Although we didn't know it at the time, Chris' first time out on touring skis was to be my last tour of the season. As a self-pronounced snowboarder who'd "never summited an alpine peak", I played it safe and went up the side of the Heutal piste before continuing to the border ridgeline above. A great tour, very safe and straightforward for beginners on skis or snow shoes.
An afternoon with Ben covering the kms at Alpendorf, including some lessons on off-piste technique and through-leg skiing.
After the excitement of yesterday's tour, Will & I had hoped for some steeper gully skiing on the edge of Berchtesgaden. But the mid-season thaw was well underway and the warmer weather had stripped most of the snow on the lower summits.
So we returned home and re-packed for klettersteiging, finishing our long weekend with a lap of the Drachenwand. Next time we'll take shorts!
With 1700m of ascent, this tour on the Imbachhorn with Will Bourne is the biggest vertical we've done so far. Superb isolation on the top with views down the valley to Zell am See and beyond. Followed by a very tired ski back down.
Warm-up tour with Will Bourne in perfect cold, fresh powder to the summit of Kreuzeck.
Kolm Saigurn is the winter equivalent of a summer cragging hotspot. An adundance of small falls, artificial frozen towers for training on and a hut to finish. A great day out with Martin, even if his baby-brain led to a few confusions with untied ropes and forgotten belays.
