Tourenplanung

The tour planning module of the White Risk app offers flexible options for planning ski tour routes with the help of precise map material. Slope gradient layers and the automatic recognition of key points offer practical assistance here. Other information can also be displayed, such as wildlife protection zones.

The ski touring season is far from over for many, but with today's flurry of snow, we snow fliers are taking a break from writing and enjoying the hopefully good conditions in April and May.

Map with you on a ski tour? Logical. However, classic paper maps are rarely seen anymore, even though the battery can't run out. An app is usually consulted for orientation. But with so many apps to choose from, it's difficult to decide which one to use. Which one is suitable for my purposes? Where can I get the best overview for the least amount of money? We have tested the most popular apps for you and created a comparison.

The PowderGuide ConditionsReport is an innovative tool that allows you to share updates on snow conditions, snow conditions and the avalanche situation in freeride and ski touring regions throughout the Alps with like-minded people.

The triumph of apps and thus smartphone-based orientation and navigation for outdoor activities has been unstoppable in recent years. The Swiss app White Risk goes one step further and combines this with extensive avalanche-related information and background material (e.g. training opportunities, etc.). Our tester reports on his experiences with it, from tour planning at home to the summit!

Modern phones can not only replace the classic map, but also offer compass and GPS functions - as long as the battery keeps up. Slope maps are particularly useful for us winter sports enthusiasts. Below is a guide on how to use open source slope maps on your cell phone without having to subscribe to an app. A comparative overview of some of the more popular subscription map apps will follow soon.

PowderGuide partner company Arva presents a modular online tool to brush up on some avalanche basics. No online offer can replace courses in the snow, but if someone wants to read up a bit, this program developed in cooperation with the French avalanche research institute ANENA (Association Nationale pour l'Étude de la Neige et des Avalanches) is a good idea.

In the "Safety Academy Lab Snow", PG partner Ortovox teaches important content for everyone who moves around in unsecured terrain - from careful tour planning to what to do in an emergency. In this special winter in particular, Ortovox recommends being considerate and responsible in the mountains.

The annual Alpine Forum will also take place digitally this year due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 situation. On November 13 and 14, the Austrian Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety will present online lectures, live streams, webinars and tutorials.

The first online ski touring summit full of information, tips and tricks for ski touring will take place in November. Host Frank Allgäuer has brought together a number of well-known faces from the scene, conducted interviews, recorded talks and extracted the best to offer a five-day online event from November 23 - 27.

Tour planning proved to be rather difficult last week, as an old snow problem in the terrain is not easily recognizable. This makes it all the more important to use your head when planning at home and choose a suitable tour carefully.

After a lot of tinkering and numerous optimizations last season, our PowderMap now enables the display of ConditionsReports simultaneously with new snow or sunshine forecasts, as well as the SNOWGRID Layover. Reason enough to name it our Gear of the Week!