Field report
Winter is coming and the warm cozy sofa invites you to drink tea. But if you’re looking for a bit of action in the cold days, you’ve come to the right place! Our snow camp in the Austrian mountains is coming up soon and is a great option for both beginners and advanced riders to learn more about freeriding. There are a few things to bear in mind and you shouldn’t just boot up the mountain without experience. But let’s start from the beginning.
What does freeriding actually mean?
Freeriding basically means skiing off-piste in the backcountry. You can either do this in a ski resort or – with a little experience – independently on your own route, which is then called touring. It is actually winter sport as it started, without lifts and without slopes. You climb a mountain and then ski or snowboard or similar sports equipment down it again. And even though it’s great fun to visit the ski resorts that were born out of this ingenious idea, with their diverse range of slopes, I always find it great to return to this original idea of winter sports.
Freeriding, where do you start?
There is no universal answer to this question. It depends on what experience you have and how confident you feel in the mountains and on the respective sports equipment. In the following text, I share my personal experiences of getting started in ski touring with you:
I’ve been skiing since I was a child and then switched to snowboarding when I was 16. I was lucky to grow up near the mountains. So I was able to practice regularly on the slopes and gain experience. I also often went cross-country skiing with my family, which in retrospect certainly helped improve my technique.
As a student, I then started to organize – and pay for – my own winter vacations and I quickly realized that I would no longer be able to afford skiing vacations easily. But I didn’t want to miss out on the fun completely, so I thought about what alternatives might be possible. Luckily, I had some experienced mountaineers in my circle of friends and so the idea of going on a ski tour was born.
A freeride course as an introduction
My first tour was supposed to be an easy start. So I went with an experienced friend to the nearest mountain, which had an altitude of 1800m. The ascent should take around 1.5-2 hours with an altitude difference of 900 meters. She had taken a freeride course and I had done an avalanche course during my studies, the contents of which were still relatively familiar to me. Nevertheless, we went through everything together again before the tour: what the weather conditions had been like in the last few days, what was to be expected in terms of snow, which route would be best and which landmarks we could determine in advance. Apart from that, I unfortunately didn’t have the budget to buy a full set of touring equipment. So I strapped my snowboard to my back and hiked up the mountain on snowshoes. It was really exhausting carrying the snowboard and a rucksack with provisions and safety equipment up the mountain. But once at the top, there was a double reward: the view at the summit is almost always beautiful, and finally the board doesn’t just come off your back, but onto your feet! The crowning glory is then the descent – which, by the way, is much more appreciated than if you had previously flown up the mountain on a lift 😉
The higher the ascent...
My second tour was similar to the first, except that the mountain was higher and the ascent longer. The good thing about it: the descent takes longer too!
Once I had completed two tours with snowshoes and a snowboard, my curiosity was piqued and I was determined to find more opportunities to climb snow-covered mountains. So I embarked on my third tour, on which I had the pleasure of touring with a splitboard. The tour was on a mountain 2300m above sea level and I did it with 4 friends, two of whom were trained tour guides. It was a beautiful sunny day and the ascent was strenuous but smooth. We made our way through glistening snowfields and snow-crusted trees, surrounded by a tranquillity that was inspiring. Without lifts, ski schools and après-ski, you are in the middle of nature, as if wrapped in absorbent cotton. Wonderful!
The last section to the summit was a little steeper and when the snow suddenly became slushy, my skins could no longer grip perfectly. My knees started to shake for a moment, but a little thrill is part of the experience!
My freeride conclusion
In summary, I can say that the experience of a ski tour is very different from a day at the ski resort – even though both can be a lot of fun. But the peace and quiet and the time you take for the ascent, just for this one descent, makes the sport much more conscious and closer to nature in my opinion. You climb the mountain only to be rewarded by it and enjoy your descent to the full.
If my story has aroused your curiosity and you are thinking about getting a taste of freeriding, I can only encourage you – just give it a try! Getting started is much easier than you might think. I’ve put together a list of what I think you need to get started so you can get an overview:
Freeride material science
Equipment is an important factor in freeriding and can be crucial to the enjoyment of the experience – let me tell you, if your boots don’t fit, you don’t want to climb a mountain 😊
First you have to decide: which sports equipment do I want to use? This choice depends on your personal preferences and you’re probably either skiing or snowboarding on the slopes anyway. Both options are suitable for freeriding and there is no right or wrong here. In any case, the sports equipment that makes you feel safer and more experienced is recommended. Otherwise, the following advantages and disadvantages can be identified:
Touring skis:
+ usually offer more stability and control
+ easier/faster ascent than on snowshoes
+ you don’t have to change equipment to ski down after the ascent
– expensive
Snowboard & snowshoes:
+ better/deeper fusion with the snow
+ inexpensive option if you use snowshoes for the ascent
+ technique for the ascent can be learned quickly
– snowboard must be carried up the mountain
– snowshoes must be strapped to your back for the descent
Splitboard:
+ easier/faster ascent than on snowshoes
+ no need to change equipment to ski down after the ascent
+ ski function for ascent, board for descent
– expensive
In addition to the respective equipment, you also need poles with a large plate (so that the pole does not sink too deeply into the snow), climbing skins for touring skis or splitboards, well-fitting boots or touring ski boots (you can also use normal ski boots, but this can be uncomfortable) and a rucksack. The shape of the skis or snowboard should also be adapted to deep snow skiing. The rule of thumb here is: the wider, the less you sink into deep snow and the better the device floats in the snow. A rocker shape also makes it easier to glide in powder.
The most important thing when freeriding: Safety!
Another important point about the material: the safety equipment. This includes avalanche equipment including avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe. A rucksack (possibly with an avalanche airbag) is also recommended and you should wear a helmet anyway. Clothing should also not be neglected during a tour. If you freeze on the summit and therefore can’t enjoy the view, that’s super annoying! As you sweat on the ascent and the cold and wind usually await you at the top, waterproof and breathable clothing is advisable. The good old “onion principle” also makes sense here to take off or put on layers of clothing if necessary.
AND: I highly recommend sunscreen and sunglasses, I forgot them on my last tour and it left its mark!
If you have now got a taste for snow and would like to gain your first experience in deep snow, then take a look at our snow camp on the Tauplitzalm. In the beginners’ course, you will learn the most important things about off-piste skiing through a few theory and many practical sessions. There is also a course for advanced skiers, but this allows more flexibility with regard to the tours due to previous experience. In any case, we have something for every level – see for yourself!
