Not Sure You're Ready for Freeride or Touring? Start Here
Dreaming of cat skiing in the Balkans or touring in Norway, but not sure your riding is up to it? Three days on snow with coaches who will tell you straight is the best level check there is.
You have seen the photos. Snowcats in the Balkans, summit-to-fjord lines in Norway, powder clouds in places you cannot pronounce. And somewhere between "I want that" and the booking button sits one nagging question: am I actually good enough?
It is the most common question we get, and a fair one. Book a trip that is too much and you spend a week scared and exhausted. Book one that is too easy and you are bored by Tuesday. Here is how to find out where you stand before you spend real money.
Step 1: be honest on three scales
Your piste level, your freeride level and your touring experience are three different things. Carving black runs does not make you a freerider, and a strong freerider may never have put skins on. Our levels guide explains each scale. Rate yourself on your normal day, not your best run, and if you are between two levels, pick the lower one.
Step 2: know the signs you are ready
- You ride any black piste in control, not just survive it.
- Moguls and the chopped-up snow beside the piste do not make you panic.
- You can stop where you choose, not where the slope decides.
- You still have legs left at 3 pm on a full day.
If you nodded at all four, you are probably closer than you think. If you hesitated on two, that is fine too. It just tells you what to work on.
Step 3: let someone who does this for a living watch you
Self-assessment only goes so far. Everyone thinks they ski better than the video says. The fastest, most honest level check is three days with a coach and a camera.
That is a big part of why we run the Performance Prep DOWN Edition in Kaprun every December. Come along, meet the crew and some good people, ride a lot, sharpen your technique and test DOWN SKIS while you are at it. Over three days the coaches film you, work on what holds you back, and then tell you straight which of our freeride or touring trips fits you, and what to fix before you go. Think of it as a test drive for the rest of your winter.
Where people usually go next
- Strong on piste, new to off-piste: Improve Your Off-Piste Riding. Five days of off-piste coaching, no touring.
- Never toured: Intro to Ski Touring & Splitboarding. Skins, transitions and avalanche basics from scratch.
- Confident off-piste, some touring: DEEP & STEEP Austria, or the cat-ski weeks in the Balkans: Kosovo and North Macedonia.
Still unsure? Tell us how and where you ride and we will point you the right way. Honestly, even if the answer is "not this year".
Quick answers
What level do I need for a freeride trip?
For most of our freeride and cat-ski trips: confident on black pistes and in control in ungroomed snow, plus some touring experience for the trips that include skinning. Each trip page states its level.
How can I check my skiing level before a trip?
Rate yourself honestly on piste, freeride and touring, then ride with a coach. Three coached days with video give you a clear answer and a plan.