Michaela Egarter

I grew up in the middle of nature, away from a small village and without neighbors. When I was only two years old, my father taught me to ski. At the age of 19, my boyfriend took me to the first real backcountry skiing tour. I was instantly enchanted from skiing in virgin snow and the amazing winter landscape. I became a real snow girl! In the following 20 years I spent all my free time in the mountains – skiing, climbing, hiking, biking. Until I finally got the idea to turn my hobby into a profession. It was not planned to be the first woman to successfully complete the mountain guide training in South Tyrol. But I have to admit that the publicity around my success has helped me to gain a foothold in the new profession.

My parents were not alpinists, they are children of simple farmers. They were used to hard work, and there was little time for hobbies. I grew up away from a small village, completely carefree in the middle of forest and meadows. Most of the time, summer or winter, my sister and I spent outside. The first backcountry skiing tour at the age of 19 changed my life completely. It was the greatest for me leaving my tracks in virgin snow in a fanatastic winter landscape. I felt like a snow princess. For many years I would have given the summer for the winter.