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| Alps Ski Touring Programs - Spring 2009 |  |
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See also: |
Every year we take full advantage of the spring touring season in the Alps. From hut-to-hut multi-day adventures, to day tours and peak ascents, the terrain and access are incomparable. The fame and epic reputation of ski tours in the Alps, are well deserved. Our schedule for Spring ski touring in 2009 includes a 7-day tour in the Ortler, a 5-day tour in the Silvretta, another 7-day tour in the Ortler, an 8-day Haute Route program, via the Plateau du Couloir, and lastly a 6-day Berner Oberland trip. In addition we have two private programs, one to the Orlter and the other a Haute Route. Within each of these trips are innumerable variations, side trips, and much great skiing. In addition, there are wonderful day trips to enjoy, from the well known Vallée Blanche, a 9000 foot descent in the heart of the Mont Blanc Massif to tours around Zermatt and other alpine centers. Check out our Recent Trips Gallery page for links to photos of our 2008 trips to these areas. Please read our "Choosing the right tour" section lower on this page. A large amount of information is available in the pages on our site. But we still invite you to contact us with your questions. We have found that the more we dive into the depths of a subject the more there is to learn about it. Give us a call, or send an email. |
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| 2009
Alps Skiing Programs |
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| With a base of your hotel in Chamonix, you can enjoy an amazing variety of off-piste skiing and nealy any level of difficulty. Many route are possible on downhil "alpine" ski gear, while others need randonnée skis with skins. | Mid-January to |
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| A fantastic trip in Italy's Tyrol. This hut-to hut tour takes in several fine ski summits in a less visited part of the Alps. Wonderful huts, and big descents on some of the best ski peaks in the Alps. | March
18-24, 2009 |
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| This 5-day tour crosses the Silvretta group, on the border between between eastern Switzerland and Austria. The area is well-known for fine ski touring, comfortable hotel-like huts, and options for a wide range of ambition and energy level. | March
26-30, 2009 |
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This is the hardest tour we offer. An 8-day itinerary, this is the "original" Haute Route and includes a traverse of the Plateau du Couloir on the Grand Combin. To spice it up we include an ascent of Mont Vélan. It is suitable for very advanced to expert skiers in excellent condition. |
April
22-29, 2009 |
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| The Berner Oberland is known for its giant valley glaciers winding among a multitude of very high summits. The peaks and passes between these glaciers, and the numerous huts offer incredible options for ski touring and peak ascents (and descents!). On this page we describe a 6-day program featuring some of the area's best. | May
3-8, 2009 |
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| If you have a group of friends and would like to do a private program, see this page. It explains our pricing and scheduling options. | Private
arrangement |
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Choosing the best tour |
Few skiers have not heard of the Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route. But the many other great tours in the Ortler, Silvretta, Berner Oberland and countless other gems in the Alps, are relatively unknown among "non-European" skiers. They deserve more attention!
While all of the ski trips we present here are fantastic, there are important differences of which you should be aware when you choose among them. They vary in several ways:
Here, we have created a table to help compare various attributes of the programs we offer. This is all rather subjective, and such things as "quality of the downhill" relates as much to the snow of the moment as to the hill. But, hopefully it will help you compare one tour to the other. Don't assume that higher numbers are better. Some like it hard, others like showers....
tour
attributes |
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our ski tours |
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Key to the table
Quality of the downhill - Some tours seem to consistently offer better downhill skiing. While all of the tours mentioned here can have long, fantastic runs, some have more potential or options than others. In our opinion the Ortler and the Berner have the best downhill skiing possibilities. Score 3 for "outrageous downhill", and 1 for only "very good downhill" options.
Strenuousness - Some tours have longer days than others, with more uphill climbing. 3 is hard, 1 is less hard.
Skiing difficulty - This is a tricky one as difficult snow conditions can make skiing hard at almost any angle. Breakable crust, mashed potatoes and all sorts of other nasties inherent to off-piste skiing are possible on any tour. However, some tours have more steep skiing or more technical sections through crevassed glacier terrain, for example. On all but the Silvretta and possibly the Stubai, there are unavoidable pitches where, should the snow be firm, a fall could result in an unstoppable slide and likely injury or worse. Score 1 for easier skiing and 3 for harder skiing.
Hut comfort and amenities- While we love all the huts and peak of the Western Alps, it is the huts of eastern Italy and Austria that have the corner on comfort. In the Silvretta and Ortler for example, expect most huts to have hot showers, a full bar, espresso machine and sometimes individual bunks. Of course, we can't entirely blame the "less-comfortable" huts for their more spartan nature. Showers are only possible when there is a good and reliable supply of running water nearby. The huts in the higher Western Alps and Berner Oberland simply don't have this luxury. Score 3 for showers and espresso machines, and 1 for a more limited, but still adequate wine selection and beer on tap (or in a worst-case-scenario, in cans).
Ascents/Descents
verses the "Journey" - The Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route
is the quintessential journey. This undeniable appeal comes at a price. If weather
or avalanche conditions preclude following the "normal" route to the
next hut, then one may have to duck out and descend to the valley to find an
alternate route. Also, being a prescribed route, there is little option as to
which slopes you ski. In contrast, with tours that emphasize the downhill, we
have more options to choose our objective according to aspect, angle or other
attributes. We can often choose northfacing slopes if the snow is better there
or south for corn. And in poor weather we may be able to adjust our objective
to match the conditions. Score 3 for tours with more emphasis on the quality
of the downhill skiing, and 1 for the "journey".
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| Skiing on the Argentière Glacier on the beginning of the Haute Route. | |
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Kathy Cosley & Mark Houston AMGA Certified • SNGM members All images, layout and text ©2004 Cosley & Houston Alpine Guides, All Rights Reserved |
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