BIANCOGRAT

´BIANCOGRAT` - Salewa Chronicles. Last spring after heavy snowfalls in June Alex Hoffmann I climbed up and rode this outstanding spine.. just beautiful up there

You like it, share it with your friends. Have a great winter start!

LINK: ´BIANCOGRAT´- SALEWA Chronicles

Splitboard "tool time"

We got the first snow in the alps, meaning motivation for winter comes to it`s peak!

As more and more people ask me about how a Splitboard works, here is an interesting link:

www.wildschnee.de

"Do it your self" link click here !!

Since I got in contact with Markus Reichard who made my first Splitboard years ago, I did quite a lot touring not wasting energy anymore. Different terrain - from steep and sometimes icy to mellow powder runs. Before I was used to hike in deep fresh powder with snowshoes and also tried similar stuff. I always felt good with my Splitboard and could 100% trust it. For sure, especially in exposed lines you should double-check Board, Bindings and Crampons.

Thanks Markus!


My Splitboard Set-up:

FLOW Solitude "Custom" 169cm
Universal Splitboard Kit
POM Slider
Voile Climbing Skins
Split hooks

whiteroom camping session ( Fotos c Haller Zlu)

"FOR A FEW LINES MORE"

Full movie will be presented in fall`13 @ several film festivals...

World Premiere @ Alp-Con Cinema Tour:

03.Oct 19:00 Metropol Cinema, Innsbruck



further presentations visit

alp-con.net

freeridefilmfestival.com

facebook "Whiteroom production"

BIANCOGRAT - Piz Bianco 3995m

As this winter seems to be never-ending, why should we stop riding?

Conditions for high alpine peaks turned to be good later than normal this year, meaning we still found great snow in the past hiking missions. Since I have seen the famous "Biancograt" the first time from Pontresina I wanted to get up there and ride this insane spine all the way down.

Dani and I drove to Pontresina, the starting point of the tour. We hiked up to the Tschierva hut, which was still closed because of the unusual snow level and slept in the "winterraum". Early in the morning we started hiking - 2 houres we skinned up to Fuorcla Prievlusa where the real climb starts. Soon we noticed that it`s gonna be super hard to make it to the summit in time, as conditions in this mixed terrain were more difficult than expected. I`ve done quite a lot alpine stuff already, but most of the time we didn`t use a rope, as the goal always is to ride down as well.  The idea is that as long as we feel comfortable hiking, it should be possible to ride! Simple, isn`t it?

Finally Dani and I had to make the desicion to turn round. That`s never easy, but necessary if you wanna stay safe.

A week later conditions seemed to be better and I gave it another try. This time together with Alex we started in direction to Switzerland. Already knowing the path and what we gonna need considering "climbing hardware" we reached the Tschierva hut and could enjoy an epic sunset up there. 

2:30 a.m the next day we woke up and skinned again up to the ridge close to where Dani and I had to turn round the last time. The snow in this mixed terrain was much better settled and we climbed fast with some "Tibloc" fixations through the rocks. On the top we had to rappel to finally reach the Biancograt, which leads for another 500 vertical metres to the summit of Piz Bianco (3995m). This hike on that spine is for sure something special and quite exposed all the way. About 1000m + drop to both sides - rocky and steep.

Exhausted but knowing the reason for our hike just starts now, I droped into the sunny side of the spine. All the snow below my edge went down to the glacier and we could hear it like an avalanche passing the serac. Attention was required, but as soon I got used to the riding it turned to be super fun riding that insane spine...

Further down we had to climb up again a few metres in order to reach the north side of the ridge, where we had again to rappel for like 3x40m. Back there we could ride till the hut and finally hiked down to our bicycles.

A great adventure, a wunderful mountain and positive vibes will stay in my mind!

Thanks Burger and Alex!

aim higher

Step by step I feel really good and strong after my injury and I`m already able to do pretty much everything again. I tried to take it easy the very first time in the snow in order to get my safe feeling back. Finally also the weather was supposed to be good (unfortunately not too often this spring since a while), we went for a two-days hiking mission. Part of the "whiteroom crew" - Joi, Michi, Jochen, Jakob and me was packed with heavy backpacks, ready for some hours hiking to reach snow-level.

We camped up there, cooked some tasty spaghetti and woke up the next morning 03:00 am. After the sun came out it was just great to be surrounded by this wonderful mountains without seeing somebody else. We made it to the summit already knowing the conditions for the descent gonna be perfect.

summit

 

"3-2-1..." familar noise out of the radios ;) We all took different lines, captured by Jakob and his camera. Another great descent followed till we had to walk down through the valley. A big smile in our face made it better, still a long walk.

more options waiting

A few days later Alex, Raphi and me did another little hike on a nice ridge above Innsbruck and skied down with our FIGL - so much fun!! BBQ in the evening with friends - can`t imagine better!

Alex - first track

truck driver style

winter part #2

6 weeks since I broke my ulna, radius and pubic bone @ FWT Fieberbrunn

surgery - check, rest - check, healing - check, physio and training - check, exame - check.

finally back on the mountains - HAPPY !!  

recovery just started

Unfortunately in the last FreerideWorldTour event, which took place in Fieberbrunn/ Austria, I had a bad crash and broke my ulna and radius bone. It was the double drop which ended up with a double broken bone ;)
But in addition I also have a small fracture of the pubic bone. Great combination crutches and a hand injury ... bääää





screwed 



Without knowing that I have another injury than on my arm, I still thought to be able to ride carefully, but now it will definitely takes a few weeks. Nevertheless, if everthing heals fast and good, I keep the hope to climb and ride some lines on mountains at higher altitude later on in spring.

In the meantime Mitch created a really nice clip about a project that we did together 2 weeks ago. Praxmarerkarspitze is an epic mountain in the Karwendel range, but pretty difficult to access.

Praxmererkarspitze (2638m)

The first day we had to hike up to a hut and slept in the "winterraum". Even the descent early morning in the dark to the beginning of our route was incredible. Because of the full moon we could see quite well and on the opposite the shadow of our silhouette. It took us two attempts to go up, as the first try ended in a 70°+ ramp which would have been just too much having only one ice axe and cramons. Quickly we checked whether the food is enough to give it another try. So it was and on day 2 we finally we managed to summit and could ride our lines.

VIDEO:

Snowboarding Praxmarerkarspitze from GoPro Fitnesstraining on Vimeo.

These are the days which simplify situations like injuries and will always stay in my head. Thanks Mitch and Bibi for the great time we shared together!

Some more impressioons about the event in Fieberbrunn...

event village

autograph session

BIB draw

on mountain rider meeting



spectators area @ lärchfilzkogel

SALEWA Chronicls

Watch out for the SALEWA Chronicls about the Dolomites, Valle Hermosa, High Tatras, Chamonix and about the Freeride World Tour event in Fieberbrunn last year.

And here is what I like most - hiking on the ridge, getting some exposure and then having a great descent!




SALEWA Team competing at Freeride World Tour Fieberbrunn 2012...

Dolomiti

Fresh snow in the dolomites was a good reason for Alex Hoffmann and me to leave the austrian mountains behind for a few days. The goal was to ride as many "canali stretti" as possible, obviously it has to be challenging and with good snow.

Sella

Considering snow quality and stability we had to decide with which couloir we start. In Italy they have different law and the consequence of releasing an avalanche can be quite serious. Anyway we wanna stay safe, but it`s always important to have all facts and options of what can happen on the mountains in your mind.

looking for the entrance of our couloir

ready to go

Alex in the famous Canale Holzer

impressive views - narrow, steep, rocks everywhere...

some steps to drop in the couloirs

Within 3 days we could manage to ride the following couloirs: Canale Vallencant, Canale Holzer, Canale Larsei, Canale Larsei est, Canale Sass de Forcia, Vallone d`Antermoia, Canale di Creste Bianche and some more smaller "freeride lines" we hiked...

Piz Boè

Christina joined us from the second day...



...and goes for the next one



hmmm...should we trust



an option?

rappeling



epic panoramic freeriding

hike to Canale Vallencant



attention needed

weather already coming in



crampons are not a bad choice in such terrain



a little alternative of "classic" Vallencant



very narrow exit

steep and deep