Photo & Story Magazine
Reports from the backcountry
217 stories from 44 countries, issues 2011–2026. Full-text search across the archive.
Story archiveFreeride journalism since 2012
Reports from 44 countries. 630 products tested.
BACKLINE publishes a Photo & Story Magazine and a Test & Review Magazine. Both archives are fully searchable here – 217 stories and 630 test results.
Test & Review Magazine
Gear proven in the field
630 touring skis, poles and backpacks tested – comparable on a fixed points system.
Go to the testsCurrent tests
Ski touring skis
350 products · latest 2026
Top touring skis 2026
Ski touring poles
98 products · latest 2026
Top ski poles 2026
Ski touring backpacks
182 products · latest 2026
Top backpacks 2026
Test team 2026 in Lenzerheide
Current reviews
Climbing skins, ski boots, bindings, avalanche safety gear, helmets, goggles, socks and hardshell apparel – every product review from the 2022–2025 print issues.
Latest stories
Iran · Alborz-Gebirge (Shah Alborz)
Between Silence and Snow
Some dreams wait quietly inside of us. Mount Shah Alborz (13,681 feet) was one of mine. I left Iran with my family during the Iran-Iraq War in 1986, eventually building a life in Germany and later the United States. Yet the mountains of Iran never left me. Yet 17 years ago, I returned, drawn back …
2026 · Marjan Miri · 4 min
Grönland · Südwestgrönland
Beyond the Charts
What a sight: small icebergs drift across the water while, directly behind them, a 165-foot wall of blue glacier ice rises into the sky. We leave the sailing vessel anchored in an unnamed fjord in southwest Greenland and weave our inflatable boat through the floating ice toward shore. Algae-covered …
2026 · Stefan Herbke · 4 min
Österreich · Lechtaler Alpen
Butterfly Couloir
Halfway up the steepest section of the couloir, lost in the rhythm of bootpacking and breathing, I suddenly notice something shimmering through the tracked snow. A flash of color catches my eye. I carefully brush the snow aside with my gloves and can hardly believe what I’m seeing. Oh, hey! How …
2026 · Annika Schlachter · 4 min
Schweiz · Albula Alps (Graubünden)
Gold Rush
Steep slopes, a knife-edge ridge and endless silence: Gfroren Horn (9,009 feet) above Davos hides where few people ever think to look. A ski tour for those seeking solitude. And adventure in the overlooked. The slopes sparkle white – but our destination lies higher. More remote. Colder. With every …
2026 · Franz Thomas Balmer · 4 min
Norwegen · Rondane
The Last Days of Winter
Norway’s oldest national park is a place where the mountains still set the rhythm of life. Established in 1962, Rondane National Park protects a vast alpine wilderness with ten peaks over 6,500 feet, making it one of the country’s most iconic landscapes. In early May, Rondane is in a transitional …
2026 · Fredrik Schenholm · 4 min
Italien / Frankreich · Westalpen
The Useless Builders
We left without a destination, route or return date. Eighteen days of improvisation, carrying heavy packs and sleeping in bivouacs, shelters, igloos, meadows and wartime bunkers. We crossed valleys, peaks and villages, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends. We were free, and perhaps that mattered …
2026 · Giacomo Meneghello · 4 min
The photographers of the 2026 issue
All print issues
Every story and every test appears in print first. Pick a year for cover, editorial and contents.
Latest tech talks
Product developers and brand experts on technology, materials and development.
Tech talk on
Ski touring socks
BAUERFEIND SPORTS
Christian Naujoks
Head of Product Management
Christian is a passionate athlete who competed in competitive judo – in parallel, he was always interested in trying and practicing various sports. Currently, his focus is on road cycling and fitness training. Christian brings his professional expertise through a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sports Science, complemented by a Master's degree in Sports Management (M.A.). He has been part of the Bauerfeind SPORTS team since 2016 and has held various positions – he has been responsible for product management since May 2022 – with the ambition to develop functional products that inspire athletes and offer tangible benefits.
Test magazine 2025 ·
Tech talk on
Ski touring skis
BLIZZARD SKIS
Jacopo Michieli
Product Manager
Jacopo has been an avid skier since childhood, hitting the slopes at just 3 years old. Like most Italians, he comes from the world of racing and is a certified ski instructor. At 18, he stopped competitive sports to focus on his Material Engineering studies at the University of Padua. Since March 2025, Jacopo has been a Product Manager at Blizzard Ski, turning his passion into his profession.
Test magazine 2025 ·
Tech talk on
Ski touring backpacks
EVOC
Tobias Baier
Head of Sales and Marketing
Tobias has been working for EVOC for four years and is responsible for the strategic direction of the brand in these areas as Head of Sales and Marketing. As a passionate mountain biker and ski tourer, he also contributes his experience to product development. Winter sports fascinated him as a child, and as a native "Flachlandtiroler" (flatland Tyrolean), he stood on skis for the first time at the age of four. Since he was 14, he has also been snowboarding, and almost 15 years ago, he was infected by the ski touring bug – which ultimately led to successful participation in the PDG 2022. He prefers to be out in fresh snow and sunshine – and ideally in good company!
Test magazine 2025 ·
Tech talk on
Ski touring helmets & goggles
JULBO
Nicolas Defude
Product Manager
Nicolas grew up in the Jura mountains – a landscape that shaped his passion for mountain sports. For more than 20 years, he has worked in the outdoor industry, and at Julbo, he is the Product Manager responsible for helmet development. For him, it's a natural way of life: Winters come and go, but the encounters, experiences, and special moments in the mountains remain – and flow directly into his work.
Test magazine 2025 ·
Latest industry product news
New products from the brands, edited and linked to our tests.
Industry product news on
Outdoor topics
Freeride Academy Innsbruck
Freeride Academy Innsbruck: Group Coaching for Young Riders
Freeride Academy Innsbruck focuses on group coaching, helping children aged eight and up and young riders learn technique and assess alpine hazards.
Industry product news on
Avalanche safety
Ortovox
Ortovox
New Ortovox Safety Academy courses are online
Ortovox Safety Academy has published new course dates for winter 2026/27, including English-language and women-only courses.
Industry product news on
Outdoor apparel
GORE-TEX®
GORE-TEX® expands its product portfolio with new materials and product updates
GORE-TEX® expands its portfolio with WINDSTOPPER® Stretch, updated PACLITE® products and laminates with recycled polyester face fabrics.
Industry product news on
Visor helmets
uvex
Visor helmet meets magnetic interchangeable lens: the new uvex horizon family
Five new uvex horizon visor helmets arrive in autumn 2026: three with magnetic interchangeable lenses, the flagship with MIPS and merino.