Snowboarding 2025/2026: The Season That Wasn't

There's this one sound that's supposed to heal everything: The crunch when you tighten the binding. The quiet scrape when the board first touches the snow. Normally, the season is the ultimate escape for me — the moment when the mind goes quiet and the body takes over. This year was hard, but that wasn't because of the ski resort or the people there.

It all started in mid-November. The anticipation was huge. Weather reports were falling over themselves with warnings of a once-in-a-century winter. And indeed: At the end of November the snow came in masses, the first areas opened. I thought: This is it. This is the salvation for my mind, the recovery I so desperately need after this year full of psychological strain and overload. But reality on the mountain hit me hard this year. The lightness of past years is gone. The climate, my ADHD, and unfortunately sometimes human failure at the highest level, in my eyes.

My Love for the Riedbergerhorn and the Ignorance of the Carpet Lift Days

My heart beats in Balderschwang. My regular spot at the Schwabenhof, the guys and girls from SBSB — Ulli and his team are the best ski and snowboard school in all of Europe, for me. For me that's hanging out with friends, that's home. But what the BG mountain railways are doing leaves me speechless. Nothing happens on the website, except for a rebuild that doesn't work. Just like the Raubach lift in spring 2025. And instead of fixing it, well, let's leave that for now. (No blame on the employees, but on the boss at the top for whom Grasgehren seems to matter more than the people working at the Schwabenhof.)

You wonder: Did they finally fix the thing? But you don't get answers. Instead they divert to Grasgehren because they can open earlier there. But honestly: I never liked Grasgehren much. The warmth at the Riedbergerhorn is completely missing there. We experienced that again yesterday morning — packed up right away and gone again. Everything feels cold, just like the boss of the BG mountain railways, who as the only one drives up to the Riedbergerhorn and doesn't even return a "Good morning," even though I count myself among the loyal regulars. Maybe I'm the only one who sees it that way, but it feels wrong. It feels like the customer is just an annoying detail in the business plan for him, but he has enough "experience," that may be, dear boss, I also have understanding for many things that move and worry you, but a "Good morning" is actually normal in the Allgäu, especially when you say it yourself, and yes I expect one back. I've been there almost every weekend now, and not once was it returned. A shame.

The Divided Conscience: Diesel, Slopes, and Double Standards

And then I stand there with my own conscience. I'm one of those who harm the climate. The "evil winter sports enthusiast." I drive a stinking diesel, used to rack up thousands of kilometers by car and plane for work, don't use public transport, and my kids ride motocross. I'm blessed with a fair portion of double standards, and that really weighs on me by now. On one side the love of nature, on the other the lifestyle that destroys it.

This year, winter presented me with the bill for that. The snow is melting away, it's far too warm. The Raubach lift opened way too late, at Christmas it was all hands on deck: no operation, no snow. To this day, on 02/14/26, the chairlift stands still. A tragedy in white and green. Then there's the fact that I get upset when conservationists blocked the Alpine swing, but on the other hand, I want to ride longer .... hm what do I want, now comes the double standard. BG mountain railways must invest, more snow cannons on the Riedbergerhorn, a larger water reservoir. Maybe there needs to be a concept for weekends in summer, downhill, skatepark, food truck operation, no idea. I'm there in summer too, often. Ride my bike, hike, make something of it. You have potential for that. Make peace with the other organization.

A Gem That Cracks from Arrogance

And yet it could be so beautiful. The Alpine swing connection between Grasgehren and the Riedbergerhorn would be an absolute jewel in the Allgäu. If everyone in Balderschwang would finally pull together, we'd have a real gem here. But no, people have to fight. Who suffers? The customer, but above all the employees on the ground.

Just because a few bosses sit arrogantly on their high horse (operators of the mountain railways, in my impression), development comes to a standstill. One thinks he can eat the smaller one, and the other can't even say "Hello." Then as a guest you eventually go somewhere else, Sonnekopf or for example to Eschach near Kempten, Nesselwang, Tahlerhöhe, etc. — but more on that another time.

What's clear is, I come to Balderschwang, but specifically Schwabenhof Riedbergerhorn because SBSB with Martin aka Ulli is there, people who have grown close to my heart, Martin, Flo, Julian, Julina, and those who joined this year, Jolande, Jonas, Mel, and all the others who are there. The wonderful people at the lift, Peter and the one who was always at the Angerpurnagletscher this year. And above all Carsten who simply does an awesome job and gives us what he can from what he has, and of course Irmi, her daughter, the "strict" Heidi. You all are what makes the Riedbergerhorn, you are the reason people come, and without Martin and SBSB many wouldn't come at all anymore. And the gentleman who comes in the morning with his red Skoda and doesn't greet needs to realize that too.

When the Escape No Longer Works

This winter was supposed to be my recovery. A high after the low. But when you stand on the mountain and only see decay — climatically and humanly — the mind stays heavy. The fulfillment of recent years is gone. The psychological strain I actually wanted to bury in the snow rides along with every turn.

It's a fight between the deep love of the board and the anger about what's being made of our sport and our region. The 2025/2026 season isn't over yet, but it has shaped me. It's no longer about "higher, faster, further," but about the bare survival of a feeling that used to be so simple.

See you on the slope — hopefully soon again with more heart and less ego. As long as it's still white.