Skiguides x LECH

Bluebird skies, deep powder, and two days of freeride skiing at Arlberg that completely reset the definition of what “good skiing” means.

This freeride ski photography project with Skiguides Lech took place during one of those rare weather windows that seem almost unreal: over 60 centimeters of fresh snow, stable conditions, sunshine, and endless freeride terrain across Lech Zürs, St. Anton and the wider Arlberg region. For freeride skiing in Austria, conditions do not get much better.

The experience was shaped by the guides as much as by the snow itself. My go-to guides Panos (a greek god on skis), Stefan (who basically grew up in Lech), and Lukas (no idea if he's related to the Austrian ski racer, but he sure as hell skis like it) revealed just how massive the freeride possibilities around Arlberg really are. Before the trip, it felt reasonable to say “I can ski.” After following these guys throughout the day, I was not sure anymore haha.

If you want untouched powder the whole day, be sure to book with them, because on busy days at Arlberg, fresh snow gets tracked out quickly, but the guides still managed to find untouched lines in the afternoon and even on the following day!

Even after two full days in the mountains, it still felt like only scratching the surface of what freeride skiing at Arlberg is capable of offering. So this fabulous mountain region will definitely see me again - next time maybe for once even without a camera, but wider skis ;)