
Ski Mountaineering
I started skiing at a pretty young age - both my parents have been ski instructors in their earlier days. My father soon took us freeriding with him in the off-pist terrain at Arlberg, Austria. There, I discovered my love not only for deep snow skiing, but also for moguls and other more difficult terrain. I liked the permanent challenge for body and mind a lot more than the mere speed on the pistes. However, it took until my mid-twenties, when we were already living in Freiburg, that I exchanged the lifts for touring skis and started exploring the backcountry in the black forest. There are several nice and pretty steep descents near Freiburg such as the Kappler Wand at Schauinsland or the descent to Feldsee besides the Feldsee cascade.
However, the black forest in general is rather flat, continuous descents of more than 500 altimeters are rare... But fortunately the Alps are not so far. In around two hours from Freiburg, one can find the Berner Oberland and the Urner Alpen with plenty of 3000 and 4000 meter peaks. Only a little longer drive of around 4 hours away there is the Wallis and the Mont Blanc region, literally everything one could wish for.
Below, you can check out some of the greater tours I did in the past years.
26.02.2023
Tödi (3614m) from Tierfehd via Hintersand, Bifertenfirn and Schneerus. 2900m elevation gain.
25.02.2023
Titlis (3238m) ascent from Engelberg via the famous Freeride site of 'Laub', descent via Laub and another freeride site, the 'Steinberg'. 2500m elevation gain.
18.02.2023
Rotsandnollen (2700m)
25.01.2023
Wildstrubel (3244m) northern couloir from Lenk (harsh conditions, turned back at ~3000m due to incoming darkness).
24.01.2023
Landvogtehore (2616m) and Drümännler (2436m) from Fildrich (Diemtigtal).
28.05.2022
Grand Combin traverse: Combin de Valsorey (4184m), Combin de Grafeneire (4314m), Combin de la Tsessette (4135m); ascent via 'Couloir du Gardien', descent via 'Corridor'.
14.05.2022
Dufourspitze (4634m) via normal route (western ridge)
01.03.2022
Hohtürli (2778m) and Bundstock (2756m) from Kiental
28.02.2022
Bütlasse (3193m) from Kiental
04.02.2022
Guspislücke (2833m) from Gemsstock, Guspistal (2x), Gafallen
23.01.2022
Baldenweger Buck (1460m) from Rinken, steep descent to Feldsee, Seebuck (1449m)
07.12.2021
Toter Mann (1321m), Feldberg (1493m), Stübenwasen (1270m)
16.01.2020
Rinderhorn North-Western Couloir ascent up to 3165m
12.01.2019
Schauinsland (1284m), descent of Kappler Wand (3x)
02.01.2019
Lacs Jovets ascent up to 2180m
29.04.2018
Gran Paradiso ascent up to ~3400m, did not continue due to snowstorm
24.03.2018
Alphubel (4206m)