Alpine Ski Mountaineering, Volume 2: Central and Eastern Alps
Skinning towards the Col Tour Noir with the Triolet in the distance
FOREWORD
After Fridtjof Nansen crossed Greenland at the end of the 19th century, his epic adventure provided the inspiration for many of the great ski journeys that followed. Although he was not a ski mountaineer his words, inspired by experience, capture the essence of ski travel: ‘Is it such a deplorable fate to dash off like the wind…over a boundless expanse of ice… skis glid[ing] over the smooth surface so you scarcely know you are touching the earth? This is more, indeed, than anyone has any right to expect of life; it is a fairy tale from another world, from a life to come.’
There are few aspects of mountaineering as demanding and enjoyable as ski touring – it is not surprising, therefore, that it is becoming increasingly popular with skiers and mountaineers alike. As Sir Arnold Lunn, the father of Alpine ski racing observed: ‘Ski-mountaineering is no mere variation of mountaineering. It is the result of the marriage of two great sports, mountaineering and skiing.’
The reasons for the increasing popularity of ski mountaineering appear obvious to those who have done it. Foremost, there seems to be a desire on the part of skiers to find adventure away from crowded slopes and well-groomed snow. One can find deep satisfaction in developing and displaying the skill, independence and effort needed to enjoy the hidden heart of mountains where solitude, beauty, adventure and sheer enjoyment prevail. Surely this is the perfect antidote to modern living. Also important has been the development of modern ski equipment and clothing. These have definitely made off-piste skiing and mountain touring both more enjoyable and potentially safer.
I have long been of the opinion that any mountaineer unable to travel freely and safely in the high mountains during the months they are under a blanket of snow, and that, by definition, means on skis, is really an incomplete mountaineer. It is worth remembering that the Alps are, more or less, snowbound from November to June, and those unable to ski are virtually excluded from their heart for all but three months of the summer Alpine season.
This guide contains a selection of alpine high-level ski routes. There are other Alpine ski-routes out there, scores of them. I've had to leave out the odd personal favourite from this selection and I've undoubtedly left out whole areas that offer superb touring. Perhaps the most deserving cases will one day appear in a third volume. The routes described can also be varied to make them longer, shorter or more or less demanding. The skier able to take on these challenges, though, should have no difficulty adapting the routes I've described to meet their ability and ambition.
As every writer knows, and as Arnold Lunn wisely wrote, ‘Guidebooks merely describe the skeleton, leaving the memory to clothe it with romance.’ That said, the mountain lover who completes these routes will, by any yardstick, have a comprehensive knowledge of the High Alps and can be regarded as a well travelled and complete Alpine ski mountaineer. Good touring.
Bill O'Connor, International Mountain and Ski Guide, Cumbria.
The magnificent panorama of skiable 4000ers above Zermatt, including Lyskamm, Castor, Pollux and the Breithorn
INTRODUCTION
This guidebook is about ‘high-level’ ski routes, and includes a selection of my favourite tours. For most English-speaking skiers, there is probably only one high-level route – that between Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, often called the Haute Route. Most people are astonished to learn that long before it was skied in 1911, it was a recognised high-level hike. In fact it had been established by members of the Alpine Club as a relatively quick, high-level crossing between the burgeoning villages of Zermatt and Chamonix. They called it the High Level Road. Today, this route between Chamonix and Zermatt is arguably the most famous and sought-after ski tour in the world. It may therefore come as a surprise to the many who regard it as the one and only Haute Route that there are in fact a multitude of other worthwhile high-level routes throughout the Alps.
In reality, the Alps are criss-crossed with stunning ski tours, most being as sought after by knowledgeable skiers as the Chamonix–Zermatt High Level Route itself. Many have gained a classic status, though it is difficult to define what ‘classic’ means. It is certainly more than a matter of being popular. The skiing on a classic tour should, in my opinion, demand a range of skiing and mountaineering skills, call for good navigation, and be challenging, but nevertheless remain logical as a ski tour. The need to carry skis should be an occasional and logical necessity only. Once completed a classic tour should provide a better understanding of an area's physical geography. And above all, however, it should be an enjoyable journey. Each tour in this book is arguably the best of its kind and standard in a particular mountain area and epitomises what is best about ski mountaineering in that region.
It doesn't get much better: a perfect day on the Breithorn and Schwartztor Glacier above Zermatt
Unlike the famous Chamonix– Zermatt High Level Route, most of the tours recommended in this book did not originate as walking tours but were established as ski-touring itineraries. Because of this many offer far better downhill skiing than the famous Chamonix–Zermatt traverse! The problem for many English-speaking skiers has been finding out about all the other really great high-level routes – hence this two-volume guidebook.
The routes that follow represent a wide selection of tours throughout the Alps. If you linked them together you could traverse the Alps from the Dolomites, Tyrol and Bernina in the east to the Oberland, Pennines and Mont Blanc right down through the Grand Paradiso, Vanois and Dauphiné in the south. The Alps from end to end, just about.
Within the two volumes are included some of the finest, most accessible Alpine ski tours in the world – only available, of course, to the complete mountaineer. The selection covers tours in the most important Alpine regions. They are also varied in length and difficulty, although most fit within a full week's touring. Of course, if poor weather or conditions prevail they can take a lot longer! The routes also include a mix of ‘circular’ tours, which are convenient for those wishing to leave car or equipment in one place, and ‘linear’ routes that journey hut to hut, even from country to country. These usually require a little more organisation with regard to logistics, travel and packing.
The routes described are all Alpine – in other words, they require both skiing and mountaineering skills. While technical climbing ability of a high standard is not essential, the skills required to operate on steep slopes and glacier terrain, where cramponing, ropework and crevasse rescue may be necessary, are essential for safety, as are navigational skills. It goes without saying that avalanche awareness skills and knowledge are vitally important for everyone who intends to ski mountaineer.
Using this Guidebook
Each tour section in this book follows the same pattern.
An introduction provides a little about the mountaineering history of the area and gives some background on both the Alpine area and the tour itself.
Skinning above Arolla with the stunning backdrop of Mont Collon and the Evêque beyond
To