On March 7, 2026 the 5th Ski Touring Charity took place in Russbach, Dachstein West, where athletes climbed the Hornspitz on touring skis or snowshoes. Over 610 meters of altitude were covered per ascent and the participants collected altitude meters for Licht ins Dunkel. In total, over 1.8 million vertical meters were covered and a donation of around 21.000 euros was collected for the ORF aid project Licht ins Dunkel.
At the mass start at 07:00, over 250 participants left the start area, and over the course of the day, 774 participants took to the track in sunny weather.
Over the course of the day, the event area at the valley station developed into a hotspot where participants prepared for the next ascent and recharged their batteries. The musical backdrop, top catering and an hourly raffle of prizes rounded off the event.
The winner of the day, Laurenz Essel, from Martini Speed Team, managed 14 ascents while Elfi Gappmaier, from the same team topped the women's rankings with an impressive 11 ascents.
The donations from this year's Dachstein West Ski Tour Charity will be donated to the Licht ins Dunkel initiative.
Participants can join and leave the tour at any time between 07:00 and 17:00, but at least one full ascent should be completed.
The ascent is along the Atomic Backland ski tour route on the Russbacher Hornspitz. At 3.6 kilometers in length and 630 vertical meters, this uncomplicated piste ski tour is also suitable for beginners.
There are not only lots of snapshots of this successful day from our professional Phototeam SPORTSHOT. The results are also now available for you to view. We are already looking forward to next year and hope to see many participants again.
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