Lawinensicherheit

An essential part of any ski touring or freeride equipment is the avalanche transceiver. It is well known that this was not the case at the beginning of the 1970s, when the first avalanche transceivers came onto the market. With the MINI IPS, PIEPS is launching a very compact avalanche transceiver onto the market this winter, which you can win here.

The sight of snow-covered peaks says it all: it’s time to get moving again. The lifts are starting to turn, the first tracks carve across the slopes, and with each passing day, the anticipation for the new season grows stronger.

Little snow, difficult conditions and an early spring have made tour planning and the search for powder anything but easy. But it is precisely at times like these that the true character of winter sports enthusiasts is revealed. PowderGuide didn't let this rather below-average winter get in the way of the often poor snow conditions and can look back on a successful season.

Unfortunately, too much time has passed for many people since the last major snowfall in mid-January. Since then, a very stable area of high pressure has dominated large parts of Central Europe and ensured long-lasting warm temperatures. This triggered euphoria among some climbing enthusiasts, powder fans got long faces and yet not all freeriders lost their motivation, because the best snow after powder is known to be firn. But just as with fresh snowfall, there are a few things to bear in mind when there is no snowfall.

In our PowderPeople section, we regularly introduce you to exciting personalities from the mountain world. This time, we interviewed Dr. Anna Haberkorn from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos. She has been working there as an avalanche forecaster since winter 2025 and tells us a little about her everyday life.

PowderGuide meets every year at the end of the season to celebrate a successful season together, catch up with old friends and make new acquaintances. Every year it's a highlight and this year Ullr meant well with us and blessed us with fresh snow. What a weekend - something between freeriding, abseiling, cooking and laughing together and talking shop about equipment and weather. THANK YOU to everyone who was there, took part and organized, we are already looking forward to next year! Special thanks to Engelberg Tourism for the support.

PowderGuide was invited to the VDBS Media Days at the end of the 2024 season. An illustrious gathering of brand and media ambassadors for networking and to find out the latest news from the Association of German Mountain and Ski Guides. There was no shortage of turns in the powder snow either, and those who wanted to were allowed to plunge into a crevasse.

Frank Techel is an avalanche forecaster and researcher at the SLF. He deals with the integration of models into operational avalanche forecasting and believes that there is great potential to improve avalanche warning when humans and machines work together. In the interview, he explains how "AI" supports the human SLF team in producing the bulletin and where the limits of the models lie.

The Mammut Barryvox S, which has been on the market for several years now and is one of the tried and tested standard avalanche beacons, has been given a successor this season in the form of the Barryvox S2. It is smaller, lighter and can do more. In addition to the technical features, Mammut also attaches great importance to usability and the simplest possible handling. We have tested how the device performs in practice.

Today's GotW introduces a tool that is attached to the ski poles as a sticker and enables precise and quick measurement of the slope inclination. The sticker set is called PoleClinometer and Clinopole. The former is already sold in the USA, the latter is an invention from Finland.

January is over, but the winter is still not very wintery. A few short episodes of fresh snow made for spectacular images - especially at the Freeride World Tour in Val Thorens, which will be remembered for its impressive lines and deep powder. Nevertheless, the snow conditions are below average in many places. There is hope for a sustainable return of winter, but the weather situation remains complicated.

Lo.La Peak Solutions GmbH is celebrating a special anniversary! 10 years full of valuable experiences and unforgettable moments. Always in focus: utilising the knowledge of experts in the field and drawing the best from it to develop customised offers for our customers and partners. It has always been important to us to remain authentic and to go our own way.