April 15, Tschenglser Hochwand/Croda di Cengles
4/15/11
3283
2
Last thursday I caught up with Silas and his tyrolian friend Alfred in Mals/Vinschgau. We picked up Mark, Josh, Rob and Greg from the bus station and headed to Sulden.
The next morning greeted us with "bluebird" weather and good snow conditions due to a low freezing level and a clear night. (The conditions were much better than the week before in Switzerland around Splügenpaà and FlüelapaÃ). But overall the amount of snow around is below the 10 year average while Sulden still has more than other areas. Sulden showed much less avalanche activity then East Switzerland the week before with lots of wet avalanches and slabs on almost all expositions up to 2600 m.
We started our tour right from the door step and saved 400 m of ascent by using the infrastructure close by. One of us had to use it another time to pick up some essential ski touring equipment left behind. Meanwhile the rest played soccer with a dog on the mountain.
We traversed towards the Düsseldorfer Hütte/Rifugio Serrestori through a big wet avalanche debris field. (The hut is not run during winter and the "Winterraum" has no stove, just 6 beds, blankets and dishes). From the hut we headed towards a south-facing couloir. A 14 men strong group ahead of us put a skin track in. While we were still climbing the group skied down. We headed up to the summit of the Tschenglser Hochwand carrying our skis. The Gipfelkreuz was reached and pictures taken. The ski towards the col was great in nice corn. The couloir started to cool of again as the sun travelled further. After a short carriage through a boulder field we skied down in great corn avoiding the avalanche debris. The last vertical meters were killed by skiing perfect corn right down to our Pension.
It was a great ski tour while making new friends.
The next morning greeted us with "bluebird" weather and good snow conditions due to a low freezing level and a clear night. (The conditions were much better than the week before in Switzerland around Splügenpaà and FlüelapaÃ). But overall the amount of snow around is below the 10 year average while Sulden still has more than other areas. Sulden showed much less avalanche activity then East Switzerland the week before with lots of wet avalanches and slabs on almost all expositions up to 2600 m.
We started our tour right from the door step and saved 400 m of ascent by using the infrastructure close by. One of us had to use it another time to pick up some essential ski touring equipment left behind. Meanwhile the rest played soccer with a dog on the mountain.
We traversed towards the Düsseldorfer Hütte/Rifugio Serrestori through a big wet avalanche debris field. (The hut is not run during winter and the "Winterraum" has no stove, just 6 beds, blankets and dishes). From the hut we headed towards a south-facing couloir. A 14 men strong group ahead of us put a skin track in. While we were still climbing the group skied down. We headed up to the summit of the Tschenglser Hochwand carrying our skis. The Gipfelkreuz was reached and pictures taken. The ski towards the col was great in nice corn. The couloir started to cool of again as the sun travelled further. After a short carriage through a boulder field we skied down in great corn avoiding the avalanche debris. The last vertical meters were killed by skiing perfect corn right down to our Pension.
It was a great ski tour while making new friends.
Those of some familiar senior citizens from the PNW. ;)
Our objective, viewed from near Dusseldorfer Hut.
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