BACK YARD AUSTRIA

Personally, I went to Back Yard Austria with no expectations. It was strange for me because I usually have this expectation quite high which does not serve such ideas. This time, after quite a long period of consolidating the group, we reached the point where the car was packed and we were ready to mentally detach ourselves from the everyday life of the last weeks. It's like scratching in a notebook and suddenly, after turning the page, you realize that you could work on the calligraphy.

First day

This time, after quite a long period of consolidating the group, we reached the point where the car was packed and we were ready to mentally detach ourselves from the everyday life of the last weeks. It's like scratching in a notebook and suddenly, after turning the page, you realize that you could work on the calligraphy. The road from Żywiec to Hippach took us less than 10 hours. It went smooth, easy and fun. We got there just before dark. We were warmly greeted by Brian and Gustaw, who keep their finger on the pulse of the whole Back Yard. A beer and an invitation to Jurgen's birthday; our good friend, snowboarder and boss BY. The night was short. The next day passed under the banner of preparation and organization. Reconnaissance of the area, lifts and options. Flags, banners, a weekly plan, and talking to Jurgen. In the evening the first part of the team arrived, and late at night the rest. It started to snow, which undoubtedly influenced further conversations and the search for the best, potential off-route lines on the maps and on the Internet.

Unfortunately, the Ziller Valley was not covered with snow. Well mountains; they give us the opportunity to ride on untouched slopes, but it is also the mountains that decide when. Fortunately, the glacier was close, and this is our plan B. It turned out that at over 3000 meters above sea level we have blue at our disposal and still not "damaged" stretches of snow. Despite the considerable frost, imperceptible for euphoric reasons, we "ate" successively discovered places that someone apparently missed in absentmindedness. The first day on Hintertux was a pleasant surprise. Despite not getting into foot contact with the ridges, we were able to do some interesting downhill runs. I was surprised and at the same time wondering if the first day was so good then what to do next.

The following days, however, turned out to be only more developmental. Jurgen, who is a mountain guide, has definitely contributed to this progress. Driving with the premises is how everyone knows the best that can be. The visitor knows the terrain, knows what is under the snow in a given area, knows alternative options, knows when and where it is better not to pack. It must be remembered that it is a glacier, and there are countless gaps, often only slightly covered with snow. Sometimes you don't see something, but it doesn't mean you don't see it.

Ride

Driving with J gave us a better view of the topography and the possibilities of often "easily" accessible lines but somehow hidden. Sometimes 20 minutes of ascent gave unimaginable descent possibilities. We wanted more. It's like good, better, best .... and a bit more. However, it seems to me, looking at that stay in the mountains, that with Jasiek and Piotrek we found a bit of humility, thanks to which I can now remember that time well. I remember that one day we decided to climb a relatively easy snow ridge. It looked like max. 30 minutes. The snow was blown but the visibility and contrast were very good. We were walking according to the plan. On one side, 45o, the part is very sunny. On the other side, a shaded slope, towards an extensive gully, the deeper the steeper to approx. 45o-50o. The plan was to climb up the ridge until the snow ended under the rocks and the dropin. After 3/4 of the approach, the blown snow started to lose stability, the sky was full blue and the views were full of infinity. It was hard to believe that there was anything else on the planet than the ubiquitous soaring white-steel spikes. The three of us were also kept by the stronger and stronger wind, which left us unbalanced at every step. We checked the snow. Solar exposure - gray ice. In the shade, cut like a kitchen knife from the sun part, soft snow drifted through it, which after cutting was not particularly bound with the other layers.

We decided not to go inside the shaded gully, from which there was no alternative to driving away. So we are going in the shade, but on the border with an icy slope, you have to be careful. In 15-meter distances, we safely (and admittedly with pleasure) completed a several hundred-meter descent, assuming a trail on an untouched ridge.
We made several ascents in 5 days in the snow. The weather changed frequently and quickly. It happened that the visibility dropped down to several meters. The temperatures did not spoil either (-12o / -20o) and strong wind. The height does its job, but it is mountains. Something for something. During a different approach through a rocky passage (actually the second time that day we walked over sharp, icy rocks in this place), leading us to the beginning of the line; Kuba slipped and slipped a good 15 meters down an almost vertical slope covered with rocks. From what it looked like then, it ended "only" with tearing of the ligaments and, unfortunately, the inability to continue driving.

And one more thing

We used the moment of the worst visibility to train the avalanche of those interested. Working with a detector is an essential knowledge for anyone who wants to work off-track. Regardless of the difficulty of the terrain and the avalanche risk, each one should be equipped with an ABC, i.e. a probe, a mini shovel and an avalanche detector. The training consisted of locating a backpack buried under the snow with the detector turned on for transmitting as quickly as possible, landing it and digging it out. The two-man crews worked together. The women's team recorded the longest time, 15 minutes. The mixed crew with the search time of 5 minutes showed the best time. and 30 sec. For information, let me add that the survival curve of people buried in avalanches drops drastically after 15 minutes. Given the heated discussions around the fireplace the same evening at BY, I know we left some awareness for the mountain activities.
A few moments in pure snow, a few mornings with power breakfast, a few conversations and a few blocked smiles. That's a lot in a world where sentiment has long ceased to exist. That's a lot for me, and I think everyone who has been attracted by the fresh snow there.

angel