Freeride

Fortunately, there was no rain and the week started with a forecast of 1 cm of fresh snow overnight. The joy of waking up to 50 cm of fresh snow was immense. The day could easily be described as heliskiing for the price of a day ticket, although it would be more accurate to say heliskiing-for-the-price-of-two-day-tickets.

"Find the best snow" in the current ideal freeride spot is the motto of the first Mountain Mastery 2012 competition. Your task is to find the best freeride area for you: There are two time periods available for selecting the area: 21-22.01. or 24-25.01.2012.

At the beginning of the week, I was still a little skeptical as the weather forecast was anything but rosy, i.e. snowy. With one eye on the precipitation radar, it took a few early morning online studies to decide where to go. The differences in terms of fresh snow and weather were pretty extreme, even in this relatively small region.

The next morning it was the same picture. Again it had snowed 30 cm of the finest Champaign powder overnight and we didn't know whether we were in a freerider's dream world. For us, this meant pure anticipation of another 12 to 14 runs through untracked terrain. For Karl and his guides, however, this meant getting up two hours earlier, digging snow profiles, checking weather data, assessing the avalanche situation and deciding which runs were justifiable for the least risky freeriding possible. A responsible and tough job, but one that is rewarded on the first descent when the lead guide MUST be the first to ski down an untracked slope.

Take part in the big Mountain Mastery competition organized by the brands Mammut, Gore-Tex® and PowderGuide. A three-day freeride trip of superlatives to the area of your choice awaits the two winning teams! In addition, you will be equipped with outstanding Gore-Tex® freeride equipment from Mammut, including Gore-Tex® clothing and airbag backpacks. The prize includes accommodation, meals and lift passes. A freeride mountain guide from the Mammut Alpine School will help you find the best descents and minimize the risk of avalanches. The second and third-placed teams will also receive valuable prizes! Prizes with a total value of 15,000 euros await the winners! Attention: the number of participants is limited, so register quickly.

The freeride descent to the Lac de Moiry reservoir in Zinal is not particularly technically demanding. However, the descent shines with the typical charms of the main Valais Alpine ridge, the characteristic dam wall and some crisp alternatives. This tour in the rear Val d'Anniviers can only be recommended to anyone who appreciates peace and seclusion and at the same time doesn't want to climb too much – also and perhaps especially because of the return journey on the Postbus. According to the current snow conditions (end of Dec. 2011), this freeride tour is already skiable – PowderGuide tested!

In episode two of the freeride summer training, freeride trainer Christian Haas explains exercises for intensive stabilization and endurance training.

It may still be some time before the start of the 2011/12 winter, but Germany's best freerider Sebastian Hannemann has of course already been preparing for the coming season for several weeks. "In order to start the winter fit, regular fitness training in the summer is absolutely essential. My trainer takes care of the training plan and that's how I improve my strength and endurance every year," says Basti Hannemann about his winter preparation.

A great tour, with a relatively short ascent from the lifts in the Kühtai ski resort; with a long, challenging, often untracked descent to Haggen. Despite the short ascent, this is a freeride tour that should not be underestimated, with great views over the northern Stubai Alps.

It all started in the fall of 2010: Gore-Tex called for a freeride challenge on Facebook, where the main prize was a trip and participation in Seb Michaud's personal summer freeride competition. Just take part, I thought to myself. After all, the first prize was a trip to Argentina with some of the best freeriders in the world.

Avalanche safety and stylish freeriding combined to perfection; the revolution for freeriders! Reduced to the essentials and with innovative safety features, the Bro-Tector® takes avalanche safety to a new level: stylish helmet camera videos and avalanche safety perfectly combined. Thanks to the Double-Safety® feature, the Bro-Tector® offers optimum safety for less experienced riders, even off the secured ski slopes.

We spent the Monday of my penultimate week of skiing in Mount Washington, where we had driven into the area the evening before and once again treated ourselves to the luxury of ski-in/ski-out accommodation so that we could safely catch the first lift. We were worried that the predicted large amounts of snow could block the access road and we didn't want to risk that.