Last two years, I'm getting the feeling that the snow conditions are worse every year, many of you might agree, but I still  hope that one day or year the pure pow will come to Czech and Slovakia as well. Mid-January and proper pow storm is still not here. Instead temperatures well above freezing level and rain that destroys all hope for a good base of snow.

Instead of impatience we go to Austria. Checking snow-forecast every day, but the weather still does not want to give a pow. In 2200m, +6 degrees so the trip decision is postponed for next week, hoping for better conditions. After a week in positive values that we finally see some momentum coming from the west, and since we want to go on the weekend just pick a closer location. The decision ultimately fell to resort Krippenstein and Sport Gastein separated by about 130 kilometers.

Morning arrival at Kripp. after the expected snowfall, however, we did not have smiles on our faces. Parking teaser and around snow and so it would not snowball could not do it. Range was done to lift the snow, what could park, strewn with mixed equally. Despite these initial impressions wee unpack and go into robots. The first section to the middle station unrealistic as far as snow conditions. The second section, however, looked promising thanks to the new conditions also via 15 centimeters and begin to speculate which way we go. Since the upper station was still in a fog, we set out around the mountain where, we are embarking into the rocky section that changes in sparse forest. The terrain here is very rugged and therefore need to be careful that you do not get into places where I can not continue due to a rocky sill. In the lower part still use forests, where, however, with decreasing altitude rapidly decreasing snow cover. Thus we go half a day with the fact that we are still trying to discover untouched places. The top spots centers were snow conditions in freeride poles on the edge and ride lot was wary about rocky sharks who occasionally surprised. In the afternoon we went on a hike around 2x "Daumelkogel," "Devil's Thumb" (Ed. Red) with subsequent descent into Middle station. Here conditions were better, but it was not deep pow because snowed on the crust, which has not yet connected with the new layer in certain sections. At the bottom of terrain offering a varied terrain with many drops. Despite these conditions, we were able to get the maximum from the given conditions and rode all day.

Sport Gastein - well know resort for most of you guys. The conditions were better and that's only because the front coming from the west hit the resort earlier. The whole day was very nice azure and so we gave first passage to the upper roll into the forest. The upper part - Party lifts: 70% pow 30%  icy snow. In the lower places in the forest, but hard snow on which the new 20cm made a lot of fun. The rear side of the resort with the ski bus mileage was pure powder that attacked two days in advance. Here I saw the new info sheet that showed freeride slopes and drew attention to the end of the GSM signal, together with the cost of rescue action in the case of mountain intervention services. It is seen that the freeride becomes generally known sport and the resorts are well prepared for riders. When passing through the rear part, I noticed several of artificially induced breakaway followed by pow tongues (small avalanches), which I figured that even here the resort works on a preventive actions. What to remember 5-10 years back, so there was no such thing, and not everyone went here for a freeride. As you can see sport still goes forward. Subsequent range to ski bus stop just down the road, because the forest was really without a snow. Only two days, but fully utilized, which are definitely worth it.

Author: Dave Knybel