Frankreich

The FWQ series also started this season in La Clusaz (France). The 2* events, which took place during the week, gave riders with few or even no ranking points the chance to qualify for the main event at the weekend. The 4* contest attracted many European freeriders, who competed for the good prize money and the many FWT points. Fabian Lentsch and Jochen Mesle were on site for PowderGuide and report on their impressions.

It starts with an email from a friend: "Have you seen this line through the cave?" he asks, adding a link to the website of a local extreme skier who had skied this unique descent through natural caves and tunnels. When I see the pictures, I can hardly believe my eyes: simply amazing! Skiing through a cave system. We simply have to do this descent. The plan is quickly made. Together with my (ski) partner Sandra and a friend, we set off for the "Chourum Olympique", the name of this unique cave couloir.

After the weather in Revelstoke made it impossible to hold the first Freeride World Tour stop in 2013 at the planned time, the "Radikal Mountain" Freeride World Tour Qualifier in the French ski resort of La Clusaz will possibly be the first event in 2013 to compete for FWT points at the highest level!

The westerly drift is still alive and kicking and is once again providing us with a usable gliding surface!

Beaucoup de Neige! Snow in the west but the heat is becoming critical.

As announced, here is the Thursday update. The predicted amounts of 70-100 cm have already fallen across the board and, especially in eastern Switzerland, in some cases significantly more than the 50-70 cm with the 20 cm bonus, because interestingly there was no border through central Switzerland to the main precipitation areas in the west, which is probably due to the model orography, in which the east is simulated to be less high. Even the 120 cm have become full here and there outside of France.

Most people have noticed that winter is here. The mainstream and the media are also rediscovering snow and cold weather. And while the weather nerds are still debating whether this is real winter in Pusemuckel and Schloss Holte Stutenbrock (this place exists!) in the North German Plain and would rather have the horror winter of 10/11 (Oh God, no!), we ask ourselves: Uh, early December and third alarm.... Wasn't there something? That's right! We have a deja vue, because what's more important for us freeriders is that this week we're already seeing another intense north-westerly storm - just like 2011, only colder! So you've been good enough to light candles in the Ullrschrein! Very good.

The first dump is the sweetest, although hopefully not the deepest, because let's assume that, analogous to "the first cut is the deepest", the first dump will not also be the deepest. But you could say that the first real snowfall of the season is the one that causes the most excitement and anticipation, because it's finally starting properly.

After I only missed the last snowfall because I was away from the internet, here is a new alert (editor's note: we will be taking strict precautions to prevent the oracle from being away from the internet in future).

For skitourers who want steep terrain with not much of an approach, it can?t be much better than the Combeynot Pic Ouest. This high mountain looms up just above the col du Lautaret, is latterly full of nice faces and couloirs for experienced ski tourers. Even the ?normal? route boosta a nice 100 meters couloir which is just a little steeper then 45°. The ultimate playground for great riding and that from November to June.

The Pyrenees – For years, we have dreamed of making our tracks in the snow on the slopes of the border mountain range, which is up to 3,400 meters high and separates Western Europe from the Iberian Peninsula. This year it finally came true: seven days in four ski resorts in three different countries.

The FWQ circus is starting the 2012 season with a bang! The best competition freeriders of the "second league" met from 13-15.1.2012 in the French ski resort of La Clusaz to hold the contest adorned with 4****. The first contest of the season offers plenty of ranking points, decent prize money and a great supporting program. Event participants Simon Wohlgenannt, Sebastian Fischer and Fabian Lentsch were on site for PowderGuide and report on their impressions first-hand.