Skitouren

The ski touring season is far from over for many, but with today's flurry of snow, we snow fliers are taking a break from writing and enjoying the hopefully good conditions in April and May.

The new PowderGuide partner UYN (which stands for Unleash Your Nature) is probably unfamiliar to many PG readers. However, the popularity of the high-tech underwear from Italy can be seen, for example, in the fact that almost all World Cup skiers from various countries are wearing UYN equipment. We have tested how the EVOLUTYON shirt performs in freeride and touring use.

The Val d'Arpette in the Lower Valais is well known for small and large freeride tours in the northern sector. Nevertheless, even weeks after the last snowfall, you can still find powder on the predominantly north-facing slopes and gullies, which is probably rarely fully skied out.

The birds are chirping, the flowers are sprouting, the daily rhythm is stumbling over the time change and you can dry your sweaty inner shoes on the balcony: spring is here. Time for morning firn tours, high summits, sunburn and stubborn skins!

Map with you on a ski tour? Logical. However, classic paper maps are rarely seen anymore, even though the battery can't run out. An app is usually consulted for orientation. But with so many apps to choose from, it's difficult to decide which one to use. Which one is suitable for my purposes? Where can I get the best overview for the least amount of money? We have tested the most popular apps for you and created a comparison.

The PowderGuide ConditionsReport is an innovative tool that allows you to share updates on snow conditions, snow conditions and the avalanche situation in freeride and ski touring regions throughout the Alps with like-minded people.

The triumph of apps and thus smartphone-based orientation and navigation for outdoor activities has been unstoppable in recent years. The Swiss app White Risk goes one step further and combines this with extensive avalanche-related information and background material (e.g. training opportunities, etc.). Our tester reports on his experiences with it, from tour planning at home to the summit!

This winter - and half of the last one - has been very special. But who am I telling? That's probably how the majority of our articles started. And yet I want to emphasize this once again. For whom has this strange situation not led to change? I can't imagine that there are many people around the world who haven't had to adapt at all as a result of the outbreak of this Covid-19 pandemic.

Everything is different this season - especially if you don't currently have the pleasure of open cable cars due to where you live. In order to still be able to test equipment extensively, the motto this season really is: "Earn your turn". Luckily, Ullr took pity on us after the late start to winter and gifted us with heavy snowfall from the end of December. Perfect for testing the Scott Superguide Freetour, which Scott calls the "Holy Grail".

Modern phones can not only replace the classic map, but also offer compass and GPS functions - as long as the battery keeps up. Slope maps are particularly useful for us winter sports enthusiasts. Below is a guide on how to use open source slope maps on your cell phone without having to subscribe to an app. A comparative overview of some of the more popular subscription map apps will follow soon.

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.

With the Vega, La Sportiva is launching another interesting freeride touring boot onto the market, which, according to the manufacturer, offers the perfect combination of piste and ski touring boot. This means that the Vega should cater even more to the needs of downhill-orientated ski tourers.