Tobias Kurzeder

Civilian, i.e. non-military, avalanche warning has existed in Europe since 1945. At that time, the Swiss SLF decided to set up a nationwide avalanche warning service. After some particularly serious avalanche disasters occurred in the 1950s, further avalanche warning services were set up in the Alpine countries in the 1950s and 60s.

Train a beginner to become a companion rescuer in 15 minutes? Is that possible? Manuel Genswein's research says yes!

"I still remember all the questions I had when I first started skiing full time. Knowing what I know now, this is the book I wish I'd had back then." Jimmy Odén

The 2012/2013 winter report of the Austrian LWDs is well worth reading and can be downloaded free of charge in the form of the "Annual Report of the Austrian Avalanche Warning Services".

The new firmware for the Barryvox Pulse enables new functions in addition to the usual functions of the previous firmware versions and improves and simplifies existing functions: - Extended first signal display - Improved direction display - Guided fine search (Barryvox Intelligent Search)

Socks are a dime a dozen. And the best socks I've worn in recent years were the "Ski + Lite Over The Calf" ski socks from Icebreaker made from merino wool.

Under the editorship of the world's leading snow and avalanche research institute SLF in Davos, some of the most experienced snow and avalanche experts have written a new basic textbook on the subject of snow.

There are many good bikers. And then there are champions - shining lights among mountain bikers. It is one thing to be out and about with a group of good or very good bikers. Going mountain biking with a super athlete, such as the French enduro star and multiple winner of the Megavalanche Jerome Clementz, is something else. With him, mountain biking becomes art: harmony between man, bike and nature. Jerome jets down his home trails in the Vosges in an almost artistically impressive way. This is where he comes from, this is where he grew up: he knows almost every stone, every bend and every jump.

Seven years after the publication of their wonderful first book Helvetic Backcountry - Snowboard Tours in the Swiss Alps, the makers of Helvetic Backcountry have created a work for winter 2013/2014 that is second to none - but will not be found. The brand new ski and snowboard touring atlas for the Swiss Alps consists of a lovingly but clearly designed book and a map box with 30 maps in the outstanding quality of the Swiss national maps.

In the wild, sparsely populated Spanish Pyrenees, there are still wolves, a few brown bears and countless huge griffon vultures. And it is there, in the wild Val d'Aran, where a communist guerrilla fought against the fascist regime of the then dictator Franco until the end of the 1950s, that we want to go biking. In my imagination, I see wild west-like, dry and dusty highlands and deeply cut canyons, steppe-like vegetation and tiny, crooked stone houses.

In mid-April 2013, the PowderGuide team met in the Jamtal valley in Tyrol for the final meeting of the season. In addition to a social get-together, this year's program included training and further education with avalanche rescue expert Manuel Genswein.

Due to unfavorable weather and avalanche forecasts, the Back on Track freeride competition was postponed to April 12-14, 2013 and will now take place in more pleasant conditions at the end of the winter season.