Davos

A little away from the hustle and bustle of the upmarket Swiss ski resort of Davos, on the Flüela Pass just behind the gondola station of the "Pischa" ski area, there are plenty of opportunities for ski tourers. One of the most rewarding tours is the ascent to the Sentisch Horn. The tour offers various options for different skill levels both on the ascent and descent, and the predominantly north-facing exposure means there is a good chance of good snow.

"Switzerland, The Original Winter since 1864, 150 years of winter tourism" can be read on the homepage of myswitzerland.ch. Reason enough for the destination Davos & Klosters and its mountain railroads to adopt this "strong" slogan. However, this slogan is interpreted in such a way that the real pioneering work of that time is exploited and the focus is one-sidedly and exclusively on profit interests.

The new "Freeride Guide Davos Klosters" is a handy and well-structured reference book in German and English for anyone who wants to go freeriding in Davos in the future but is not familiar with the area and/or has little experience in tour preparation and situation assessment. But experienced freeriders will also find plenty of inspiration and great route suggestions in the new Freeride Guide.

Towards the end of winter 2012/2013, eight skiers from the Arc'teryx freeski team met up near Davos to discover the previously unknown Vereina Valley in Graubünden at the first Wilderness Camp. The focus of this wilderness camp was to master first ascents and ascents together in a lonely mountain world and to exchange ideas about the different philosophies of freeriding and backcountry skiing. Hanna Finkel took part in the Arc'teryx Wilderness Camp and reports on her experiences, the lines she skied and her adventures.

The tour to the Flüela Wiishorn, one of the 460 3,000-metre peaks in the canton of Graubünden, is very popular and easy to reach from Davos thanks to the Flüela Pass road. For those in good shape, she recommends the descent towards Jöriseen, which generally offers good powder conditions thanks to its northern exposure, and the ascent back to Wäschchuchi and from there the descent back to the car.

The first BigLePowSki event was held in Davos (Pischa) two years ago. In the meantime, the "Dude" has grown into a tour and this time the whole thing took place on Thomas Mann's "Zauberberg". The Berghotel Schatzalp and the associated Strela ski area provided the perfect location and ambience for the second stop of the BigLePowSki tour in a fitting atmosphere.

It was 20 years ago, but Martin still remembers his first skiing vacation with his parents very clearly. He was only five years old and the five-hour drive to the ski resort in central Sweden was a long one. Martin remembers the joy of the falling snow, the cold wind in his face and the sound of his skis on the icy slope. This experience is probably etched in the memory of many children, but only for a few does the simple joy of skiing reach this dizzying level of excitement.

Graubünden is located in the south-easternmost corner of Switzerland and is the largest canton in terms of area - but also the one with the smallest population. Mathematically speaking, there should therefore be enough space for endless areas of fresh, untracked snow. In practical terms, Graubünden has access to a total of 45 ski areas. This means that some are virtually extinct. Others, on the other hand - especially those well-known in freeriding circles - are crowded and full of hustle and bustle. No matter which scenario you prefer, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone in Graubünden...