Kitzsteinhorn

In winter 2013/14, 20-year-old freeskier Adrian Sauter completed the first three camp levels of the Austrian Alpine Club's freeride training program - Risk'n'Fun. On PowderGuide, Adrian reports on his second camp, the five-day 'Next Level', which took place from February 12 to 16 on the Kitzsteinhorn. Here you can find Adrian's report from his second camp participation ...

The Austrian Freeride Series kicks off its second season with the 1* Qualifier Open Faces Hochkönig on February 1st. At ten stops in four federal states, freeriders will be battling for no less than 9340 FW Qualifier points and the title of Austrian Freeride Champion over the coming months.

On March 23, 2013, I took part in the X Over 1* Freeride World Qualifier Contest on the Kitzsteinhorn in Salzburgerland. This contest in late winter was also the last part of the Open Faces series.

Last weekend, everything revolved around the X OVER RIDE Big Mountain on the Kitzsteinhorn. It was the second year for the organizers within the Freeride World Qualifier series. As expected, the field of riders was very strong: it was not only about the Open Faces overall victory, but also about securing the last points for entry into the premier class, the Freeride World Tour. With bright sunshine and perfect conditions, nothing stood in the way of the crowning finale of the Open Faces Freeride Series. For PowderGuide, participants Julian Zenzmaier and Jochen Mesle were on site and report on their impressions.

The Austrian freeride contest scene has grown considerably this winter. No fewer than five new Freeride World Qualifiers in the OPEN FACES Freeride Series have invited youngsters and established riders to put their skills to the test in contests. After four successful events, the OPEN FACES Freeride Series is now heading towards the finale on the Kitzsteinhorn. Before that, however, the postponed 2-star competition in Kappl will be rescheduled.

Due to fresh snow and expected poor visibility as well as high avalanche danger, the OPEN FACES 2* Freeride World Qualifier in Kappl has been postponed to March 15-17, 2013.

Premiere for the newly launched Open Faces Freeride Series! The first tour stop will take place next weekend in the Axamer Lizum.

"Flow State" is now the 63rd Warren Miller ski film and - it's hard to believe - actually something special and new once again. Even after so many Warren Miller ski films, the film team still doesn't seem to have run out of ideas in the snow. On the contrary. This year's Warren Miller "Flow State" ski film is once again causing euphoria among freeski and snowboard enthusiasts.

From 2013, there will be a new way into the Freeride World Tour for ambitious freeriders: the OPEN FACES Series. The newly launched contest series combines many already renowned Freeride World Tour qualifier events in Austria, e.g. X-Over Ride on the Kitzsteinhorn, into an attractive contest series for freeriders in Tyrol and Salzburg for the first time and crowns the overall winner as Austrian freeride champion.

With "only" 3 stars, the X-Over Ride in Kaprun doesn't shine as brightly on paper as some other FWQ events, but the riding level here was also more than respectable. After all, the X-Over Freeride contest on the Kitzsteinhorn is the last FWQ tour stop in the Alps in 2012 before the final in Norway.

Glaciology is a specialty of meteorology. Glaciologists go to "their" glaciers twice a year and dig holes in order to later determine the mass balance. To do this, they need helpers, usually students, who lend a hand with digging and carrying various pieces of equipment.