Alpen

Sometimes, when I see the weather,
I get violent fantasies, and the weather fairy
would be the first victim of my aggression,
although I know: what's the point,
if you take her at her word and force her
that she jumps into the North Sea in a bikini.
- Wise Guys, Now it's summer

The world of winter sports fans is notoriously divided into two camps: season ticket holders and road trippers. The former usually live in relative proximity to this or that ski resort and are happy to indulge in the occasional boredom of a fixed commitment, while the latter are flighty and faithless – always on the lookout for the perfect spot with the perfect conditions.

In meteorology, weather conditions that occur with above-average probability on a certain date are called singularities or weather regularities. One such singularity is the much-hated Christmas thaw. While everything is often still frosty and Christmasy white just before the holidays, it starts to thaw when the presents arrive, it gets warm, it rains and not even an array of colorful fairy lights can alleviate the dreariness of muddy front gardens?

The Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt; a much-traveled, challenging classic. This high alpine ski crossing leads through some of the most spectacular Alpine regions; it offers incredible descents, but also long daily stages and challenging alpine terrain. Without a doubt, the 5-6 day ski crossing is one of the highlights in the life of a tourer or freerider. Anthony was enthusiastic, but the huts seemed a little too "luxurious" for him. So he packed his own tent...

There are quite a few people who claim they can smell snow. Whether it really is the Arctic cold air that they can smell or whether Father Frost has lit a scented candle - who knows. What is certain is that something is brewing in the north and when it reaches the Alps, we will all be drowning in snow chaos. At least that's what the weather warnings in all the media want.