama make up for every drop of sweat burned on the ascent.

Back in the 2014/15 season, Scarpa launched the F1 Evo, a boot that was set to revolutionize the world of ski touring. Unfortunately, the boot had to be recalled in February because in some cases the boot fell into the walk mechanism during the descent. This revolution is being relaunched in 2016. And PowderGuide is part of it.

Since the ABS patent on airbag backpacks expired, new models of avalanche airbag systems have been springing up like mushrooms. Ortovox has also turned its back on ABS and developed its own system. This system has been installed in various new backpacks. PowderGuide had the opportunity to test this new system in the Free Rider 22 Avabag.

The basic safety equipment - avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe - is preached like a mantra in every avalanche course. Of the three, the avalanche transceiver is given a lot of attention, while the shovel and probe are overshadowed. It's long past time that PowderGuide took a closer look at these products.

In the ski mecca of Chamonix, the powder slopes in the off-piste area are extremely fast. It's a good idea to pack your skins. As soon as you have to walk up a bit, there are far fewer people on the slopes. However, this does not mean that you will be alone.

Who isn't interested in finding out exactly what the conditions are like in a particular area? How much fresh snow has fallen, what has the wind done or the temperature? This is where the available weather portals or avalanche reports reach their limits - the limits of communicability. This is where the measured values come into play: they provide very timely and valuable information on a specific point.

For the second stop of the Freeride World Tour 2016, the riders have moved on to Chamonix, the Mecca for skiers and alpinists. On the north face of the Aig. Pourrie, they put on an action-packed show.