Skitouren

With the Taiss Light Jacket ML, Mammut has a warm yet breathable mid-layer in its range. It's suitable for everyday wear as well as ski touring, mountaineering and alpine skiing.

The Kilo from La Sportiva is a newly developed ski touring boot that is named after its weight of one kilogramme and promises strong downhill characteristics despite its lightness. Here we present the boot based on initial but not yet ultimate impressions.

When Hugo and I had to take a break from our ski traverse of Switzerland due to illness only ten days into the trip (see part 1) we were not quite sure how our epic 7-week adventure of ski touring through the Swiss Alps could keep going on. Camping in a tent, suffering through all sorts of weather and knocking on people’s doors in posh ski resort towns in hope of finding a place to crash had all taken a toll. But after a one-week break during which I managed to recover decently, we were ready to give it another shot and met again in the Sagliains train station in the Inn valley.

The invitation to the pre-season camp fluttered into our inbox at the beginning of November in late summer temperatures and we immediately began to look forward to the upcoming winter. This anticipation increased even more when the detailed program arrived a week before the camp - coupled with the certainty that the conditions around Engelberg would be promising. I already attended the Big Mountain Camp last year. And if the pre-season camp is similarly well organised and adventurous, it could be the ideal refresher for the upcoming winter season.

Seven weeks of ski mountaineering: waking up, suffering through putting on your frozen boots and packing up the iced-over tent. Seven weeks of taking the weather as it comes – spending entire days in complete whiteout, being blown over by 120 km/h gusts of wind, and waiting out storms in alpine huts or (more often) on people's couches in the valley. But also seven weeks of being amazed by the ever-changing scenery, of being stunned by the beauty of snow-covered mountains every single day. A trip shaped by incredible encounters and people’s hospitality, depending on the kindness of strangers and meeting inspiring individuals. Seven weeks of raw adventure - this is "Crossing the Alps", the story of Hugo and Linus traversing Switzerland on skis.

With the Backland 109, Atomic has added a very wide, downhill-orientated ski in the Backland freetouring line. With the HRZN 3D on the shovel, it is reminiscent of the Bent Chetler series, but in terms of weight it is a Backland. We tested how the wide freetourer performs in action.

Heavy equipment, waiting times at cold railway stations, high planning costs... there are plenty of reasons (or excuses?) not to travel by public transport, especially on ski tours. A reflection on my efforts to leave the car at home more often and to outwit my own comfort.

From cycling in the valley to mountain biking on the mountain - from relaxed walks across green meadows to challenging trail runs. Whether cross-country skiing on the trails in the valley or powder skiing on the mountain - the Zillertal, located south of the Inn Valley, offers an impressive variety of activities. Known for its numerous ski resorts, it invites you to explore with varied powder runs and ski tours in unspoilt nature. Every outdoor enthusiast will find the right adventure here, whatever the season.

Who's ready for winter? Fancy honing your off-piste technique this season? Do you want to expand your mountain knowledge or are you simply a mountain freak and are looking for others who will shred with you and show you the best descents? Then this is your chance to take part in the pre-season camps in Engelberg.

It's now been almost a year since I sat on a hot seat to spend a winter season in Japan. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can give a few tips on what went well and what I wish I had done differently.

With the new Crux series, Head is launching a very light freetouring ski onto the market, which are intended to stand out from the competition in particularly through its downhill performance. At the same time, Tyrolia is launching new pin bindings. We have tested how the widest ski in the series, the Crux 105, mounted with the top Almonte 12 PT binding performs on snow.

For many ski tourers, the Wildspitze is a favourite classic in spring. The summit can be reached quickly via the Mittelbergjoch and the Taschachferner via the Pitztal glacier lifts. The only drawback of this tour: due to the very low gradient, it is not very rewarding in terms of downhill skiing. In terms of the descent, the tour via the Southcouloir is much more appealing (assuming you have the ability and experience to tackle steep slopes). This route takes you to the highest peak in Tyrol "by fair means" and by the most direct route.