Tips and tricks for freeriding in Saalfelden Leogang

1. Everything you should know before your freeride tour

Preparation is essential for a relaxed day of ski touring or off-piste skiing. It is absolutely vital to check the avalanche report when planning and to choose your routes accordingly. The weather forecast also plays a role, as does choosing a suitable route, for which you should ask yourself the following questions based on the avalanche report: What is the exposure of the terrain? How steep are the slopes? What is the snowpack structure like? And what does the weather forecast say? Otherwise, you should check your equipment and have it ready:

• Avalanche transceiver
• Probing staff
• Shovel
• First aid kit
• Bivy bag
• Cell phone
• Perhaps an airbag backpack
• Appropriate clothes and a helmet
• Freeride skis & ski poles (or splitboard), skins

When it comes to avalanche transceivers, digital 3-antenna models are recommended, as these are now ‘state of the art’. In an emergency, these guide the user along the field lines to the buried person using arrows on the display. It is also perfectly possible to locate several buried people using a marking function. The older 1- or 2-antenna devices have only one or two antennas, respectively, which can receive or transmit signals; this makes the search far more difficult and requires a great deal of practice. Practice is, in fact, a key word here: even with the most modern devices, you need to know how to use them properly. A course on this is worth its weight in gold!

2. Avalance airbag - yes or no?

First of all: what exactly is an avalanche airbag? An avalanche airbag – or avalanche rucksack – is an airbag integrated into a rucksack that is triggered by pulling a handle on the front. If you are caught in an avalanche and activate the trigger, your chances of survival are greater, as you are more likely to remain on the snow surface. I asked our expert Sabine whether an avalanche airbag is now definitely an essential part of freeride kit. This is how she sees it: “I always carry one with me when I’m out in the backcountry, but I’ve also noticed that whilst more and more people are out and about with airbags, unfortunately they tend to neglect how to use them properly. Perhaps, in some cases, the airbag also tempts people to make slightly riskier decisions. If you take the time to understand it and practise, an airbag is a brilliant piece of kit!”

3. What you should know when you are a beginner

‘In any case, work on your technique first and take it slowly,’ emphasises Sabine, who recommends that less confident riders attend a workshop designed to teach not only the correct technique but also how to behave off-piste and how to handle the equipment properly. After all, freeriding is definitely more fun when you’re gliding effortlessly over the snow rather than having to slide down the slope nervously. Beginners should not venture off-piste on their own, but only with a guide and once they have sufficient skiing ability. However, for those very first freeriding experiences, the ungroomed section right next to the piste or designated ski routes are also suitable.

4. What you should definitely know about snow, weather and exposed slopes

As already mentioned in point 1, it is essential to read the avalanche report and the weather forecast before setting off on a tour and to choose routes accordingly. Not only the current weather forecast, but also past weather conditions play a major role in the structure of the snowpack and, consequently, in the avalanche risk. What is important in terms of snow, weather and terrain before and during the tour:
 

Interpret the avalanche report in a right way

Below you find a general classification of the avalance alert levels, which is easy to remember:

• Avalanche alert level 5 = stay at home
• Avalanche alert level 4 = stay at the groomed slopes
• Avalanche alert level 3 = no slopes which are steeper than 35 degrees ​
• Avalanche alert level 2 = no slopes which are steeper than 40 degrees 

The angle of the slope can be meassured with your skiing poles. Alternatively you can use different apps, which can help you.
 

Observe and judge the structure of the different levels of snow

In courses, a snow profile is very often dug to provide a vivid illustration of how the various layers of snow have accumulated on top of one another. Depending on the wind, temperature and precipitation over the past few weeks, different layers form within the snowpack, each with varying degrees of stability. Many thin layers, perhaps even with sliding layers, are very unstable. Fresh drift snow is particularly dangerous, as avalanches can be easily triggered here. If new snow slabs or their fracture edges are visible in the terrain, it is best to leave the slope immediately.

Beware of changes in the weather

One moment there’s bright sunshine, but suddenly a thick cloud of fog rolls in. And visibility is gone! When out in the mountains, it’s particularly important to keep an eye on the weather, as rapid changes are commonplace, especially in the mountains, and can lead to drastically changing conditions.

5. With whom you find the perfect slope 

I asked Sabine about this important question again. Her answer: “Well, all I can say is: with a freeride guide! We tailor the routes not only precisely to your needs, but also to the avalanche conditions, weather and so on. Assessing slopes and recognising warning signs aren’t exactly easy for a layperson to manage.”

6. What you should do after your tour

Relax yourself, chill and enjoy the memories of your tour! Plan your next one and look after your equipment! 😊