It’s pitch black outside and even though your body refused to fall into a deeper sleep than a good doze, you’re fully alert and ready to take on the world. You don’t even notice the semi-frozen drops falling from the sky as you stuff your things in the back of the car. Voices are soft, cherishing the peaceful darkness and even though you can only sense your friends’ face, you know the radiant smiles they’re sporting as your own face looks just the same. And then you speed off, wheels smoking, as you’re escaping the same old boring streets of your city. Humming softly, the car takes you through a magical landscape of absolute calmness and hard shapes against the light that is slowly creeping over the horizon.

The road takes a turn and suddenly it’s there, all laid out in front of you: the first rays of sunshine illuminating the jagged skyline of the Alps. Covered in goose bumps your heart takes a leap and opens up as you take in the beauty that you missed all year, as you’re making your way to the mountains for the first time this season. And you know you’re finally back where you belong.

Hopefully you have already had that first day of riding, but if not don’t worry as the winter has only just started (there are major dumpings forcasted for the whole of Tyrol over the next couple of days and weeks) – and even I only had my first day of proper riding on the World Snowboard Day in December.

So enjoy your first time in the snow this winter, happy shredding!

And in case you’re wondering – my turn of the road is on the A8 from Munich to Innsbruck right after the Irschenberg, watch out next time you go there…