Three girls on snow

Tine Huber (Innsbruck, Tyrol), Angelika Kaufmann (Zug, Arlberg) and Liz Kristoferitsch (Dalaas, Vorarlberg): These three girls from Austria are passionate about the same thing: Freeriding with a challenge. All three are experienced alpinists, and access their chosen lines with their own climbing power. Last spring they set off together. Their goal was a thrilling crossing including selected peaks and steep couloirs in France, Italy and Switzerland. But it turned out differently. As a "warm up" for their alpinistic aims Angelika, Liz and Tine meet in the Tyrolean Pitztal area. Early morning they arrive on the glacier plateau and start hiking towards Fernerkogel (3,300 meters).

They come upon warm spring temperatures and have to cut a wide berth around crevasses. The girls negotiate the glacial landscape with kick-turns and continue up the rocky ridge using crampons and axes. Time and again in the difficult sections, Angelika, who leads, grabs the rope to belay the two girls and the photographer. "Amazing, those clear views! There is nothing more satisfying than standing on the top of a mountain, sharing this moment with good friends and knowing that there is a great descent ahead", says Tine, visibly pleased. Despite detailed planning and intensely studying the maps, the cliffs look so different when standing at the top. It's always a challenge to find the right entry for the planned line.

Such is the case here, and the run from the Fernerkogel turns into an exciting adventure. Nonetheless, the three get to enjoy every turn in perfect granular corn snow conditions. After an additional hike the girls finish off their time on the Pitztal glacier cooking soup and tea in front of the winter shelter at the Braunschweiger Hut. Now they are well prepared for their upcoming crossing within the Mont Blanc Massif. The goal in France: Primarily it is to hike up to Refuge d'Argentière and the morning after climb the Grande Lui (3.509 meters) via the Col de Chardonnet. After their arrival at the parking spot in Argentière the girls realize that above the elevation of about 2,500 meters, wind exceeding 130 kilometers per hour is blowing.

Meanwhile, time and again on the ascent towards the Col du Chardonnet, they are knocked over by the storm gusts. Additionally, the danger of avalanche is increasing. It's no bed of roses, but they fight it out. At the top of the Col de Chardonnet, the guerdon: A stunning panoramic view above the expanse of the French glacier; and mountain landscape, which compensates, for now, for a long day's exertions. But the cloud cover is increasing, the visibility worsens and the storm gusts rob the trio their strength. The chosen route leads towards the lowest point of the dihedral. "Bloody hell!" curses Angelika while she hardly finds grip to climb up the icy rock.

Finally they arrive safely at the ridge and after another rappel over a short rock wall they ski down in changeable snow conditions. Tired and chilled to the bone Tine, Angelika and Liz arrive at the Cabane de l'A Neuve (2,735 meters). They have to fight with heavy snowfall the next morning and later pouring rain. When the completely wet girls arrive in La Fouly and take off their skis, they accept that a further hike up to Mt. Dolent (3,823 meters) is too dangerous in these conditions. With a heavy heart they have to interrupt the planned crossing. "But that can not be everything", thinks Tine and talks to some friends on the phone. They drive back to Austria. The new goal: the Patteriol at the Arlberg (3,056 meters).

"For years I have looked at this mountain. I have talked to various people and all of them told me about different climbs during the snow-free months. It must be possible to ski this beautifully-shaped mountain with its jagged rock formations." The conditions back home seem to be just perfect. Tine now wants to realize her ski dream at the Patteriol together with her friends. Early in the morning, from the Konstanzer Hut, the girls start the white adventure. Above them they behold a breathtaking starry sky that accompanies them along the valley on the next stage of their challenge. Pretty tired from the short night they slowly push one ski in front of the other. They each try to find their rhythm as they stride across the flat expanse in a dream.

After a while they reach a distinctive rock that stands at the eastern foot of the Patteriol. From there they make surprisingly good time even without having to use ski-crampons. At a very rocky stretch Angelika straps her skis to her backpack. Tine starts the same maneuver but when she plunges the ski into the snow it hits a rock, slides out of her hand and races down the frozen slope. "Damn! That's crap!" In the dark, using what little light her headlamp could muster she is searching for her ski. Just before she starts to despair Angelika comes to help her. And then they spot the ski: The skin is still on and has stopped the ski! Overjoyed both climb up the slope again.

Step by step they stamp their way uphill until it gradually gets lighter and the sun rises behind the peaks of the mountains. Wearing crampons they ascend another slope to a steep couloir and they manage to make steady headway with the additional help of their ice axes. The sun is shining brightly and warms the snow up so much under their feet that they have to hurry to be at the top before the conditions get too dangerous. Between the horn and the main summit the girls tackle the climb along the exposed rocky ridge for the final 50 meters to the main summit. Despite the warm weather and the bright sunshine, the north facing couloir remains hidden in the shadows.

A descent in unbelievably perfect powder snow conditions lies in front of the freeriding girls. "Just after we had covered the first half, we could see the lower section and were rewarded with turns in the finest powder snow," Angelika says later, stoked. Across wide, smooth corn-snow slopes the run continues to Schönverwall. Around noon they arrive back at the Konstanzer Hut. They are tired, happy and have gained another great ski-experience surrounded by the beauty of nature.