Permafrost

Warm, dry winters, perfect grip on the rock: what sounds like a dream for sport climbers is a nightmare for enthusiastic freeriders and ski tourers. Yes, there used to be heatwaves and dry spells - in summer and winter alike. And yes, they still exist, the winter days with minus 20 degrees and fat powder, when you suddenly feel like you're in Hokkaido.

Permafrost - permanently and continuously frozen ground. Direct associations: the vast expanses of tundra in Siberia, where houses stand on "stilts" because of this, the northern Canadian wilderness or the freezing cold Arctic - all really far away. But what the Kitzsteinhorn, Zugspitze, Gemsstock or Aiguille du Midi have to do with it and why a 40° steep north-facing slope is not just about tour planning and avalanche conditions, you can find out in this issue of "Snow of Tomorrow".

The last issue of this column dealt with the so-called planetary boundaries, which show how much change the system can tolerate in various areas and at what point it becomes critical. It is not only in the context of planetary boundaries that the discourse on environmental change is increasingly focusing on tipping points. What is behind the buzzword?

At the Arc'teryx Academy in the Giessereihalle in Zurich, you can spend the whole day in the spirit of outdoor and mountain sports. The day's program includes workshops on climbing/bouldering, climate research and outdoor photography, while the evening program is filled with film screenings, lectures and, of course, a party. And best of all: admission is free! Here is the exact schedule of the Arc'teryx Academy.

It's the beginning of spring again! This time in the astronomical sense, meaning that the sun is vertical above the equator today and day and night are the same length everywhere. The weather is sticking to the calendar and ensuring sunny mountain weather and - hopefully - firn fun