The range of ski tours on offer in Graubünden is vast. Of these, four top regions in particular stand out above the rest: Lower Engadine – Val Müstair, Davos Klosters, Disentis Sedrun and Prättigau. These offer routes that range from gentle ascents to challenging summit tours, showcasing the full diversity of ski touring in Graubünden.

It is not for nothing that Graubünden is known as a ski touring paradise. Hardly any other region brings together so much space, diversity and alpine possibilities. Offering gentle slopes and wild peaks, quiet valleys and high alpine areas – for a terrain that promises freedom and demands respect. In the heart of Graubünden is the hub of such knowledge: the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos. This place where tracks are made in the powder snow on a daily basis also sees measurements, analyses and research carried out. Layer by layer, number by number, knowledge is gained that offers visitors guidance outdoors.

Christine Pielmeier is an avalanche forecaster and scientist at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF. Since 2003, she has been working here as a scientific and technical assistant, including in the operational Avalanche Warning Service for the Swiss Alps. She is responsible for product development, training and knowledge transfer in the field of research and avalanche warning.

The first lines. The first turns in the fresh, untouched snow. Powder snow up to your chin, a moment in which you feel as though you are floating. All around, there is only the snow, the mountains, the trees, and nature. Everything is simply still. That’s ski touring. The reward for everything that comes before. For the early starts, the ascent and the decisions made along the way. For exactly those moments you have experienced once and keep looking to encounter once more.

While some indulge in this pleasure, for others the day begins in a way that is very similar in some respects, yet completely different in others. Here, too, tracks are made in the powder snow. Carefully. Mindfully. With a different perspective. While the first lines are being left outside for a sense of enjoyment, lines are being left here and in over 300 other places in Switzerland with a focus on safety. Measurements in the snow. Layers, temperatures, stability. Every sample taken makes up a piece of the puzzle, every track left representing a contribution to the whole.

Allowing for guidance. Allowing for well-founded decisions. And allowing for a sense of freedom not arising out of nowhere, but based on knowledge and experience.

A white blanket of powder snow lies over the terrain. Everything appears harmless and weightless. No tracks, no noise – only stillness. But there is more to this snow than first meets the eye. Beneath its surface are hidden layers, processes and stories of days gone by. Responsibility begins right here.
This sense of freedom does not arise out of nowhere. It takes preparation. Experience. Knowledge. A close look. So that untouched snow becomes a safe space, and the moment becomes an experience to remember.

Dr Christine Pielmeier recommends that anyone ski touring for the first time attend a beginner’s course run by a mountain school or alpine club. In Graubünden, mountain guide schools offer tailor-made programmes: from the first taster tours to guided day tours, and right through to in-depth ski touring and avalanche courses. Along the way, not only does the experience grow, but also the joy of being out in open terrain.

While in their demanding and responsible roles, mountain guides are happy to be able to rely on the data and figures provided by the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF. Drawing on these insights allows them to plan tours safely and guide their guests safely to the summit. So in the end, everyone returns home with a smile on their face.

Ski tours can be an accessible experience for everyone. In principle, anyone with a certain fitness level who has mastered skiing or snowboarding technique can try ski touring. Splitboards also make touring a particularly special experience. But a ski tour is not quite as easy as a day on the slopes. It requires special equipment, preparation and knowledge. Anyone heading off-piste accepts responsibility for doing so and should know the basics. Since only in this way will it be possible to experience a sense of freedom in the snow with due care and safety.

This indescribable feeling of elation requires more than just enthusiasm: careful planning is needed in order to get to this point. Away from the slopes, a fascinating world opens up, but it calls for careful attention. This is a world associated with avalanches and other risks, but these risks can be better assessed by drawing on the required knowledge, experience and mindfulness. The following points should be noted:

The basic equipment includes an avalanche transceiver, which is set to transmit and checked before the tour, as well as an avalanche probe and a shovel. These standard emergency items are an indispensable part of your safety kit, which enables fast, efficient search and rescue in an emergency.

An avalanche airbag is also recommended, which can significantly increase the chances of survival in an emergency.

Training is the most important foundation for consciously reducing risks. Courses help participants to learn how to correctly assess avalanche risks, move safely through the terrain, find people that have been buried, and save lives in an emergency. The more often avalanche situations are practised, the safer it is to act in an emergency. This also includes awareness of how to correctly use an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel.

Good tour planning helps skiers to identify and avoid potential problems at an early stage. Whether related to conditions, terrain or people.

Key points for tour planning:

1. Choose a sensible route. The avalanche bulletin, route portals and guide literature offer support here.
2. Obtain information about the conditions, terrain and people.
3. Draw the route on a detailed topographical map (ideally you should do this yourself!)
4. Identify key points and assess them with respect to their risk.
5. Determine decision points and plan for possible alternatives.
6. Estimate timings and decide on set times.
7. Go through the route again in your mind.

Familiarity with the area and being able to assess the terrain correctly helps to identify the risk of avalanche at an early stage, choose safe routes and reduce the risk of accidents.

Typical avalanche terrain

• Between 35° and 45° steep
• Relatively uniform
• Slightly trough-shaped
  
  

Weather conditions are crucial when it comes to ensuring a safe and unforgettable ski touring experience. So it is well worth checking the current weather and avalanche situation carefully before the tour. In the mountains, the situation can change without much warning – and this is where it becomes clear just how important paying attention and flexibility really is. During the tour, it is important to pay attention to the weather, the snow, the terrain, and your own condition and schedule. Depending on the situation, it may also become necessary to make new decisions to ensure the adventure remains exciting but also safe.

In order to assess the risk of avalanche in good time, it is important to take into account typical warning signs and observations:

• Fresh slab avalanches
• Booming noises or cracks when stepping on the snowpack
• Simple observations that indicate an increased risk of avalanche
• Fresh snow and wind (critical amount of fresh snow)
• Fresh drift snow
• Rain in dry snowpack
• Significant warming of the snow in the range of 0° (particularly after fresh snowfall)

Behind these detailed assessments are the dedicated staff of the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF. Drawing on a great deal of knowledge and passion, they ensure that we are always well informed about the current avalanche situation. Among them is Dr Christine Pielmeier, a specialist whose work provides guidance and trust while out in nature.

What’s more, the SLF White Risk app offers all of this information free of charge: snow maps, snow profiles and practical tools for tour planning are ideal means of assessing the avalanche situation in the planning phase and preparing for the next ski tour.

The day is coming to an end. The ski touring group has arrived back down in the valley again – tired, but feeling fulfilled, and with unforgettable images from the day still running through their minds. The first lines are now in the shade, slowly disappearing and becoming part of the mountain. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF has also finished its work for the day. The measurements for today have been completed, and the data evaluated, classified and passed on. Knowledge that supports. Knowledge that others will rely on. Tomorrow, everything will start over again. New groups, new decisions, new lines in the snow. And once again, someone will head out, measure, check and record data. Day after day. All winter long.