Skitouren

In part 1 of his travel report, Jan Imberi reported on the steep gullies of the Tatra Mountains. Reason enough to explore the small mountain range even further. If only the visibility were better...!

The Piz d'Err is one of the highest mountains on the Julier Pass, the gateway to the Engadin. Although the mountain itself is well-known, it is not overrun in winter. This is probably mainly due to the fact that the climbs are a little more challenging or involve an overnight stay in a hut. However, the descent and the panorama make up for every drop of sweat burned on the ascent.

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.

If Lyngen's geographical high point were in the Alps, the summit would certainly be notoriously overpopulated, but here in the far north of Norway you can be completely undisturbed even in perfect conditions in April. Although the ascent is long and involves a lot of climbing, it is generally not very difficult. The reward is Lyngen's longest descent in one go.

The Tatras - an underrated mountain range. At least according to our author Jan Imberi, who drove east with a friend in a VW bus on bad roads in March - to garlic soup and amazingly steep gullies.

The north face of the "King of the Zillertal Alps", also known as the "Gran Pilastro" in Italian, is a true classic among steep faces. Seen from the Austrian side, this wall, which is up to 55 degrees steep, rises 400 meters into the air. It is usually only climbed, but in good conditions it can also be conquered downhill on skis or snowboard.

With the Patrol series, Evoc has backpacks in its program that cover practically the entire touring range in sizes 32, 40 and 55l. While the "small" 30l Patrol is ideal for extended day tours, the medium 40l model is not only suitable for very material-intensive activities, but also for multi-day tours with overnight stays in winter shelters, for example. The Patrol 55l is recommended for camping tours or very long trips with lots of gear.

After Fritschi, the traditional manufacturer of ski touring bindings from Switzerland, was able to gain a foothold in the pin binding market in recent years with the Vipec models, the new Tecton now presents a logical further development of the concept that is definitely worth seeing.

The Caviahue ski resort in the province of Neuquén, which is rather unknown even within Argentina, offers a selection of impressively flat pistes nestled in a volcanic lunar landscape. The Caviahue volcano is interesting as a smoking ski tour destination, while the surrounding terrain mainly offers sled-access potential.

Our travel reporter Zach Paley, a.k.a. Mr. Worldwide Skibum, spent the spring in Kyrgyzstan taking in the mountain air, drinking vodka, freezing in his tent, carrying his skis over scree for hours on end and experiencing so much more. Here he reports on a special kind of ski adventure: ski mountaineering near Bishkek, in Karakol and on Lenin Peak.

Word of the mysticism of the Norwegian coast and the Lofoten Islands has already spread among Ullr's disciples from Central Europe. Two places of longing come together at the foot of the lynx - the sea and snow-covered mountains. In spring, you can stand on the summit about 200 km north of the Arctic Circle late in the evening and then ski down to the sea at sunset. But can you fulfill this dream as a student without risking financial ruin?

Alaska and British Columbia are known to be powder paradises - as long as you can rent a helicopter and a huge lodge on the edge of the mountains. My companion and I, on the other hand, camped in our converted van in May 2016 with little money in our pockets. In Canada, we were mostly only able to climb, due to the low snowfall, in winter. In Alaska, however, the trip took us to some breathtaking ski touring spots.