9 reports · 8 countries
Every story appears in the printed BACKLINE magazine and online. Pick a year for cover, editorial and all reports.
Iran · Alborz-Gebirge (Shah Alborz)
Some dreams wait quietly inside of us. Mount Shah Alborz (13,681 feet) was one of mine. I left Iran with my family during the Iran-Iraq War in 1986, eventually building a life in Germany and later the United States. Yet the mountains of Iran never left me. Yet 17 years ago, I returned, drawn back …
2026 · Marjan Miri · 4 min
Grönland · Südwestgrönland
What a sight: small icebergs drift across the water while, directly behind them, a 165-foot wall of blue glacier ice rises into the sky. We leave the sailing vessel anchored in an unnamed fjord in southwest Greenland and weave our inflatable boat through the floating ice toward shore. Algae-covered …
2026 · Stefan Herbke · 4 min
Österreich · Lechtaler Alpen
Halfway up the steepest section of the couloir, lost in the rhythm of bootpacking and breathing, I suddenly notice something shimmering through the tracked snow. A flash of color catches my eye. I carefully brush the snow aside with my gloves and can hardly believe what I’m seeing. Oh, hey! How …
2026 · Annika Schlachter · 4 min
Schweiz · Albula Alps (Graubünden)
Steep slopes, a knife-edge ridge and endless silence: Gfroren Horn (9,009 feet) above Davos hides where few people ever think to look. A ski tour for those seeking solitude. And adventure in the overlooked. The slopes sparkle white – but our destination lies higher. More remote. Colder. With every …
2026 · Franz Thomas Balmer · 4 min
Norwegen · Rondane
Norway’s oldest national park is a place where the mountains still set the rhythm of life. Established in 1962, Rondane National Park protects a vast alpine wilderness with ten peaks over 6,500 feet, making it one of the country’s most iconic landscapes. In early May, Rondane is in a transitional …
2026 · Fredrik Schenholm · 4 min
Italien / Frankreich · Westalpen
We left without a destination, route or return date. Eighteen days of improvisation, carrying heavy packs and sleeping in bivouacs, shelters, igloos, meadows and wartime bunkers. We crossed valleys, peaks and villages, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends. We were free, and perhaps that mattered …
2026 · Giacomo Meneghello · 4 min
USA · Chugach Mountains (Alaska)
This story starts like any other trip to Alaska. I am a professional backcountry ski photographer, chasing perfect spines, cold smoke powder and clean lines across some of the biggest terrain on earth. This time, I am here with my good friend and favourite skier, Simon Hillis. We have been invited …
2026 · Christoph Johann · 4 min
Italien · Ortler-Alpen (Obervinschgau)
Until now, Thomas and I had mostly just passed through the Upper Vinschgau Valley on our way to the classic spring ski tours in the Ortler region. It was finally time to get to know the area properly. Together with two friends, we set out to discover a diverse ski-touring destination nestled …
2026 · Hanna Hörmann · 4 min
Schweiz · Livigno-Alpen (Val da Camp / Puschlav)
Hardly anyone seems to know about it, but tucked away in a side valley beyond Switzerland’s Bernina Pass lies one of the most diverse ski touring territories in the Alps. Endless slopes, beautiful routes, no crowds. Right in the middle of it all is a mountain hut serving excellent pizzoccheri.
2026 · Christian Penning · 4 min
