When the lifts close in the afternoon of 18th April 2026, things really heat up on the slopes of St. Anton am Arlberg. This is the day of „Der Weisse Rausch“ – the cult ski race which drives its participants to their absolute physical limits every year. The atmosphere is electric, even during the day: a large proportion of skiers are already dressed in racing attire and try to conceal their mounting nervousness with jokes in the gondola or by looking uber-casual about the approaching event. Things then start getting serious at 17 hrs, when 555 skiers, snowboarders or telemark skiers assemble on the Valluga Ridge for the mass start.