Stay curious!

The origins, spirit and soul of backcountry skiing are deeply rooted in the spirit of adventure, personal responsibility, the love of nature, and the physical and mental challenge. Experiencing and sharing these experiences forms an intense connection.

Curiosity is a driving factor for learning, an endless engine for motivation. With a backpack full of curiosity you will improve your skills, find creative solutions, discover new ways of doing things and overcome challenges.

With good mentors or paid guides you can save yourself a lot of detours, get to pristine lines and remote peaks faster and safer, and satisfy your own desire for adventure away from the busy ski resorts in a kind of overdose. Personal responsibility is left aside, put in the hands of the mentor or guide. A proven way for those who realistically judge themselves and come to the conclusion that they could be overwhelmed by themselves in secluded mountains and, therefore, would take too high a risk.

Not everyone is willing or able to meet the personal responsibility, as well as the responsibility for all their companions in all situations. If one considers personal responsibility as a valuable asset and takes on the task of developing, strengthening and nurturing this asset carefully and thoroughly, one will gain a greater sense of freedom from the experience of backcountry skiing.

It is the curiosity in your backpack that can provide the impetus for this. Please also always pack the ability of renunciation – an indispensable gift if you want to enjoy the delightful rendezvous with freedom in the long term.

We wish all BACKLINE readers a safe winter with plenty of snow. Many thanks to all photographers and athletes who contributed to this issue.

Sincerely,