It was kind of cough, turn, cough, then turn. But I did it. A little tour out of Alpbach, Austria, with Fritz Barthel (inventor of the tech binding) and Franz Kroel (guide, pioneer climber, Ortovox man since 1991). A few photos below, details later about other adjunct adventures.
I wasn't sure I could make the climb, but the skiing was easy powder, making the down fluid and fun.
Franz Kroel of Ortovox. Ho hum, another Inn Valley kid who grew up on skis -- when he wasn't rock climbing. Franz made this a work trip by running Fritz and I through some beacon drills. I've always thought the super tech Ortovox beacons were fun to use, so playing around with the units was a good adjunct to the day.
I graciously allowed the locals to break trail (ha). Thanks boys.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
