Sölden

Avalanche warning services, the media, numerous avalanche accidents and the first avalanche victims of the season in Salzburg have all issued impressive warnings about the current snowpack build-up over the last few days. We take a look at a current snow profile from Sölden in Ötztal.

Ski resort expansions, new developments or gourmet restaurants at 3,000 meters: ski resorts have long since ceased to be wild, pristine nature. But what is it that really draws us out to ski? And why should we raise our voices not only for the latest equipment, but above all for the nature that remains?

Rising like a phoenix from the powder: your weekly delivery of ski porn and procrastination material - the Videos of the Week! After several years of hibernation, you will now be informed about the latest happenings in our powder world captured on film. Let me tell you, there's really something going on out there. Nevertheless, to mark the start of the season and after a long absence, the fresh films are complemented by a modern classic and a personal contribution. Let's go!

The "Alliance for the Soul of the Alps", consisting of the ÖAV, Friends of Nature and WWF, and the DAV want to prevent the planned merger of the Ötztal and Pitztal glacier ski areas. The lift operators as well as the SPÖ and FPÖ hope that the so-called "glacier marriage" will boost the region's economy.

With the Powder Calendar, there will once again be plenty of powder action within your own four walls all year round in 2019.

This year, together with risk'n'fun, we have once again awarded a training place for the r'n'f Camps Training Session, Next Level and for the Chillout. Lisa, this year's winner, reports on the training session in Sölden. By the way, the next free places are at the camp on the Hochkönig in February!

We are delighted to be able to offer a place at the training session, the next level camp and the end-of-season chillout again this year together with risk'n'fun. risk'n'fun is the training program of the Alpine Club Youth. In addition to learning technical skills, the freeride camps also focus on "human" topics such as group dynamics and personal risk perception.

Wildspitze and Weißseespitze can now be climbed as short day tours from the nearby glacier ski areas. In 2017, these peaks can be reached by an ascent of significantly less than 1000 vertical meters, as you can read here in the PowderGuide freeride tours Weißseespitze and Wildspitze. 100 years ago, the highest peak in Tyrol and its western neighbor were still extensive "snowshoe hikes", which Franz Tursky reports on in the 6th part of the Anno dazumal series.

On Sunday in the week before the camp in Sölden, I receive an email from Dani from risk'n'fun asking if I am spontaneous? The winner of today's competition had had to cancel at short notice and I was in second place. Oops - that's really spontaneous, but of course I'm in. I frantically start to gather my ski equipment. The winter season hasn't really started yet and I'm still sitting on my bike more than I know where my gloves, ski helmet and goggles are. And do the skis still need waxing?

Numerous freeriders from all over the German-speaking world and the risk'n'fun team gathered in Fieberbrunn last weekend for the Chill Out, the traditional final session of the r'n'f season. The conditions couldn't have been better: Glorious sunshine, north-facing powder runs and casual firn, hikes and tours, barbecues in deckchairs... In the evening, Lea from the PowderGuide editorial team provided input on weather issues and there were great beats in the Riverhouse.

Together with risk'n'fun, we raffled off participation in a three-stage r&f freeride training course. This year's winner Max Loidl already completed the first camp (Level 1, training session) in Sölden a few weeks ago and is now reporting on his experiences at the Next Level Camp on the Kitzsteinhorn.

Together with risk'n'fun, we raffled off participation in a three-stage r&f freeride training course. This year's winner Max Loidl completed the first camp (level 1) in Sölden and reports on his experiences. He also brought us a little video!