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can now take of on their own,
but Polzer advises against it:
“There are lots of advantages to
doing a tour with a qualified
mountaineering school
instructor. Firstly, it’s safer,
because there’s a greater
avalanche risk with freeride
skiing. You have to have the
expertise to know whether it’s
safe or not. You also need to
know where to come down, so
S K I
Freestyle Sprünge bleiben
den Profis vorbehalten
Double back flip over
ice – cool but not compulsory
Eirik Finseth on the
Kitzsteinhorn, Austria
you end up near a lift and not in
the middle of a road.”
Mountains have very complex
geography, weather conditions
and temperature diferences, all
of which influence the likelihood
of avalanches. Guided tours also
teach you about themountains
and the natural environment
beyond the pistes.
An increasing number of ski
schools are now ofering freeride
tours. There are plenty to choose
from this season, particularly in
the Salzburg countryside.
Technique is important and
there are courses that will help
you improve this and build your
confidence in powder snow.
“People are often afraid of the
steepness of themountain and
end up leaning back too far,” says
Polzer, “but with a bit of practice,
competent piste skiers can
experience the rush of freeride
skiing this winter.”
Mattias Fredriksson came
over from north Sweden to
Austria to do shoots partly
because the lifts there allow
quicker and easier access to the
best freeride skiing terrain.
“Last year, we went to the
Kitzsteinhorn near Kaprun.
We took the first lift up in the
morning and the snow
conditions were perfect. The
Kitzsteinhorn is ideal for
freeride skiing, because it
extends up high above the tree
line, and that’s not something
you get everywhere in Austria.”
Fredriksson can’t take test
shots, because the snowhas to
remain untouched; he positions
himself on the steep slopes and
snaps the professionals’ freestyle
jumps as they fly past him.
But before you start searching
for themountain on themap,
Polzer, a long-term resident of
Austria, has a warning: “The
Kitzsteinhorn is only suitable for
experienced and professional
skiers. Although themountain
has unusual conditions for
Austria, you shouldn’t ski of-
piste here unless you really know
what you’re doing.”
There are, however, other,
safer freeride locations in the
Salzburg countryside. “The best
place for freeride skiing is the
Gasteinertal, Sportgastein in
particular,” says Polzer. “It’s
quite remote, you can easily go
of-piste. A ski pass also gives
you access to Bad Gastein,
Dorfgastein and other resorts.
A real insider tip is Weißsee.
Although it’s a small resort,
there are lots of places where
you can go of-piste. Try the
Rudolfshütte, the Alpine
Association’s training centre.
It’s pretty easy to get of-piste
from there.”
With the right guide, gear and
a bit of training, freeride can be
the adventure of your life.
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