Ski Touring St. Anton, Lech Zürs & beyond

We arrive in Landeck on Sunday and check in to your hotel, before meeting your Piste to Powder host and fellow group members for a social dinner to go over the plan for the days ahead.  At breakfast the next day, you will meet your guide for quick final briefing and equipment check. We then transfer to Ischgl where we warm up, and take the Piz val gondola for our first freeride descent to the Heidelberg hut from where the adventure begins!

The first day includes an Avalanche safety course and focus on touring technique and any practical skills you will need over the coming days. We will tour hut to hut, for the next 5 days before returning to Landeck on Friday. The program is weather dependent and may change slightly to suit prevailing conditions at the time and huts.

Sample Itinerary

Please note that the final program will be decided by your experienced mountain guide, it is weather dependent and may change to suit prevailing conditions at the time.

Day 1 Sunday

Arrival day – check in to your pension, in Landeck – which is easily accessible from the main airports Innsbruck (1 hour) or Zurich (2.5 hours) by train. Later in the evening you will have a welcome meet with your host over a social dinner, who will be able to answer any final questions,and hand out any rental equipment. Overnight in Landeck.

Day 2 Monday

Meet your guide at  breakfast for final briefing and final equipment check.  We have a 50 minute transfer to Ischgl where we warm up with an Avalanche safety course, and a short tour when your guide will give you ski touring training and focus on your Off Piste technique. Later we will take the Palinkopf lift to Piz Val Gronda (2611m) from where we ski down to the Heidelbergerhütte (2264m), a well equipped hut in a stunning location, where we stay for our first night.

Day 3 Tuesday

Today we tour from Heidelbergerhütte to the Jamtalhütte via the Kronenjoch, with the option of summiting Breite Krone (3097m). The day involves about 900m of ascent and about 1,000m descent. Overnight at the superb Jamtalhütte, with Ice climbing wall, hot showers and plenty of nourishing hot food.

Day 4 Wednesday

Today we have lots of options for touring and for the enthusiastic, bagging some extra peaks depending on weather and snow conditions. Choice of Hintere Jamspitze (3,156m) or Gemspitze (3,110) – returning to the Jamtal Hut for second night and perhaps some ice climbing if you wish!

Day 5 Thursday

After breakfast we leave the Jamtalhütte and head for the Wiesbadenerhütte, set into the stunning landscape – one of our personal favourites. The standard route goes over the Ochsenscharte with an optional ascent of the Dreilanderspitze (3197m). Overnight at Wiesbadener.

Day 7 Friday

Our last day, after an early start we climb for our last awesome descent from Rauchkopfsharte, and then traverse back to Galtür. We transfer to Landeck and our hotel for our final night.

Day 8 Saturday

Depart after breakfast.

The Region

The Silvretta region is located 40km south from St.Anton. The mountain range lies both in Switzerland and Austria and the tour crosses both countries. The range is perfect for ski touring as most summits are easily accessed with elementary mountaineering skills. The huts are some of the most comfortable in the Alps for ski touring offering a comfortable stay and quality food. Each day a new summit is reached and new hut visited each evening. You can expect to be skiing and climbing between 1000m and 1500m per day.

The Huts

All huts are fully serviced and provide group rooms and hot showers (coin operated). We aim to get smaller rooms 4-6 people but this is not always possible and you may also need to be in a dorm. Generally people sleep early around 9pm after dinner and a social drink or card games. Dinners are hot and wholesome, often 3 course with soup and puddings, breakfasts are simpler buffets style with cold meats, cheeses, breads, coffee, tea. If you bring a thermos huts normally allow you to fill this for the day and you can make your packed lunch. All huts are based around 2300m and located in different glacier valleys in the Silvretta region. You will only need to carry some a lightweight change of clothing for the evening as the huts are heated and comfortable. Towels can be rented at the huts.

Fitness

Skiers need to be of good fitness level with basic core strength and aerobic fitness. You will be carrying a rucksack all day, which will contain lunch and water, clothing, crampons and ice axe. The pace for climbing is averaging 300m/900ft height gain per hour. The pace is suited to the group’s fitness level. Best way to warm up is by ski touring – please ensure you have already worn in your ski touring boots, as it is very common with new or rental boots to develop bad blisters.

Skill Ski Level

Skiers need to be competent Off Piste skiers in most types of snow, from powder to spring softer wetter types. However on the glacier the snow is colder and generally more of a powder type. You will be given technique tips from your guide to make the most out of the all descents during the week.