Schweiz

The skiing winter is not over yet, but it is slowly coming to an end. This can be recognized by the fact that the first reviews of the season are already available, for example from the SLF.

I hadn't actually planned to go to this summit border (Switzerland-Italy), or even knew that it existed. But the name "Urtirolaspitz" alone left me no other choice.

Ullr says: McFly, anyone home? And he's not sending us back to the future, but back to the past, because now we're finally arriving where we were in mid-December: Winter.

A recent SLF study uses GPS tracks from the Skitourenguru.ch database to correlate avalanche accidents with the number of accident-free ascents. This makes it possible to calculate which danger levels and terrain characteristics are particularly risky. There are some interesting differences to the reduction factors known from the Munter reduction method.

There's something to win! Together with the PowderGuide partners in Engelberg, we are giving away two days in the Swiss freeride mecca! Ski tickets and accommodation with breakfast are included, the winners only have to take care of the après-ski entertainment themselves!

So there's enough for another alarm this week! And the PowderAlert is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

In contrast to last year, there are many differences but also many similarities when it comes to the start of the best season of the year. I'm not talking about carnival, but about the Ulling, a season that roughly stretches from September to May and is very variable in its puvlig-soft appearance.

In contrast to the last few years and the fears after the summery episode in March, there is now another nice alarm in April! With a northerly thaw and heavy showers and possibly record high altitude cold! (MeteoSwiss says: If minus 40 really does reach the Alps at an altitude of 5000m, you have to go back to 1973 to find anything comparable).

Both Météo-Chamonix and Meteoswiss were forecasting the best weather, so we set off for the south-east side of the Mont Blanc Massif in Val Ferret. From there, we planned to cross Mont Dolent in a two-day tour. The temperatures were mild and we imagined enjoying the descent down the south side in the soft slush. Spring conditions in March - actually too early for this time of year and especially for this altitude.

The tour described here is a summit that is not visited very often. However, this is completely unjustified, as it offers a magnificent panorama, magnificent and varied downhill options and, if desired, ski in/out directly from Zernez railway station.

If you enter Chandolin into the search engine, the first thing that shows up is the annual First-Track Freeride Contest. The Liaison, a ridge that separates the two ski resorts of St. Luc and Chandolin, plays the leading role on all other pages. Spectacular couloirs are lined up side by side and the best thing for lazy skiers: they can be reached from the exit of the Col-des-Ombrintzes T-bar lift with almost no ascent. Let's take a closer look!

Welcome to this year's review of the channels of our Alpine clubs! More online seminars are hardly what we need, but I would like to establish this sub-category. Of course, all channels have gained subscribers, but the balance of power has hardly shifted. In my opinion, the ÖAV stands out with its educational and humorous videos about safety on the mountain. Just like back then, we are growing from small to big. Language courses included!