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I packed my thick backpack, the giant ice hockey bag and the two-metre-long ski bag onto the Flixbus, hugged my flatmates once again and the big bus sets off. From above, I could see my friends trying in vain to make out which of the darkened windows I had sat down behind. So that was it for Heidelberg, off to the mountains!

For weeks, keen freeriders have been wandering through the vastness of the Alps in search of powder, like whalers on the ocean in search of lantern oil or pirates in search of bounty. For a long time, there was nothing in sight. But now, finally we can hear: "There she blows, dump backboard ahead!" and there's snow again in the north-western Alps.

At the beginning of the year, it's not just world events that are coming thick and fast, but also the weather. Winter has finally descended on Europe, is currently spreading deep into the Balkans and the next trough promises to bring large amounts of fresh snow to the northern slopes of the Alps as early as today. High pressure is prevailing over Greenland, however, and temperatures are very high. We therefore turn our attention last to the special role that Greenland and its ice sheet play in the global climate.

Perfect gliding on the slopes - but ski wax containing fluorine leaves invisible traces: fluorinated chemicals accumulate in the environment and in the blood and are harmful to health. How these "forever chemicals" work and why they are so problematic.

The 25th edition of the Prowinter trade fair - the central meeting point for manufacturers, retailers and brands in the winter sports and outdoor industry in the European Alpine region - will open its doors in Bolzano from January 11th to 13th, 2026. From clothing and equipment to safety-relevant and sustainable, innovative technologies, there will be plenty of new products and trends to discover. PowderGuide will be there for you to report.

After the tour is before the snack: sun on your face, endless views, and then the question of where to actually sit down. You can turn your skis around, of course. It's more comfortable, warmer and much more relaxed with a small, foldable seat pad that fits into any ski touring backpack. An inconspicuous item with surprisingly great comfort and more benefits than you might think.

Survived Christmas, said hello to the whole family in love and stress - or hid somewhere in the snow or on the beach? I'm using this space this week to draw attention to a website: the Freeski Museum. Eric Iberg has been working for years on creating a platform that brings together all ski films, all ski pro models, all podcasts, etc. It's finally online and still a long way from being finished - but wow, so cool. Thanks for that.

The weeks leading up to our adventure were characterized by snow, snow and more snow. That's why we all agreed on the goal of our trip: we wanted to be as safe as possible while having as much fun as possible!

The lucky ConditionsReporters who made it to Piedmont, spoiled by PowderAlerts, can enjoy friendly touring weather over the next few days. For the rest of the Alps, it will be a little more unstable. Particularly in the east, the general development and especially the precipitation options are not yet easy to assess thanks to the indecisive development of low pressure and a fickle air mass boundary.

The Rophaien is not particularly high, but as the first hill on the lake it offers an impressive view down into the blue and a racy north side with a not-so-trivial ascent and a magnificent descent.

It's that time again, the end of the year is approaching and it's time for fireworks. As the year draws to a close and the first firecrackers go off in the valley, it's worth taking a look up there. Innsbruck has been celebrating its mountain New Year's Eve on the Nordkette since 1994.