Sun on your face, firn under your skis: a dream! We love ski touring in spring! While some people are already stowing away their skis for this year, for many ski tourers the high season begins in spring! However, ski tours in spring have their pitfalls, which are rarely encountered in high winter. How to behave properly on your spring ski tour and what to look out for? We'll tell you:

The early bird catches the firn.

The prerequisite for perfect firn is a clear and thus cold night, so that the snow is also frozen. Then it's a matter of catching the ideal moment for the descent: When the sun softens the hard surface, but the snow is still stable - damn cool ;-) But if you miss the perfect firn, the snow is not only not very enjoyable for skiing, the risk of injury also increases considerably.

Due to intense sunlight, rain and above all the strongly changing temperatures during the day, the snow in spring changes from hard and frozen to sulphur in only a short time. This significantly increases the danger of snow slabs and wet snow avalanches. So: In spring it's best to start early and return early - sorry, late risers - but those who start too late live dangerously

Eyes shut and go for it? Better not!

Did you start too late? Was the night not clear enough or warmer that expected? Do you feel physically unwell? Then you should return in time! If the conditions are not right, you should abort the tour as long as a safe return to the starting point is still possible. Because the most important thing on any ski tour is safety!

Knowledge & adequate equipment are basic requirements.

Knowledge of weather, snow and route conditions is the top priority. Even if it is already blooming in the valley, deep winter conditions can still prevail in the high mountains: stormy weather and low temperatures, poor visibility and increased avalanche danger due to new and/or drifting snow problems become major sources of danger here. When ski touring in spring, we therefore adhere to the tip of Thomas Zimmermann, local branch manager of the Lienz Mountain Rescue, to be sure to check the weather and avalanche warning service beforehand. ZAMG and Lawinen.report are ideal for this. If you don't want to miss out on challenging tours but don't have the necessary experience, it's best to get the support of an experienced mountain guide.

Adapt your equipment to the current weather conditions and the tour. In addition to wet snow, hard frozen firn can also be a problem. Especially when ascending in the morning hours, the surface is icy and particularly hard. For more difficult, hard-frozen areas, crampons and ice axes are must-haves on many tours in spring, in addition to the normal emergency equipment. Always wear ski touring gloves on the ascent, no matter how warm it is, to avoid serious abrasions from the frozen firn in the event of a fall. Our tip: thin, breathable layers. These offer the necessary protection without making you sweat. More tips for buying ski touring gloves can be found here.

With this in mind: Get your daily dose of #mymountainpassion!

Photocredits: Berg im Bild | Florentin Haunold | Stefan Filzmoser | Martin Lugger