Skihochtouren

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.

Faction is now well established as a pure freeski brand, but is still an (almost) unknown agent in the touring ski sector. With the Agent series, Faction now has an interesting touring ski line in its programme, although it is perhaps worth noting that the models marked with an "X", i.e. Agent 1.0X, Agent 2.0X and so on, are basically the same skis.

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 Silvretta is very popular among ski mountaineers. In my eyes, with good reason! The long, secluded valleys with their beautiful peaks offer incredible potential for enjoying the freedom of ski touring.

The alpinist Julius Meurer described the Königsspitze as the "most perfectly formed, most noble mountain in the entire Eastern Alps". I can hardly put it better than that. A traverse of the Ortler Alps with ascents of Zufallspitze 3757 m, Monte Cevedale 3769 m, Pallon de la Mare 3703 m, Punta San Mateo 3678 m and Königsspitze 3861 m is definitely worthwhile.

Petzl, known for climbing equipment and headlamps, has an ultra-light set of crampons and ice axes in its range that is perfectly suited to ski touring and ski mountaineering. I was allowed to test the Ride ice axe and the Leopard crampons last year.

With the Shaxe, BCA implements the "2 in 1" principle for avalanche shovel and ice axe. We tested how practical this combination is and whether BCA's implementation meets the quality requirements for this safety equipment.

Popular but very rewarding ski tour in the Hohe Tauern National Park, where you are rewarded at the summit with views of the Großglockner and the Großvenediger.

PowderGuide presents another new editorial feature: every week we will present a particularly recommendable freeride tour. Whether it's a classic ski tour with a particularly great descent, a freeride variant with a pleasant approach or a crisp steep descent – every week, experienced freeriders and tourers will provide you with a TouringTip that will whet your appetite for freeriding and touring. The tour descriptions will provide you with the most important information you need to follow: difficulty, topographical map, duration, altitude and much more. In addition to a detailed route description, you can also look forward to beautiful nature and downhill pictures.
We start with a Tyrolean ski touring classic, the Zuckerhütl. Despite poor snow conditions, this tour can even be undertaken at the moment (4.12.11).

Haute Route - Regular Route...

Located at the entrance to the Forno basin, the "ballroom of the Eastern Alps", the Branca hut offers a huge selection of touring options. Surrounded by 13 peaks up to an altitude of almost 3900 m, there is something for every taste and level of difficulty. We had a look around and were thrilled!