Even the journey there was fundamentally different to the previous year. A light drizzle accompanied us over the Fernpass and it wasn't until we reached St. Christoph that the aggregate state of the water changed into our preferred white, crystalline form.
Only a fraction of the lifts and pistes on the Arlberg were open due to the poor snow conditions. Off-piste skiing was not possible, especially in the rather rocky terrain on the Arlberg. This situation, which was already foreseeable in the previous week, led to DPS, a major sponsor, canceling its ski event and participation. As a result, the number of participants at Snow&Safety this year was significantly lower than in previous years, but this did not dampen the good atmosphere at the bar. Due to the poor conditions, the freeride courses (Freeride&Safety Coaching) for adults were sensibly not held, but the free offer for young people was maintained despite the weather-related adversities.
One of the highlights of the conference was the already firmly established multiple burial scenario by mountain guide Stefan Rössler. He was able to vividly present three different situations (companion rescue, Recco, exploratory chain) to a heterogeneous group of participants within a scenario in a rather short time and was able to give the participants valuable help for a hopefully never occurring emergency with all kinds of small but fine tips on shovel strategy and general organization. The weather situation with poor visibility also contributed to the realistic presentation of the scenario.
