Ski tour on the Brauneck

Upper Bavaria is sinking into the snow on Epiphany 2019 – a great incentive to head out on a ski tour through a winter wonderland. Massive snowfall in the Northern Alps due to a persistent stau weather pattern ensures plenty of powder. However, the second-highest avalanche warning level is also in place, which is why a ski tour away from monitored slopes is out of the question for me. So, like so many others, I decided on the ascent to the Brauneck. Mountain solitude isn’t the priority today; it’s more about the experience of forests thick with snow and practising downhill skiing in deep powder.

Through wonderfully soft fresh snow, I follow the existing track, which winds its way up moderately steeply through densely forested mountain slopes away from the downhill run. The snow muffles all sounds; apart from the rhythmic clicking of the bindings and the sliding of the skis over the snow, there is silence. The descent then took place on the pistes, where a beautiful soft layer of powder had formed due to the continuous snowfall. Compared to the sunny conditions and far-reaching views on another day, the atmosphere today is also a special experience.