Photos
Silvretta Alps Traverse, 29 March 2008 (12 photos)
Available trips
| Sat 26th Feb 11
- Sat 5th Mar 11 |
8 Days |
| Guide TBC | £ 925 |
| Book Now | |
| Sat 19th Mar 11
- Sat 26th Mar 11 |
8 Days |
| Guide TBC | £ 925 |
| Book Now | |
Skill: ***/*
Participants should have completed at least 1 multi-day ski tour or at least some day tours and be familiar with the
technical aspects of ski touring – e.g. familiarity with using skins and skinning technique, conversions/kick-turns. You need
to be able to walk uphill on some steep and exposed slopes with boot crampons while carrying your skis on your rucksack.
Average daily ascents of almost 1000m (4 hours) – but is not technically demanding.
You will need to be a good intermediate off-piste skier capable of skiing 15 - 20 continuous parallel turns off-piste.
You can ski down most slopes but lack confidence on steeper pitches and in tricky conditions.
Terrain in the Silvretta Alps is varied and most descents are on wide slopes with lots of room to maneuver.
Stamina: ****
Stamina-wise, you need to be able to ski all day for several consecutive days at a steady pace. On these trips the average
skinning will be 3 - 4 hours per day although this is a guideline only. Ski touring is hard work and we do find most newcomers
are surprised by just how physically demanding it can be! These tours differ from the beginner level tours in that ascents
& descents will be more demanding – i.e. longer & steeper. You need to be able to carry a rucksack with all need for a
week staying in mountain huts.
To get maximum enjoyment from these trips you need to be working on your fitness well in advance of the tour which means
plenty of aerobic exercise like running/cycling/swimming.
The Silvretta Alps consists of 70, 3000m peaks along the Austrian/Swiss border and the area is ideal for a week of
intermediate level ski touring.
The huts are amongst the best in the Alps - nourishing food, hot showers and plenty of beer! The tour starts and finishes in
Galtür in Austria. Stunning glacial terrain is ideal for ski tourers with a penchant for "peakbagging"! Huts here open in
mid-February so this is a great early season tour.
Itinerary
There are lots of options for week-long tours and the exact chosen itinerary will depend on the conditions and the
preferences/aspirations of the group.
We’d suggest a tour where you spend a couple of nights in each hut which will make the tour more relaxed with the emphasis
on comfort and enjoyment! There are plenty of route variations depending on weather and snow conditions. You’ll need to carry
ice-axe and crampons but there is no full-on alpinism involved.
For a more advanced group we can include additional peaks including Piz Buin (3312m) and Piz Fliana (3281m).
Day 1
Arrive in Galtür. Meet up with the guides for welcome meeting, kit check and briefing on the itinerary for the week. Stay
overnight in Galtür.
Day 2
We start with a short road transfer to Ischl where we'll spend the first few hours doing some runs on and off-piste. A
1-day lift pass costs about 42 Euros. After lunch we ascend to the top of the Palinkopf lift for the 2 hour skin over the Piz
Val Gronda (2611m) to the Heidelbergerhutte where we stay the first night.
Day 3
Today we traverse from the Heidelbergerhütte to the Jamtalhütte taking in the summit of the Breite Krone (3097m).
Day 4
Peakbagging from the Jamtalhütte. Lots of options depending on weather and snow conditions. On previous visits our
preferred summit has been the Hintere Jamspitze (3156m). Return to the Jamtalhütte for a second night.
Day 5
Leave the Jamtalhütte and head for the Wiesbadenerhütte, another well located and comfortable hut. Optional ascent of the
Dreilanderspitze (3197m) en-route.
Day 6
Day tours from the Wiesbadenerhütte. If conditions are good Piz Buin (3312m) is a good option. Return to the
Wiesbadenerhütte for a second night.
Day 7
Our last day - we traverse back from the Wiesbadenerhütte to Galtür. Enjoy a final night in the hotel.
Day 8
Depart after breakfast.
On the days when no peaks are included, you will be crossing some high cols and there are some excellent ski descents.
Additional Information
Private group departures available on request from mid-February until end April
Prices
Prices include: all guide fees and expenses, 7 nights accommodation – 2 nights HB in Galtür, 5 nights HB hut
accommodation.
Prices do not include: travel to/from Galtür, local transfers & uplift, personal insurance, equipment hire, lunches
and beverages.
Group size
The minimum group size is 4. Maximum group size is 12 with 2 guides
Accommodation and meals
On this tour you will stay in some of the most comfortable alpine huts in the Alps. Most have running water, showers,
drying rooms and even duvets! Food is plentiful and nourishing.
Sheet sleeping bags are compulsory in at least one of the huts.
At the start and end of the tour you will stay in a comfortable hotel/pension in Galtür. Our preferred hotel is the Hotel
Alpkogel
www.tiscover.at/alpkogel
Equipment
A copy of our
recommended kit list will be sent to you at the time of
booking.
Ski touring skis, boots, bindings, skins and ski crampons are essential for this tour. Confused about what skis, boots
and binding combination to bring with you, then read our
Ski Equipment page to find out more.
You will also need boot crampons, ice axe and a harness for this trip.
All skiers will need to carry a pack (max 30 - 40 litres) with safety gear, a minimal change of clothes and personal
items.
Everyone is expected to ski at all times with the three essential items of avalanche safety equipment: transceiver,
shovel and probe. If you ski off-piste regularly we recommend you purchase your own set and we have a special offer on BCA’s
excellent DTS Tracker.
Equipment Hire
If you need to hire touring equipment we recommend Sport Walter in Galtür.
www.sportwalter.com
They have a shop next to the Gasthof Alpkogel in the Birkhanbahn lift station.
You should contact them in advance to reserve gear.
Your guides
All our trips are led by IFMGA Mountain Guides. Our guides are chosen for their friendly personalities and passion for
their sport as well as their expertise and knowledge as mountain professionals. They will ensure you have a safe, rewarding and
enjoyable tour.
What our clients say about the Silvretta Alps Ski Tour
"I can be pretty much summed up by one word - Fantastic! The whole process was superb from start to finish. The booking
was smooth and easy and your patience while we faffed about trying to get the group together was much appreciated. The follow
up from yourself to our varied questions before departure was quick and useful and the general information was spot on.
Obviously the route, the scenery, the huts and the company of good friends made this trip wonderful but this was enhanced
significantly by the guiding of Geoff. Thanks for all your help and for making it such a successful trip. "
"I don't suppose you had much input in creating the mountains or arranging the Bluebird days and powder conditions (with
enough low vis days and tricksy wind crust thrown in to make us appreciate the good stuff admittedly!) but they certainly
helped! As for stuff you did arrange; the pre-info was clear, the travel advice was useful and the accommodation in Galtur
friendly with good food. The level of comfort in the huts was such that it almost felt like cheating! Biggest influence on the
experience though was of course our guide who was relaxed and funny and did a superlative job."
Recommended Maps
1:25'000: 1198 Silvretta
1:25'000: 1178 Gross Litzner
1:50'000: 249 Tarasp (S)
(S) indicates that the map has ski routes marked
Having your own maps is optional as your guides will carry all the maps needed for this tour.
Travel to Galtür
For information about travelling to Galtür,
click here
Recommended Reading
Alpine Ski Mountaineering, Volume 2, Central and Eastern Alps, by Bill O'Connor.
Published by Cicerone Press. ISBN 185284373X
Hut Information
Silvrettahütte (Switzerland) sleeps 75. Hut offers: duvets, running water, drying room
Wiesbadnerhütte (Austria) sleeps 50 in rooms and another 150 in their dormitory
Jamtalhütte (Austria) sleeps 206. Hut offers: Indoor climbing wall, 2 drying rooms and showers. Sheet sleeping bags
compulsory.
Insurance
It is a condition of booking that you are insured for ski touring covering personal accident, rescue and third party
risks. You are strongly advised also to take out cover against cancellation and curtailment.
If you are looking to purchase insurance for your trip we recommend
SNOWCARD. They specialise in travel insurance for adventure sports particularly skiing
and snowboarding. Their rates for both single trip and annual policies are very competitive.
For details on their policies and to get a quote
CLICK HERE or contact our office
for further details.