Skitouren

Until a few years ago, the area around the Chilean volcano Puyehue was primarily known as a beautiful trekking region. Since Sherpa Cinema and Salomon Freeski TV were there and prominently featured the steep lines in the crater, the number of visitors has also increased during winter. Ever since the strange RedBull event Out of Hell, the Puyehue is no longer an insider tip - but it is still beautiful.

The location of the ski resort at the entrance to Mt. Aspiring National Park near Wanaka is breathtaking and so is the freeride terrain in the area itself. The modern lifts and the favorable location for snowfall in the west of New Zealand's South Island make Treble Cone, or TC as the locals call it, one of the best freeride spots in the southern hemisphere. Reason enough to give TC a thorough spot review!

After a pretty messed up season, in which the good skiing days could be counted on one hand and the dust was already settling on the skis in January, I was tormented by the thought of storing the equipment in the cellar almost unused in May....

For most people living in the Alps, Andalusia is probably not on the list of must-visit ski spots. You actually feel a bit strange when you drag your ski bag towards a Spanish budget airline in late spring and are eyed critically by beach holidaymakers.

The descent from the Kleiner Kaserer is a lift-assisted variation of a ski tour with the same name starting at Wipptal.

The Lofoten Islands are no longer an insider tip for most people living in the Alps - but they are still a highlight for every continental skier. With long days and guaranteed snow, the Easter period is ideal for a trip to the steep island kingdom. But low budget? In the unaffordable Switzerland of the north? Yes, it works - provided you have a bit of luck, skill and a vehicle. Four cold- and odor-resistant students have tried it out.

Thanks to a combination of lift and bus connections, the tour to the Gamskogel from the Axamer Lizum allows you to collect plenty of downhill meters without having to exert yourself too much on the ascent. In addition, the tour offers many options that can be combined as the mood takes you and, thanks to the shady orientation of the slopes, good snow can often still be found a few days after the last snowfall.

Having already presented the tour to the Sentisch Horn (2827), it is now time to turn our attention to its "smaller" brother, the Baslersch Chopf (2629). This is a kind of classic, which is relatively safe and quick to reach, but offers a variety of downhill options depending on the conditions (also in terms of exposure). The Sentisch Horn and the Baslersch Chopf can be combined and offer fun throughout the season.

Anyone who has ever tried to stow their ski skins with cold fingers on a windy summit and has cursed a few times in the process will be interested in this article

The Norwegian company, whose roots go back to the development of a backpack with an external frame in 1908, offers the Osatind trousers from the Slingsby collection, outdoor trousers specially developed for ski tourers. According to Bergans, the trousers are characterized by "outstanding functionality, low weight and high durability". We have tested for you whether this is the case in practice and whether these properties can convince a "classic freerider" of stretch touring pants.

San Martino di Castrozza is no longer a real insider tip, even if it is a little quieter after fresh snowfall than in the absolute hotspots. There are of course also opportunities for ski tours from the numerous lifts, with the Cima Valcigolera offering a rewarding descent with a short ascent.

For many, April is a time to reflect on the season and reminisce about the epic powder days and humming corduroy as the ski resorts begin to close down for the summer. Living very far north on the planet gives you more options. Scandinavia is known for Vikings and IKEA, but not so much for one of the best benefits, late season snow. In April we took splitboards and skis to Tromsø, ready to get lost in some of the many labyrinths of long fjords along the western coastline of Norway. When I first started to plan this trip, I sat in the library of Göteborg, Sweden reading in Jimmy Petterson book "Skiing around the world". He states that, "Norway is an appropriate place to begin a ski tour of northern Europe, for this is where it all started thousands of years ago. While skiing was primarily a form of transportation for many centuries, the Norwegians are given credit for starting and developing it as a sport as well." Looking back at our trip, a great feeling fills me. We met so many warm-hearted people during our adventure. We skied in breath-taking nature and could eat all possible variations of cod for dinner!