Selun snow shoes tour

This weekend all my ski touring "colleagues" are not available...and this is not good. At least I could get a full day of off piste skiing on Friday. There was some fresh snow (probably the last of the season) plus a lot of some...hence me and a friend thought to take a day off and go skiing. It was a really good way to practice my off piste technique! Anyway...back to Selun.

   Being alone I did not feel like going ski touring on my own. I'm still not exceptionally good off piste and in case something happens I would be on my own trying to get down the mountain. Therefore I decided to go with snow shoes. Not as much fun maybe but at least I can keep my legs trained and I can still enjoy a day in the snow and with possibly some sun. With public transport I get at the beginning of the climb at 8:35, which is a decent time to start in this season. Starting point is Starkenbach, which not more than a small camping place, a few houses and a restaurant. I'm surprised by the amount of people I see at the beginning, a lot also with snow shoes. 

   Setting off properly takes longer than expected. I have to stop every 5 minutes to take off layer after layer because it is rather warm. At the end my conclusion was that the baselayer I choose was too warm...dressing for going to the mountains is really an art! However, with only the base layer on, and no gloves the temperature was OK. 

   On the way up all the memories from the very first ski touring trip came up. I did the same route already in December as my very first ski tour...and that was almost a disaster since I did not manage to put two turns together without falling...but that's another story. Snow conditions at the beginning don't look that good, rather icy and hard. However, after a couple of hundred meters the snow becomes much better...to the point I start regretting not having taken my skis! The path winds up close to the (closed) cable car and quickly goes into the woods, where the track becomes rather narrow. Up to this point I tried to make my own tracks in order to avoid "ruining" the ski tourers ones. But in the forest this is not possible anymore and I have to walk on the same tracks. That's not so bad because the snow has been very well compacted and there is not much to sink anymore. 

   After a bit more than 1 hour I get out of the woods and reach a small hut with a big aerial close to it. Here  I stop for a break. Views are really nice even though the sky is not completely clear. I'm quite astonished of the amount of people I see skinning up already...they must have started at least 1 hour before me. I even see a person skiing down already!!! Either he did not go to the summit, or he started really early....or he is fitter than Kilian Jornet :).

One of the first view of the summit

   From here on the track goes rather flat(ish) through some spare trees up to the beginning of the last (long) slope. From here I get to see the effect of the wind of the previous days. On the left side (compared to my view point) of the summit slope there are massive snow cornices...that massive that they should probably be defined as terraces :). My plan for the day was to try and attempt (depending on conditions) another summit. This summit stands to the left of Selun and has a very steep part (up to 50°) close to the top. Therefore I had my ice axe and crampons with me. The sight of these massive cornices made me think that there could be some snow cumulated on the route up (there is a small couloir to climb where the wind would have blown in). Also, in the forest I saw the typical sun balls rolling down the hills on their own. Therefore I judged the avalanche risk too high for attempting alone a 40° to 50° steep slope....hence Selun becomes the target of the day.

To the right Selun and to the left (first on the left) the other route that I wanted to try

I finally reach the final (even though very long) summit slope. I manage to overtake some ski tourers but I quickly realize how much easier it would be to skin up with my skis rather that walking with snow shoes. At some point on the way up I even find very good powder...and then I totally regret not having my skis. 

Quite a good training ground for skiing

The sun comes out and I stop for a minute just to appreciate the wonderful feeling of the sun shining on my face. At the same time I realize I forgot to put the sun cream on...but that only means I will have a very stron suntan for the next few days. I also remark what a good decision it was to go to the mountains even if on my own and on a known route. It's a real pleasure to just be out here and appreciate the nature and there is no other place I'd like to be. 

   Since I left the woods I always made my own tracks in the snow...but now this starts becoming rather difficult as I start sinking and several times sliding back...but I don't want to give up. All of a sudden all the people I saw going up already an hour ago start to come down. Some really good skiers I have to say...and one of them is even having a dog following him! Step after step and turn after turn I finally stand on the summit, 1330 meters higher than where I started. The view from up here is really great...despite the clouds covering a good part of it. But it does not matter that much in the end. I just came up here today because I wanted to enjoy a day out, spend some time in the nature, away from the clutter of the city. Sitting on my rucksack on the summit, while eating some chocolate and dried mango gives me a sense of relaxation that lying at home on the sofa would have never given me.

View towards Chur, Walensee in the bottom

View towards North

View directly down on the South side...rather steep!

Another view towards North, from a bit further along the summit ridge

Another view towards South...highlighting the scenic ridge of summits above the Walensee

   After some food and some pictures I start heading back to the valley...knowing that this time it will take surely longer than usual because I don't have skis. And as soon as I start going down I realize how much easier it would have been with the skis. Snow shoes are sliding all over the place and finding a good foot hold is not always easy. It's not that steep, maybe 30° but I think that doing it with skis would have been so much easier...and faster. After a while I start remembering how to go down on snow shoes and the descent becomes much faster. One I get again in the forest it becomes a little bit boring because I have to follow the foot path and taking short cuts would be too steep. Skiers on the way down seem to fly on the foot path...and it takes me a good two hours to make it all the way down. But anyway, is probably better like this. I feel much safer on the snow shoes...since this is only my first season of ski touring I thought that going alone would have not been a great idea. 

   

Piz Lagrev skitour

Last weekend the plan was to go to St. Moritz to enjoy the nice ski resort. However, this was planned already last autumn (yes, you need that much time to reserve a youth hostel for 6 people :) )...and in the meanwhile I got into ski touring. Weather for the weekend looked absolutely incredible...far too good to just up and down on prepared pistes. That's why I decided to go on a ski tour. Close to St. Moritz there are loads of options but for some reason my choice falls on Piz Lagrev, a nice just above 3000m summit close to Silvaplana. 

Valley before the car park

First part of the ascent from the car park

First "jump" with rocks to the right

The official ski route starts along the road of the Julier Pass, which is open in winter but with no bus connection. Unfortunately me and my friend don't have a car so we have to ski all the way up from Silvaplana. This turned out to be the most difficult part of the tour. At the beginning there is not any snow on the road and on the summer foot path...so we have to walk. Finally we find some snow and we can put the skis on...but the fun does not last long. We find ourselves probably missing the path (somehow) and having to complete a really long traverse on the right side of the valley (having Silvaplan in the back). The traverse by itself would not be tricky, but considering the really icy snow and the rocks and the plant...things are not so easy as forecasted. In several occasions we actually have to literally walk on the grass with the skis. I'm sure my skins did not like that!

Finally, after 2 hours of approach, we reach the car park that is the official starting point of the ski tour. There is someone that like us has just started the climb...but this does not make me feel much better. I have the fear that is already late and that we won't probably make it to the real summit. In the meanwhile it got seriously hot, to the point that I did not have my gloves for even for a minute during the climb. And...oops, I also forgot the sun cream....

After the first jump - I

After the first jump - II

After the first jump - III

On the way up we finally find some shade that relieves us from the heat of the shining sun. Also the snows seems to be in much better conditions. The route simply follows the valley up to a first small plateau. Here, the route continues to the left, turning around and then above some shear rocks and ice. Probably this is the steepest part of the tour, not counting the one just below the summit. After this first "jump" the route continues to the right, slowly winding up to another plateau. From here it is possible to see the summit already and the hundreds of ski tracks of people that have summited Piz Lagrev during the week. 

Contouring around and around

...and around...

We take now a long round to the left, trying to keep the height instead of going down and then straight up again. This long round goes around the rock faces that are delimiting the valley and then joins the almost perfect slope that comes down from the summit. Here we start zig-zagging up to the top. Just before getting to the col there is one rather steep traverse (last zag of the zig-zag). This is however not a problem since lots of people have already made a good track before us. Once reached the col the summit is almost in sight. A few more turns and the summit is finally reached. To be honest, we reached only the ski summit...the official summit is still probably 1 hour away (there and back) along an almost flat ridge. However, it's already 12:45 and we decide that to avoid avalanche risk (wet avalanche) we are going to go back directly. Also, from the car park on the road down to Silvaplana we have no idea of how long it is going to take...so it's better to keep some time reserve. 

The summit!

People on the ridge, aiming to the middle summit

Views from the summit are magnificent. Sky is perfectly clear and there is absolutely no wind. I stay the whole time on the summit without gloves (even taking my skins off) and it feels really warm...maybe too warm. Surprisingly the summit is really crowded...especially of Italians. Some of them made it a bit further along the ridge but since none had ice axe or crampons nobody went to the real summit. We have all the equipment...but time has the last word and we have to go back. After a few pictures and the usual hand shaking we put the ski in ski mode and ski down. 

The descent is really good...powdery snow and hard only in small places. Unfortunately the fun ends when we reach the car park. At this point we have to follow the road back to Silvaplana. We try to follow the road on the side, always staying on the snow...but this snow is totally rotten, brown from the mud and surely not nice to ski. However, somehow, and after taking the skis off a couple of times...we manage to reach Silvaplana. Not a complete summit, but who cares...a perfect day on the ski!