We (or rather our friends who we piggybacked on) had planned a tight schedule, meaning we packed light, with few clothes other than those needed for a 6 day hut to hut trip. Unfortunately weather and snow conditions meant drastic changes were needed to the schedule, but at least this meant we got our flight home.
Everything was going well until Luton Airport, where our flight was delayed. Once in Munich the car hire had partially closed and we ended up with a smaller car. Finally with everything crammed in, we tried to exit the car park. After causing chaos by failing to get the barriers open, trying a second barrier and manoeuvring a full, new and unfamiliar car around the other impatient drivers we found we needed a ticket that the hire desk had forgotten to give us…
Getting to our accommodation at around 3.30, we crashed into bed, but not before reading a message from Simon saying the forecast meant a 7am breakfast. Urgh.
A sleepy breakfast followed and we crammed back into the car to travel to Vent to start the tour. Having managed to squeeze in a repack and shower while Simon and Jane caught the bus, the four of us assumed we were way behind and would find them waiting for us in the car park in Vent. As we approached Vent, a friendly man had to open a snow gate for us to pass into the village. Parking the car (and unsticking it from the snow, and re-parking it somewhere else) took some time, but eventually we learnt that the bus had stopped running, the road was closed – we had been one of the last cars through – and Simon and Jane were on the other side.
Much deliberation followed, and with an awful forecast for the next day, combined with the prospect of Simon and Jane having to return home, we failed to commit to the walk to the hut early enough and decided to reunite everyone and try again the following day. However, we were, for now, stuck in Vent so we went for a quick skinning and skiing practice around the local area, before waiting (first in line) for the snow gates to open again and let us back down.
We were exceptionally lucky to find last-minute accommodation over the Easter weekend (at the same place as our initial night), where cheap good food was also available for dinner. The next day was a washout, so we skied on piste at a small resort (Hochoetz), struggling to see much more than a few metres ahead.
With the forecast showing slowly improving weather, we decided to head into the Vernagt Hut for 3 nights. This meant no hut to hut touring, but made the best of the 4 days we had left.
A quick skin up the track, and we were soon ready to head up the side glen towards the hut, which went on forever. Next, the guidebook mentioned something about being next to cables. Given the wind-scoured hard snow, we proceeded with caution to be met with a howling gale, spindrift, steep slopes and some interesting drops that really needed avoided. After this awkward descending traverse (with some cables to trip over), we recommenced the plod to the hut in winds that covered our tracks as soon as we made them. After a while, I decided that despite my re-found love of trailblazing, I couldn’t break trail all the way to the hut and dropped to the back. This was just as well, as it put me in prime position to see a gust of wind catch Bethan and Jo out and knock them flying cartoon style down the hill.
The Vernagt hut is a DAV hut, which was quiet despite being Easter weekend (almost empty when we left on the Wednesday). It had very attentive hosts, piles of pasta, enormous strudels and great march tea. It also had hot running water and the possibility of a shower. However, it lacked hut slippers.
Our first day tour from the hut took us up over the Brochkogeljoch and round to the Wildspitze. With masses of teams coming from at least 3 different directions, it was an impressive line up to the summit. With cloud being blown across the summit in the winds, and a slightly suspect slope to descend back to the hut, we made a decision to turn around at the ski depot. With hindsight, the slope was fine, but it was too late by then.
The second day tour led us up the Fluchtkogel, which gave a wonderful skin up the glacier, and a windy summit on skis. The first wind-scoured slopes were like a well-groomed piste, and having checked out the snow on the way up, I was excited for the powder down from the col. My excitement soon ended as I crashed out on the first turn having completely misjudged the snow – it was heavy, with a slight crust under the surface. Once I had found my ski again, the ski back to the hut was entertaining, with various levels of inability to turn in crusty snow. The one good patch was slightly spoiled for me as I was out first in low light levels and wobbled about everywhere as rolling bumps came out of nowhere.
The final day came, and we decided to hot-foot it out of the area to ensure we got past any potential road closures – getting caught the wrong side of the avalanche barriers would have meant a missed flight. An icy descent followed, with a storm brewing above us. Driving down the road, it was clear they had been blasting recently – massive 3-4 m avalanche debris had been cleared from the road, with many small trees caught up in it. We had a couple of walks around towns before getting on the flight home, including Mittenwald – slightly dubious as we drove in past the military base, but actually a wonderfully painted town centre with exceptional ice cream.
Although another ski tour that didn’t go to plan, it was a fantastic week out in Austria.
Yellow Van Mountaineering 