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mountain knowledge

Freeride basic rules

What do I need to know when I go off-road?

by Tobias Kurzeder 10/05/2008
With the help of cable cars, lifts and subsequent short ascents, even inexperienced freeriders can reach high alpine, extreme terrain. We are in areas that hardly anyone would have set foot in voluntarily 100 years ago. That's why we should always observe a few extremely important basic rules in the mountains.
Check Your Risk ...

With the help of cable cars, lifts and subsequent short ascents, even inexperienced freeriders can reach high alpine, extreme terrain. We are in areas that hardly anyone would have set foot in voluntarily 100 years ago. That's why we should always observe a few extremely important basic rules in the mountains. Here you will find the most important freeride basic rules. These rules could also be called "mountain principles". Ultimately, they are nothing more than what common sense would advise us to do... if only we listened to it better.

Rules you should always follow...

  • Never go freeriding alone! Even if you only have an accident a few 100 meters off-piste - with a lot of bad luck, you won't be found until spring.

  • Avoid powder skiing in poor visibility and unfavorable conditions! It's [almost] no fun and absolutely life-threatening.

  • Check the current[!] avalanche report every day.

  • Make sure you have functional equipment that is suitable for freeriding.

  • As your life or that of your best friend can depend on your equipment, the following applies: only the best equipment is good enough. But: It's worthless if you can't handle it!

  • Always pay attention to warning signs and closures due to avalanche danger, as these are rarely put up for no reason.

  • Always think about who you are going freeriding with beforehand. As a general rule, the best and most experienced person is responsible for the weaker and less experienced ones.

  • Before entering a slope, first check who is above you and could endanger you. Of course, the same applies to winter sports enthusiasts below you: only ski when there is no one left who could be caught in an avalanche.

  • Always ski steep slopes individually.

  • Keep large distances when ascending steep slopes.

This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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