“Sure, adrenaline has a role to play in what we do – but first and foremost it is about developing as a person. We don’t go out looking for danger. Our goal is simply to do what we love. When it comes to freeriding you have to start off slowly and leave your comfort zone step by step. At the same time it is important to know your limits and be aware what is going on around you at all times. We do lots of avalanche training courses.

I always wanted to reach the summit. Today I don’t like it when there are freeride contests in Alaska where ten helicopters fly onto the mountain. That’s not exactly what you would call environmentally friendly. My father comes from India, where there is a huge amount of pollution. Even at a young age I saw how people can abuse nature. Here, in a small country like Austria, we can’t change much – but someone has to take the first step.

I live for the here and now. My sister died three years ago. She was 24 years old and was studying in London at the time. She had a heart defect and knew that it would happen sometime. She went to sleep and never woke up again. After she died I travelled to the Himalayas to scatter her ashes. I wanted to give her back to nature.

The best moments don’t have to be spectacular. We can sit here and enjoy a good meal. Then we can go skiing with a full stomach. The best thing is spending a good day with good friends.”

Benjamin Kalra, Freerider and model

Ben is one of the most talented up-and-coming freeriders in Tirol. He has finished on the podium several times at the Austrian National Championships. The 24 year-old has also featured in numerous freeride films and travels the world for film and photo shoots.