Ski Tours

These range from hotel-based day tours to one week hut-to-hut tours. For a competent skier with a reasonable level of fitness, ski touring opens up a completely new aspect of skiing. Height is gained by fitting skins to the soles of the skis, and for the ski descent you take off the skins and put them away for next time - this specialist equipment can easily be hired in almost all alpine ski villages.

The tours range from novice to advanced in a variety of different areas:

Andermatt/Oberalppass, Switzerland. After a day warming up on the Gemstoc,  we go up to the Maighels Hut via the Pazola Stock 2739m, with 2 more peaks from the hut (P.Badus 2928m and P.Ravetsch 3007m) and the possibility of coming back out over P.Cavradi. In the second half of the week we go up to the Rotondo Hut maybe via P.Lucendro 2962m with some good ski tours available from the hut (Witenwasseren Stock 3025m, P.Rotondo 3192m and the Lekihorn 3065m) and two possible and excellent ski descents back to the valley.   www.andermatt.ch

Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. Everything about the Bernese Oberland is impressive: big mountains like the Eiger, Finsteraarhorn and Jungfrau, and big glaciers. The Gross Aletschgletscher, when combined with the Jungfraufim, is 20 km long and is the longest glacier in the Alps. When standing on the glacier at the Kondordiaplatz, you have 800 metres of ice beneath your feet and 800 metres of mountain above you. One of the most impressive features is the railway tunnelled in through the Eiger to the Jungfraujoch, and this is the way we start our classic traverse of the range. Grade: Advanced, serious.

Bernina, Switzerland. I usually start this serious tour of big mountains and crevassed glaciers by  using the Furtschellas lift to climb Il Chaputschin 3,386m, and then make a hut to hut tour climbing a mountain of c.3,500m every day and finishing with Piz Palu 3,901m or P.Bernina 4,048m. Grade: Advanced, serious.

Bivio, Switzerland.. Die Perle am Julier (the pearl on the Julier Alps) as described in their advertising Iiterature; and once you have been here, I doubt if you will disagree. It is a touring paradise: for me, the best introductory area in the whole Alps, but it also has many excellent intermediate grade tours, An important factor is the lulier Pass, which is kept open throughout the winter except in the very worst of stormg and which gives access to a wide selection of tours. The Jenatsch Hut is orn of the best in the Alps and is open throughout the winter. Grade: Introductory or Intermediate.  www.bivio.ch

Dolimites Haute Route, Italy. An amazing mixture of ski mountaineering and piste skiing. This is a high level traverse from San Martino di Castrozza to Cortina and on to Dobbiaco. By using lifts as well as skins we get an immense amount of excellent skiing for relatively little effort, all in superb scenery. One night will be in a mountain hut, the rest in hotels and pensions.

Engadine, Switzerland. Normally I start this tour from Davos to the north, by driving to Sertig-Dorfli and then a 5 hrs skin to the Kesch Hut, but it can equally well be started from the south by going up to the Es-Cha Hut. The Kesch Hut rnakes a good base for 2-3 days of great ski tours in wonderful scenery, and then we ski out by the Grialetsch Hut. Grade: Introductory.

Gauli.Switzerland. This is a gem, hidden away at the eastern end of the Bernese Oberland and really only known to a few Swiss. It can get its fair share of bad weather, so we watch the flags: if they are flying up the valley, it is a sign of bad weather; and down the valley, good weather. Meeting at Meiringen, where Sherlock Holmes died in 1891 during his encounter with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls (or did he survive ?), we use the Bachlital and Gauli Huts to make quite long ascents each day, finishing with the dramatic descent of the Rosenlaui Glacier. Grade: advanced/serious.

Gran Paradiso, Italy. A popular tour in the beautiful Gran Paradiso National Park. We meet in Argentiere (France) where it is easy to hire equipment and where we have a warm-up day, before driving through to Italy for the tour. We  use the Benevolo, Chabod and Vittoria Ernmanuelle Huts in order to climb a number of peaks at c.3,500m and finally the Gran Paradiso itself at 4,061m.

Haute Route: Chamonix - Zermatt. Probably the most famous ski tour in the world and on every ski tourers wish list, this traverse goes through some of the most scenic high alpine mountains in the Alps. Althongh in terms of difficulty it is technically at an lntermediate grade, it has long days which make dernands on technique and fitness, so it is definitely not to be underestimated.

Italian High Level Route. Starting and finishing at Zermatt, this is a high altitude traverse using huts at 3,500m with the chance to climb a number of 4,000m peaks (Breithorn, Castor, Piramide Vincent and Monte Rosa) and making the stunning descent of the crevassed Gorner Glacier. Grade: Advanced/serious.

Ortler, Italy. This group of mountains lies between the Bernina (St.Moritz) to the west and the Dolomites to the east. This is a glacier tour from hut to hut with the chance to climb a number of fine mountains at just under 4,000m. Grade: top end of Intermediate.

Otztal, Austria. As an area to visit for ones first experience of ski touring on, I can hardly think of a better one. There are many easy peaks of around 3,000m, some good glacier skiing and excellent huts. The Otztal Round Tour starting at Obergurgl and finishing at Vent is a classic. Grade: Introductory or Intermediate.

Queyras, France. The Queyras National Park lies to the SE of Briancon, close to the Italian border and right in the shadow of Monte Viso. It has abundant wildlife and one of the best records in the Alps for sun - more than 200 days a year. This tour traverses the National Park climbing some of the 3,000 metre peaks with daily ascents on skins of around 1,000m, and staying overnight in comfortable gites, Rucsacks can be light as glacier equipment is not needed. Grade: Intoductory.

Silvretta, Austria. With mountains around 3,000 metres (Pauliner Kopf, Zahnspitze, Dreilanderspitze and Piz Buin), glaciers with no great crevasse problems and some of the best huts in the Alps (Heidelberger, Jamtal and Wiesbadner) , the Silvretta is a touring paradise  -  a ‘must’ for every ski tourer at some time or another. Grade: Introductory/Intermediate.

Simplon Pass, Switzerland. By staying at the Simplon Monastery or at a hotel on the pass, there are a number of fabulous day tours climbing mountains between 2,500 - 3,500m with descents back to the Pass or further down the valley. Monte Leone is well worthwhile, although a slightly longer and more serious proposition. The Rothwald lift system can be used for a warm-up at the start of the week. Grade: Introductory.

Susten Pass + N.Furka, Switzerland. A hut to hut tour through a fairly difficult and less frequented area. We meet at  Meiringen for a warm-up day and any equipment hire, and then use the Steingletscher Hotel and Tierbergli, Windegg, Trift and Gelmer Huts. The mountains are between 3,000 - 3,500m and for much of the time we are on crevassed glaciers with some steep ground. Grade: Advanced.

Tour Soleil, Switzerland. This tour from Andermatt to the Saas valley is one of the great ski traverses in the Alps passing through wonderful scenery with some excellent ski mountains - and by its name, guaranteed sun (well, not quite...).  We meet at Andermatt where we use the lift system for a warm-up day, and then go via the Rorondo Hut, Corno Griess Hut, Cabanne Mores and Binn, to finish at the Simplon Pass. Grade: Intermediate with some longish days.

Vanoise, France. This area has reliable snowfall, easy access and good huts. Combine that with a large number of skiable passes and peaks at c. 3,500m, it is not surprising that it is popular with ski tourers. There is a great variety possible from easy to serious,

Wildstrubel, Switzerlandl. Sometimes I base this tour at the Lammeren Hut, having 4 nights there to enjoy the fabulous ski mountains in this area. But there is also the more serious and committing traverse from Les Diablereb to Kandersteg, climbing the Wildhorn 3247m and Wildstrubel 3243m on the way. Grade: Introductory to Intermediate.