After my last big winter adventure, exploring the Andes on a splitboard, I realised how much catching up I needed to do in the field of avalanche awareness, how unsure I was at times, but above all in which direction I wanted to develop further, the last two winters were all about learning, learning, learning. The training with risk'n'fun fitted perfectly into the programme. When Dani from risk'n'fun asked me to write a short, final summary, I immediately thought back to one of my last ski tours last winter.
I was travelling alone, on my way to the summit of a fairly relaxed 3,000 metre peak in my brand new South Tyrolean home. My touring partner had fallen into a mysterious slumber while I was planning the tour via WhatsApp the evening before and didn't let me hear from her again during the night. But I didn't feel like staying at home either, as a beautiful spring day was on the horizon and I was keen to explore my new surroundings.
This gave me some time to think during the 1400 metres of altitude in a breathtaking setting. The situation almost felt a little surreal. Since the previous winter, I had come a long way in terms of avalanche expertise, risk assessment, decision-making and, last but not least, self-confidence on the mountain. Until then, I had also enjoyed being on tour, but had always relied on my partners. I could only make independent decisions, if at all, based on a vague gut feeling. There was always a sense of danger when travelling in the backcountry, partly due to negative personal experiences in the past. However, assessing this independently and reliably seemed like a complex science to me. I was more inclined to believe the assessments of my touring partners.
At the beginning of last winter, I would never have dreamed of doing a tour like this alone, which was now so natural and relaxed. But 4 levels of risk'n'fun, combined with a lot of personal application of what I had learnt, obviously left their mark on me.
