29-year-old Sina Wittman is an enthusiastic snowboarder and took part in the first level of the risk'n'fun freeride training session as a freeride rookie. Here, Sina describes her impressions and experiences. Sina owes her participation to her extremely charming and enthusiastic application for the training place for the three risk'n'fun camps that risk'n'fun and PowderGuide have advertised for winter 2012/13. Read her refreshing inside report from the first level of the risk'n'fun freeride training program in Sölden. What can I expect at the risk 'n' fun camp in Sölden? This question buzzes through my head on the way to Augsburg, where I pick up Johannes, who is also taking part in the risk'n'fun camp, to drive together to Tyrol, more precisely to Ötztal in Sölden. We want to make the most of the first day before the camp starts in the evening. As compensation for the night-time departure at half past three in the morning, we are rewarded with bright sunshine in Sölden. My co-driver Johannes is a skier and races up and away from me in the deep snow; nevertheless, it is fun and we find beautiful powder snow close to the slopes. We check into our accommodation in the evening. This is followed by a very nice round of introductions and then the avalanche emergency equipment is handed out. Although I am, admittedly, very inexperienced when it comes to emergency equipment, I feel comfortable because, after all, I am here to learn.
For the first day in the terrain, we split into two groups, each accompanied by a mountain guide and a risk'n'fun trainer. We start with a detailed discussion of the avalanche report and then learn how to carry out a full functional check of the avalanche transceivers. Even here I ask myself, why doesn't this sound familiar? Visibility is good, the avalanche risk is moderate (avalanche warning level 2) and there is still plenty of powder snow, which we have a lot of fun using to explore the freeride potential of the area. There are a few stones hidden in the deep snow, but that hardly spoils the fun. As I'm practically still a freeride novice, I have to bite my way through a little. I enjoy the great feeling and the equally great panorama to the full. The group is great and immediately puts the instructors' request to think for yourself into practice. The aim of the camp is that the decisions should primarily be discussed and made by us. You can tell that the trainers and mountain guides love what they do and are very familiar with the subject matter. Again and again they point out the many wind signs on the snow surface. Although the other group members seem almost like professionals to me, they literally soak up everything we are told. My initial naivety turns into thoughtfulness.
Later, I ask my roommate about her motivation for taking the course. I begin to understand that although anyone can go off-piste, not everyone knows what they are doing. I can also understand the motivations of another participant, who has been following the boys she goes freeriding with. Through the course, she wants to learn to decide for herself what is right and develop her own strategy. At the end of the course, she is sure that she will send her buddies to this training too. The first day was very exhausting for me - because I don't normally run through the deep snow so much every day. But I already have the feeling that I've learned soooo many new things and this feeling is reinforced in the evening with the theory unit.
Snow starts to fall in the evening. And so the visibility on the third day is mixed. When the weather clears up a little, we try to make the most of the good visibility until lunch. Thanks to the new and drifting snow, most of the tracks are now sufficiently covered and we can enjoy the powder. The avalanche danger has increased slightly, but it remains at level 3 above 2200 m and level 2 below this altitude. The educational exercises of the course, for example all participants are asked to assess their own risk tolerance, make us very thoughtful: all course participants reflect on their previous experiences and decisions. The focus of the training is that we should work out as much as possible ourselves. For this reason, we are repeatedly thrown in at the deep end, a method that has an incredible learning effect in this case. It is clear to the group that the concept works and everyone is on fire when it comes to the avalanche scenario the next day. The handling of the equipment and the recognition of alpine dangers are worked through and then deepened again in the evening. During the day, the group asks itself questions and tries to assess the avalanche danger based on the wind signs on the snow surface and what this means for the group's decision. A very important criterion for making a risk-optimized decision is the assessment or review of the slope inclination, which forms the basis for our decision according to the "stop-or-go" principle.
I occasionally struggle with my riding technique, but the group and the instructors pull me along and I enjoy the remoteness and the wonderful feeling of freeriding. This feeling is what we are all looking for and what unites us as a group. And the fun of the action is not neglected either: when we see a metal roof of an alpine hut sticking out of the snow cover, we immediately use it as a kicker for a spontaneous freestyle session. In the evening, during the feedback session, we discuss the decisions we have made and how we have tried to develop our own strategy based on the stop-or-go system. During these conversations, I realize that there is so much to freeriding that I didn't know about before. And I devour all the information we are given during the training. Despite all the learning, the evenings are a lot of fun. We also benefit from the versatility of the group: two group members are winemakers from Burgenland who hold a spontaneous wine tasting with us.
The last day was warm and very windy, with fresh snow only falling at high altitudes. Due to the sharp rise in temperature, the precipitation fell as rain during the night up to around 2200 m. The wetness has weakened the snow cover, which is why avalanche warning level 4 (= high avalanche danger) has been issued and we can observe some self-triggering avalanches. The snow is very difficult to ski in due to the moisture, which is why we complete another avalanche rescue training course with avalanche transceivers and sounding. I make my way home totally happy, with the primary realization that anyone who wants to experience the thrill of off-piste skiing should attend such training. My horizons have broadened enormously and I've realized that you can never be short-sighted when it comes to the complex subject of snow and avalanches. I compared my previous freeriding experience, in particular how I made the decisions to ski a slope or not, with my new experiences. And that convinced me so much that I would take part in such training again at any time. I'm really looking forward to the next level of training, the "Next Level" in March 2013 at the Sonnenkopf in Voralberg. Editor's note: Sina will take part in the so-called Next Level, the 2nd level of the Austrian Alpine Club's risk'n'fun training program for freeriders, in March 2013 and will also write a report before taking part in the official risk'n'fun season finale in Fieberbrunn directly afterwards.PS: A big thank you to Dani Tollinger from risk'n'fun for providing the freeride training and to Bergbahnen Sölden for the lift tickets.
