Black Diamond

Carbonization is all the rage for skis. And it makes sense. Black Diamond has implemented this in the Megawatt freeride ski and presents a wide touring freerider with the lightweight version.

What the Factor is for men, the Shiva is for women. A shoe with cult status. And not without good reason, in our opinion.

Oh horror! Christmas is less than a month away. Normally a clear warning shot that you should slowly but surely get to grips with the present madness. Wishing for presents, thinking them up, finding them, buying them, wrapping them and finally giving them. It's the same old song that has surely stumped everyone at some point. What, where, how? But what could be easier than peeking over the shoulders of like-minded people and copying from their wish lists? So here are the PG crew's Christmas wishes.

For the first time, the BigLePowSki tour made a stop in Scandinavia from April 13 to 15, 2012. The Dude also had the right nose for this fourth and final event of the winter in Sogndal (Norway), as the temperatures dropped to wintry degrees again just in time and it snowed the finest powder snow that you wouldn't expect even in Norway in April. The BigLePowSki-Happening is organized by Black Diamond and Arc?teryx and is supported by Fritschi, FreerideMap, Pieps and Polartec.

The American brand Black Diamond has long been known for climbing skins as well as climbing equipment of all kinds. The tried and tested Ascension skin has been equipped with a new tip tensioner for this season and the material has been changed so that it is around 10% lighter than last year's model.

From March 23 to 25, 2012, the third BigLePowSki Freeski Happening of the 2012 season will take place - and for the first time, the Dude will be making a guest appearance in the Mecca of steep face skiing, Chamonix! A series of workshops, testing opportunities and of course the legendary Dude Party await all participants. The BigLePowSki event series is presented by Black Diamond, Arc?teryx, Diamir Fritschi, FreerideMap, Polartec and Pieps.

PowderGuide is very fortunate to work with many of the best and most respected mountain sports companies that produce high-quality freeride and touring equipment. In the partner special, we would therefore like to present or recommend one of our partners' top products for winter 2012/2013.

From January 13 to 15, 2012, the time had finally come: the legendary BigLePowSki-Tour 2011/2012 opened in Engelberg (Switzerland) in good off-piste conditions. Perfect mountain weather and the odd untracked slope made for a great atmosphere. With 35 participants each, the workshops were fully booked on both days and the test equipment from Black Diamond, Arcteryx, Fritschi and Pieps found plenty of takers.

A revised version of the tried-and-tested Factor ski boot was released for winter 2011/12, with particular improvements to the inner boot and the addition of 130 to the product name. The new liner was designed to offer more warmth, more comfort and an even better fit than its predecessor.

One of the major material trends in the freeride sector in recent years has been the increasing popularity of freeride ski boots. If you want to get away from rutted ski variants or have had enough of wobbly ski touring descents in soft touring boots, you can choose from an ever-growing selection of freeride ski boots suitable for touring. So that you don't lose track in the product jungle, we have once again presented and categorized all the freeride boot models available to us for the 2011/2012 season in this market overview.

Even if freeriders often pay little attention to ski touring skins, you should always keep the chapter on care in mind. Ski touring skins constantly rub against the snow and lose their waterproofing through friction and contact with the snow. Natural hair is more affected by this than synthetic products. If the climbing or gliding properties deteriorate, you should consult the manufacturer's care instructions. A block of impregnating wax to renew the protective layer is available in any outdoor store for just a few dollars. Especially with skins that have already absorbed moisture and are used in cold snow, there is a risk that lumps of snow will collect on them – the skins tend to "stollen".

"Boots are made for walking" goes a well-known American country song. But not all ski boots are suitable for touring with them. In the PowderGuide market overview, you can read which boots currently available meet freeride requirements.