Arlberg

Dr. Ullrstein stands impatiently in his laboratory and attaches power cables to season 2025/26, which is laid out in front of him. At the end of October, his capacitors have enough energy for a first power surge and something twitches through the early season.

Amidst the haze of the Freeride World Tour stop in Georgia during the first weekend of March, PowderGuide had the opportunity to sit down with Valentin Rainer, the 2023 men’s tour champion and a competitor in this year’s season. The 26-year-old Austrian rider shares an inside look at his life, both before and during the season, and opens up about his plans for the future. It’s an exciting glimpse into the world of a professional freerider, someone who relentlessly chases goals driven by intrinsic motivation and the pure joy of the sport.

St. Anton at the Arlberg is a household name for anyone on one or two boards - be it because of the legendary après-ski or the breathtaking pistes. But away from the booming bass beats, there are also impressive freeride runs, especially the famous Valluga, which challenges even experienced winter sports enthusiasts with its unmistakable panorama and demanding route. We were allowed to take a closer look at the whole thing over the weekend.

An interview with Nadine Wallner (born 1989) about her sports away from skiing, her preference for cheese dumplings and the basics of sluff management. And how she once discovered climbing for herself during rehab...

This Chinese curse (all Sinologists roll their eyes because the oracle is giving out dangerous half-knowledge) describes our coming days quite well. But the oracle wants - no, has to - write something now, even if a lot is still unclear for Friday/Saturday, because it's snowing. And it's actually snowing right through to Saturday with short breaks.

The time has come. The Oracle says "all systems go", squeezes into the skintight clothing of an attractive pit crew member, as found in motor racing, and waves the green flag, officially heralding the start of the Christmas race.

It's finally that time again. Christmas time, PowderAlert time. And not just one but two holidays are coming up, because Ullr has finally woken up from hibernation. At the beginning of December, it looked like there would be a real second PowderAlert, but two days before the Alert was due to take place, it was swiftly cancelled and instead of the expected 70-100cm, we got 20-30cm. The oracle was quite surprised at the accuracy of today's crystal ball. That's why PowderAlerts always come just before the snowfall, because nothing is worse than snow that doesn't fall but has been hyped up in advance. Now the time has come, because first there will be a little warm-up until Friday evening and then the second Alert will come on Saturday with a really big bag of fresh snow, then also in the EAST!

In times of crisis, people are happy to see not only the colours of the traffic lights in the news (german politics joke), but also the best colour of all, white. Educated physicists with an affinity for art may now lament that it is not a colour, but the oracle doesn't care, because white is the colour of love. The love of any freerider and finally we get to see it again on our beloved mountains.

Just in time for the start of the season, the European Outdoor Film Tour is once again travelling through Europe, bringing with it athletic solo runs and exciting adventures. Since the German premiere on 16th of October 2024 in the Alte Kongresshalle in Munich, the program has been shown at more than 350 events in nine countries. The total play time is around 120 minutes.

With this last nordstau, Ullr is sending us what could be the last cold snowfall suitable for weekends and the oracle is using this opportunity to bid a highly official farewell to the summer break, as medium range forecast does not look like there will be any more wintry surprises until the end of April.

Disclaimer: Schlager lyrics will not make sense in English. They do not make sense in German either, so dont worry ;) Ullr is on the retreat, but one last time the pop fan wants to dance the samba with us in the powder, because the powder makes us happy. Powder, Powder Powder, maybe tomorrow it will be over?

The Arc'teryx Academy 2024 in St. Anton am Arlberg was an impressive experience for freeride enthusiasts from all over the world. The event offered a varied programme full of clinics, workshops, film evenings and talks with Arc'teryx athletes. In this report, we dive into the eventful days of the Academy, from the night tobogganing to the clinics led by experienced athletes and mountain guides. A behind-the-scenes look at an event that not only pushed the boundaries of ability, but also created a strong sense of freeride community and sharing.