Totti Lingotti

Völkl's widest powder ski is getting an update this winter. Since the Kuro first came onto the market in winter 2008, it has only changed marginally. The 2013 version is now being revised and will be significantly stiffer and therefore heavier thanks to titanium inserts. PowderGuide has already had the opportunity to put the powder weapon through its paces in the deep Tyrolean snow and the rugged off-piste terrain of Disentis.

From March 23 to 25, 2012, the BigLePowSki– event series took place in Chamonix (France) for the first time. No other ski resort in the Alps can keep up with the off-piste possibilities of the five resorts in the Chamonix Valley, so it seemed only a matter of time before the Dude made an appearance here too. With sunshine and good snow conditions, the participants were able to explore the off-piste terrain of Les Grands Montets on Saturday and Brévent / Flégère on Sunday with the local guides. The BigLePowSki is organized by Black Diamond, Arc?teryx, Diamir, Freeride Maps, Pieps and Polartec.

The Engelberg ski resort in central Switzerland is now well known to every freerider. This has the disadvantage that the first-line jostling for the first gondolas can be quite stressful. If the classic variants Laub, Steinberg, Jochstock or Galtiberg have usually turned into moguls after just one day, the descents in particular, which require a little effort (ascent) or alpine know-how, offer lonely descents and are still easy to ski days after the last snowfall. One of these freeride tours, the Titlis circuit, has been considered a classic since the 1990s and every freerider should have done this tour at least once. There are many reasons for this: a magnificent 2700-metre descent, impressive views from Tödi to Finsteraahorn or alpine adrenaline when abseiling are just some of them.

From March 23 to 25, 2012, the third BigLePowSki Freeski Happening of the 2012 season will take place - and for the first time, the Dude will be making a guest appearance in the Mecca of steep face skiing, Chamonix! A series of workshops, testing opportunities and of course the legendary Dude Party await all participants. The BigLePowSki event series is presented by Black Diamond, Arc?teryx, Diamir Fritschi, FreerideMap, Polartec and Pieps.

The Afghan Ski Challenge took place for the second time on March 9, 2012 in the Afghan province of Bamiyan. At Afghanistan's second international ski championship, the locals outclassed the far more experienced racers from the West. Since two Swiss journalists persistently organized Afghanistan's first ski race last year, it has been reported in many international media. The response was overwhelming and this year some well-known outdoor companies offered their support to organize the event in an appropriate setting.

As the little brother of the well-known freeride ski area on the Titlis, the Brunnibahn in Engelberg also offers some interesting downhill options and definitely less crowds. When the slopes in the shadowy area around the Trübsee have long since been groomed, you can still find the odd patch of untracked powder snow on the "sunny side of Engelberg". Among other things, the variants with the ascent towards Rigidalstock and the west-facing descent through Ober Stoffelberg are popular. If you like it a little more alpine and are not afraid of a via ferrata passage with skis on your backpack, then you should take the 700 meters of ascent to this summit in your stride, because the descent has it all.

Sam Smoothy (NZL) wins a stop of the FWT for the first time and then immediately in the freeride mecca of Chamonix (FRA). With his fluid riding style, he clearly set himself apart from Reiner Barkered (SWE) and Oakley White-Allen. The latter now leads the overall standings. In the women's event (skiing), Jaclyn Paaso (USA) could not be beaten by Angel Collinson (USA) and Janina Kuzma (NZL). The snowboard competition was won by French local Douds Charlet (FRA), who finished on the podium ahead of Ralph Backstrom (USA) and his compatriot Aurelien Routens (FRA). The women's podium (snowboard) was also dominated by North Americans: Maria Debari (USA) won ahead of Margot Rozies (FRA) and Shannan Yates (USA).

Sam Smoothy (NZL) wins a stop of the FWT for the first time and then immediately in the freeride mecca of Chamonix (FRA). With his fluid riding style, he clearly set himself apart from Reiner Barkered (SWE) and Oakley White-Allen. The latter now leads the overall standings. In the women's event (skiing), Jaclyn Paaso (USA) could not be beaten by Angel Collinson (USA) and Janina Kuzma (NZL). The snowboard competition was won by French local Douds Charlet (FRA), who finished on the podium ahead of Ralph Backstrom (USA) and his compatriot Aurelien Routens (FRA). The women's podium (snowboard) was also dominated by North Americans: Maria Debari (USA) won ahead of Margot Rozies (FRA) and Shannan Yates (USA).

From January 13 to 15, 2012, the time had finally come: the legendary BigLePowSki-Tour 2011/2012 opened in Engelberg (Switzerland) in good off-piste conditions. Perfect mountain weather and the odd untracked slope made for a great atmosphere. With 35 participants each, the workshops were fully booked on both days and the test equipment from Black Diamond, Arcteryx, Fritschi and Pieps found plenty of takers.

The next morning it was the same picture. Again it had snowed 30 cm of the finest Champaign powder overnight and we didn't know whether we were in a freerider's dream world. For us, this meant pure anticipation of another 12 to 14 runs through untracked terrain. For Karl and his guides, however, this meant getting up two hours earlier, digging snow profiles, checking weather data, assessing the avalanche situation and deciding which runs were justifiable for the least risky freeriding possible. A responsible and tough job, but one that is rewarded on the first descent when the lead guide MUST be the first to ski down an untracked slope.

For the second year, Diamir and other partners are offering the Freeride Education Camp. This coming weekend (January 7 & 8, 2012), everything you need to know about freeride mountaineering will once again be taught in a rustic atmosphere at the Cabane Mt. Fort and in the excellent off-piste terrain of Verbier. After the first camp (Galtür) had to be canceled due to a lack of snow, Verbier now offers great freeride conditions. And the next dump is coming up just in time for the weekend.

Take part in the big Mountain Mastery competition organized by the brands Mammut, Gore-Tex® and PowderGuide. A three-day freeride trip of superlatives to the area of your choice awaits the two winning teams! In addition, you will be equipped with outstanding Gore-Tex® freeride equipment from Mammut, including Gore-Tex® clothing and airbag backpacks. The prize includes accommodation, meals and lift passes. A freeride mountain guide from the Mammut Alpine School will help you find the best descents and minimize the risk of avalanches. The second and third-placed teams will also receive valuable prizes! Prizes with a total value of 15,000 euros await the winners! Attention: the number of participants is limited, so register quickly.