Ski & Snowboard Touring in Salzburger Land.

Salzburger Land stretches from the limestone ranges in the north to the Hohe Tauern in the south, where peaks climb well above 3,000m. Its ski areas range from huge linked circuits like Skicircus Saalbach and Ski amadé to high, quieter places like Sportgastein and Rauris.

For freeride touring we work mostly in the Hohe Tauern: Gastein, Rauris, the Kitzsteinhorn and the side valleys around them, using lifts to gain height and skins to reach the lines beyond. Steep couloirs and long powder descents are possible — the ascent, steepness and day-length figures on our trips are maximums, not every week. Conditions come first, then the level and wishes of the group.

For carving, the province's big resorts give us perfect groomers within short drives of each other.

Most resorts open from late November or December to April, with glaciers earlier and later. Our touring weeks run in January and March; carving safaris run all season on request.

January to March is the main powder window. Spring brings stable weather and corn snow — ideal for longer tours.

We don't publish snow depths or forecasts on this page — they go out of date within hours. These are the sources we check ourselves: Windy for wind, freezing levels and storm tracking, and the resort or regional forecast for snow detail. On a guided trip your guide checks them, plus the snow on the ground, every morning before any plan is set.

Windy — Gastein valley
Snow-Forecast — Sportgastein
Snow-Forecast — Kaprun
Snow-Forecast — Obertauern

Salzburg's snowpack can hold persistent weak layers through much of the winter, and steep north faces are where they bite. The official avalanche bulletin for this area is published by Lawinenwarndienst Salzburg (the official Salzburg avalanche warning service) — read it every day you go out, and read the whole thing, not just the danger level.

⚠ Conditions change fast — this is for planning only. Always check the live bulletin and consult a certified local guide before heading out.

On our touring weeks the guide reads the bulletin every morning and picks terrain for the day. Beacon, shovel and probe are mandatory, and companion rescue is part of every touring week — on the INTRO course it is one of the main things you learn.

In Austria, mountain rescue is run by the Bergrettung Salzburg (and its sister organisations in the other provinces). Raise the alarm on the Austrian mountain rescue number 140 or the European emergency number 112. Coverage is good in the ski areas and patchy in the side valleys.

Travel and medical insurance with mountain rescue and helicopter cover is essential and is not included in our trips. We recommend Austrian Alpine Club (Alpenverein) membership, which includes mountain rescue cover.

Salzburg (SZG) is the nearest airport, with Munich (MUC) the bigger hub further away. Austria's rail network reaches deep into the Alps, so getting to the Gastein valley or Zell am See by train is realistic. Most of our areas are one to two hours from Salzburg airport by road.

On our trips we usually drive together between areas to follow the snow.

We arrange accommodation for our trips unless agreed otherwise — basic shared accommodation such as apartments or bed and breakfasts, chosen for where the snow is that week.

Independently, every valley has pensions, guesthouses and hotels. Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein add thermal spas to the mix.

Touring gear can be rented, or the DOWN demo used if agreed in advance. On the INTRO course we help you choose and fit everything.

Touring weeks: touring skis or splitboard, touring boots, skins, poles, ski crampons, beacon, shovel, probe, 30–40L backpack, helmet, goggles, layered clothing, spare gloves, headlamp. Helmet mandatory on our trips.

Austrian mountain huts are part of the experience: Kaspressknödel soup, Germknödel, Kaiserschmarrn and a Radler on the terrace. Down in the valley, most places do proper Austrian home cooking, and the Salzburg region has some excellent gastro-pubs.

Salzburg city is close: the old town, the fortress and coffee and cake in a classic café. In the mountains, the Gastein valley's thermal spas are the best recovery there is.