risk'n'fun | Level 2 at the Kitzsteinhorn

My course took place at the Kitzsteinhorn. An area that promises on the map to make every freerider's dreams come true: Lots of unprepared terrain near the lifts, even more after short ascents and even long, hidden valley runs completely away from the ski area, gloriously surrounded by steep rock faces. At that moment, you actually wish the course wasn't called "risk'n'fun" but "Hurrah, we know no tomorrow". You start your freeride training with huge expectations.

Factor Group

After a briefing on how to use maps and visualise different types of terrain in theory and practice, tours are planned in small groups using the map. Additional information is of course the impressions of the ski terrain and the surrounding area that you have already gained from the previous day. Other relevant influencing factors such as the weather (in our case a north-easterly wind with peaks of 60 km/h), visibility (good, except for the practice day), avalanche risk (drifting snow, sliding snow, all in the medium range) and the team you are travelling with are also included in the planning. A group of around 10 people already offers an impressive range of skiing, mountaineering, fitness and planning skills, wishes and preferences. This range must be taken into account, but is also expressed in the many results of the tour planning: different destinations, combinations and planning information, which are then discussed and from which a Plan A and alternative plans for the tour days are created.

If you have the time and opportunity to get to know and understand other people's intellectual approach and apply it yourself, you learn a lot and, above all, have the (awesome!) experience of seeing the world with new eyes: In my case, in higher resolution and with much more detail. This is the principle of peer education, which in my opinion is the second, essential element alongside the exercises from the risk'n'fun camp.

Gold-correct alternative plan

The quality of planning is usually revealed in practice and so plans were already discarded in the morning when the now sufficient visibility revealed rocks instead of ski runs or we had to realise that the forecast north wind in the high mountains is sometimes uncomfortable and causes quite a lot of drift snow in the Kees in the north-east exposure. On the other hand, the alternative plan to the Tristkogel proved to be spot on and, in addition to a sunny ascent in untouched touring terrain, resulted in a super-cool powder snow descent. And the sense of achievement of having correctly assessed the terrain, weather and snow and having made a good plan.

Yes, and the great expectations were also fulfilled: the descent via the Winterkarscharte to Niedersill had everything a good freeride or touring day needs: impressive mountain scenery, good snow, a bit of a kick through (manageable) risk, and all this with a great team!