For Beginners – Your Start on the Piste

Beginners can try out ski touring on a tour in the Almenwelt Lofer or in the Ski Area Heutal. Your ascent at the side of the piste is permitted during the day in compliance with the rules of conduct for ski tourers, for conflict-free coexistence on the ski pistes.
After a stop in one of the mountain restaurants or huts, you can comfortably return to the valley via the ski piste.

For Advanced Ski Tourers – Off Piste

The special attraction of ski touring is being able to consciously enjoy the untouched nature during the ascent, to perceive the special moments and to celebrate the summit victory. After you have taken off the skins and the touring ski bindings are fixed, the descent through the finest powder can begin.

As you make short turns through the powdery snow, you almost feel as though the snow-covered slopes were just waiting for you and belong to you alone – an indescribable feeling. The Salzburger Saalachtal is one of the most beautiful areas for ski tourers in the State of Salzburg. Advanced skiers tackle tours to the Hochalm and the Sonntagshorn in Unken, experts are challenged on the Skihörndl in the Loferer Steinberger or on the Seehorn or the Kammerlinghorn in the Mountain Climbers’ Village Weißbach.

Please be aware that ski tours off-piste can only be attempted with appropriate alpine experience and equipment. Of course, you must also check the weather report before each tour as well as the avalanche report. We therefore recommend that beginners consult a regional mountain guide.

When are your children ready for a ski tour?

As soon as your kids can safely ski down the slopes in parallel turns and are around 10 to 12 years old or older, you can definitely go on a ski tour. But of course, every child is different by nature, so you are the best judge of that.

An important factor: motivation

Your kids are no different to you: if there is plenty of motivation, everything is fine. But be careful, because children often lose motivation more quickly and nothing works under duress. In other words: brevity is the spice of life. Or simply turn round and try again.

The choice of tour

Start small: Start with easy tours at a low angle, never too steep and no more than 300-400 metres in altitude, ideally on groomed slopes. This gives your children the opportunity to get used to the sport and the equipment. The route should not be too monotonous, as children tend to fall into the stop-and-go principle, which is not ideal when ski touring.

The goal

The first destination for the day should be a hut with a refreshment stop. On the one hand, a tasty reward awaits your kids and, on the other hand, they may receive appreciative glances from other visitors to the hut. A second option is to choose an ascent aid (cable car or lifts) and tackle a nearby summit from there. The snack at the summit, the view and the entry in the summit book are the perfect motivation for the next tour. And don’t forget to take a photo at the summit.

Take a break

Plan breaks: Children have a shorter attention span and can tire more quickly. Make sure you take breaks with plenty of drinks and snacks throughout the tour and watch out for signs of tiredness or discomfort.

The right equipment

Some beginners start with “normal” alpine skis, on which the so-called skins are mounted for walking uphill. This option is not recommended as the material is heavy and, unlike ski touring equipment, there is no freedom of movement at the heel. You can hire suitable ski touring equipment from Sturm ski hire (from boot size 34) and Herbst ski hire (from boot size 36). It is also important to have a change of clothes, as it can quickly get cold in the winter air during the rest stop. And very important: don’t forget your helmet for the descent.

Off the piste

It goes without saying that only moderate tours with little children and beginners should be undertaken, and therefore tours with little risk of avalanches. However, an avalanche transceiver is also an absolute must for these ski tours in the open ski area. For slightly older children, an avalanche probe and shovel are also a must. Children in particular love practising with the avalanche transceiver in a playful way, which should always be included on ski tours with the kids. Another thing that usually goes down well is their own rucksack. They carry it with pride and often feel like “real ski tourers”.