Stubaier Gletscher

The last summit of this year's Freeride Testival Tour had everything a freerider's heart could desire. Bright blue skies, fresh snow and cold temperatures made for a worthy end to the Testival season. And of course there were once again great prizes to be won in the snow depth prediction game!

The legendary PowderGuide snow depth prediction game will be at the Freeride Testival stops four times this winter - and each time you can win great prizes. PowderGuide will be present at all stops to hand out the prizes directly. Now at the last stop on the Stubai Glacier from March 21st to 22nd, 2026, you can take home unique prizes from Faction, Head, Kohla and Scott Sports worth almost 2,000 euros!

On a sunny Saturday early in the season - at a time when the snow conditions were still manageable and many ski tours were simply not feasible - we had the same brilliant idea as hundreds of others: Up to the Zuckerhütl, the highest peak in the Stubai Alps, popularly known as the "Hiatl". And so we found ourselves in the middle of the action, torn between a genuine mountain experience, magnificent scenery - and a tour that at times felt more like a queue than alpine solitude.

The Freeride Testival Tour 2026 is in the starting blocks and promises an exciting combination of equipment tests for the next season (free of charge), professional coaching and a real community vibe. Whether you're a beginner looking to gain your first off-piste experience or a pro looking for the perfect setup - the tour stops in Hochfügen, Silvretta Montafon, Warth-Schröcken and on the Stubai Glacier offer the right skis, course and terrain for every level. We from PowderGuide will also be there in person on all four weekends to talk to you.

As my colleagues predicted last week, all that's left for me this week is the meteorological start of winter and tough, snow-unfriendly weather conditions. For the time being, we'll have to make do with what's left of the first snow of the season and what the snow cannons are still producing.

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.

On the weekend of 10.11-13.11, the annual Intersport Snow Days took place on the Stubai Glacier. Under the motto "Rent what you can", visitors were able to test the new products for the 22/23 ski season. Up to three items could be borrowed at the same time for a period of 90 minutes. A total of 36 outfitters gathered at 2900m at the Eisgratbahn mountain station and offered everything winter sports enthusiasts need, from ski goggles and helmets to equipment for their feet.

The "Intersport Snow Days" will take place on the Stubai Glacier from November 10-13. A total of 36 exhibitors will be presenting their equipment. Tickets for the test festival cost €20/day, offering interested parties a relatively inexpensive opportunity to test a wide range of different equipment in the snow.

With the current temperatures, a bit of cooling would be very welcome. On the one hand, you can cool off in a swimming lake or ice cream parlor, but on the other hand, snow is also cold and one or two lifts are still running or will be running again soon. If we have overlooked a ski area with summer operation, please add it in the comments. If you don't need lift assistance, there are of course many more opportunities for a few summer turns.

The ISSW (International Snow Science Workshop) is the world's largest specialist conference on snow and avalanches. This fall, it will be held in Innsbruck for the first time and, with a new concept, will set the tone for the practical implementation of snow and avalanche research.

Freeriding as a women-only domain is a long outdated cliché. Men are confidently conquering the powder, the industry is offering more and more products that are specially tailored to men's needs and there are also more and more freeride camps where men can keep to themselves, hone their skiing technique with professional help and learn to push their limits. As a counterpart to the very successful Kästle Powder Department Ladies Days on the Stubai Glacier, we will be offering the PowderGuide Powder Department Gentlemen Days next winter!

High alpine tour with an almost endless descent down into the Stubaital. Often still worthwhile late in the spring.