Piz Dora, 2947m...a perfect day in the Grissoni

Dream ski tour...Spent the night in a B&B managed by a grandma. This part of Switzerland is off the beaten path….no ski resorts and far from main alpine routes and cities. It has a special atmosphere….and it has wonderful ski tours.

Ahead we have +1500m...We took it easy...no need for a rush. Our idea was to go the the Piz Terza, but the warm weather made me change my mind and I chose this option, looking mianly at the north.

We gained altitude little by little, enjoying the wonderful views.

Until the summit with wonderful views to big mountains in the Stelvio area (we are north of the Stelvio area, so we its north side).

And time to go down....with the whole Müstair valley...our car is actually down there, where the green begins.

Really wonderful day in the Grissoni!

Corn Suvretta, 3011m...

Last ski tour if this great holidays in the Alps. We drove from Müstair valley to Engadin, where we slept. The day after we drove to Julier pass. From there, there are many of options. This pass is at almost 2200m and offers good conditions into late spring.

We opted for the Corn Suvretta, probably the shortest in the south face from the pass. We knew the snowpack would be hard in the morning, and with a bit of luck it would transform into spring snow later on.

Open slopes and rocks, quite a high altitude landscape.

She decided to stop 50m down the summit. I also left the snowboard there.

I continued on foot with the crampons for those last 50m. More open views form the summit, with all the Alps full of snow.

The way down was easy and fast. The snow was already starting to turn into spring snow.

We drove up north to Austria again, and the day after we went to the slopes in Sank Anton am Arbelg.

Wetterkreuzkogel, 2547m....back to Tirol

I picked her up in Sankt Anton the day before, where she came by train from Zurich. The day after was her first ski tour of her Easter holidays. We drove a bit in the morning to this area in the Tirol. 

This Skitour is a classic of the area, and offers quite everything a good skit tour can offer but without being too long (+900m).

The thick forest was just at the beginning, it soon opened up. Plenty of trees all over...

Going toward the Amphitheater  with several peaks around. Very gentle slopes.

The last part to the coll some zig zag turns are needed,

In my case, I continued a bit on foot over the ridge to the real summit.

And time to go down...with perfect spring snow in the whole descent and nice views over the Tirol!

We ate a bit on a rock, after the steepest part and then continued back to the car. Really nice snow and descent.

Then we had 3h of beautiful drive through val Venosta in Italy to get to Müstair valley in the Swiss canton of Grissons.

Alpi di Fanes...2550m...i will be back!

After succeeding quite well up to know to do a ski tour in some of the main parts of the Dolomites, i was just missing this area of Sennes-Fannes (i was missing more parts of the Dolomites, but they were never in my plan due to lack of time).

This is a wonderful area, better enjoyed if staying in some of the huts...since to get into any of this areas need of around 2h of piste. This was not an option for me, so i decided to sleep in the car and wake up very early. Around 8am and with a doubtful meteo (more than expected) I was already up in one of the huts...my goal was Sasso delle Dieci….but i followed the wrong people (i should get back my habit of always carrying a map).

By the time I realized there were going somewhere else, it was too late. I could not go with them, as that was too far and I had to back, it was not even a good splitboard tour, due to the flat parts.

Nearby I saw a peak prominent but lower than the others. I went up there, then i realized it had no name. From there I could see my original goal...

Bad descent except for some higher parts. Too flat in some parts and then the piste.

I will come back and stay at some of the huts to do some of the ski tours around.

Piccolo Colbricon, 2511m...awe views of the Pale di San Martino...

I was really looking forward to this day. This is a classic ski tour of this area of the passo Rolle. I slept in San Martino di Castrozza...the town was empty ad the ski resort was already closed.

The skit tour was wonderful…..super nice weather the whole day, and the expected views of the Pale di San Martino were better than expected.

Not a demanding ski tour, with aroud +1000 so perfect not to try to escape of the clouds as the day before.

There, they are for first time...

Fantastic ascent...

Last meters to the summit...

Le Pale di San Martino from the summit...Perfect place for lunch..

On the way down, perfect spring snow and views...

Some more driving ahead was waiting for me to get to San Vigilio di Marebbe.

Punta Rocca, 3248m....the classic north face descent of the Marmolada glacier

Rifugio Locatelli....admiring the Tre Cime di Lavadero

On Sunday i could not do anything due to bad weather...luckily from today on the weather would get better, just a bit stormy in the afternoon perhaps.

One of my top goals this holidays was to explore a bit the Dolomites….so coming to see the Tre Cime di Lavadero was a must. The idea was to go to the Sasso di Sesto, but in the end I stopped at the rifugio.

Already from the car is easy to realise that you are in the Dolomites...

I was alone...and that i was not expecting it.

I did not try the summit because i was alone and the weather was foggy from time to time...
but...here they are the Tre Cime di Lavadero...

Good snow from the day before in the descent...

I will be back with a bright sunny and blue sky day….

Then driving through the Dolomites to the Marmolada area….Some incredible mountains in the way...

Zischgeles, 2963m...first snow day in Tirol

I arrived in Innsbruck rom Hamburg at 7 30am....then picked up the car and somehow i was skinning up around 10 30.

Today the meteo would change to bad…the question was, how fast? I still decided to give a try and go for a classic of the Tirol. It offers a super great descent and is a 3000m, althoug because of the meteo I could not reach it.

The day started promising...even warm!

After 1.5h the clouds started to build...

Despite it, I kept going, and somehow I was rewarded with an above the clouds view near the summit.

At that point i decided to wait a bit and see how the clouds layer would develop.  I skip the proper summit, because i would actually need to do it on foot...and i was alone there (everyone else, went down already).

I started to go down with some "above the heaven" turns….very few unfortunately. Then I entered the clouds..with not much visibility. Luckily it was quite easy to navigate.