This Article first appeared in
AAC(UK) Newsletter 171
published Autumn 2006
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Last updated 04 December 2007
Ski Touring in the Ortler, Spring 2006
by Allan Smith
If like me, you have forlornly waited in a hut for a pudding course that did not arrive and wondered if packed huts, poor meals, worse toilets and frantic morning starts were your lot as a ski-tourer, then read on.
The Ortler are a huge circle of mountains in NE Italy that form the geographical, if not political border between the German speaking Sudtirol to the north and the Italian provinces to the south. Our party met our guide, Andreas Neuschmid, in Goldrain in the Vinschgau valley and approached south down the Martelltal. Our apprehension at a late 5pm start was soon appeased when it took only 40 minutes to skin up to the Zufallhutte (2265m) arriving in good time to enjoy a Sunday dinner of roast pork.
Our first target was Cima Marmotta (3330m) which we took at a steady pace, arriving on top at 12.15pm, having left our skis at the col. The rewards were great views followed by some powder snow on the descent but conditions became more variable lower down as we returned to the Zufallhutte. Sitting outside with a beer in the afternoon, there were some hints that the weather was changing and so it proved next morning, with a light dusting of snow and a lot more cloud. Our plan to transfer up to the Casatihutte (3266m) and then 'pop up' the Suldenspitze, 120m above it, began to look a bit over enthusiastic when, by the time we got up to the Langenferner loch the mist had closed in and the position of the hut was less than immediately obvious. As there was only our party and two other people it felt strange to be in such a large 260 bed hut.
The advantage of sitting out the weather in such a high hut was that we were in a perfect position for Monte Cevedale (3757m), one of our main targets for the week, should conditions improve, which they duly did. After two hours skinning on a beautiful morning we dumped skis and climbed with crampons and axe up to the ridge, where we had to front-point below a block of rock before reaching the summit. We had re-encountered all these difficulties, just as other par-ties. were starting up. Our pleasant mood was then severely tested by some roped-up skiing down the Vedretta di Cedec on our way to the Brancahiitte (2493m), known by the DAV as the 'gourmet' hut due to its five course dinners.
Our original objective of Punta San Matteo (3678m) sat impressively in front of the hut and it was only when Andreas pointed out that Palon de la Mare (3703m) was higher and closer that we changed plans. I don't think we made the guidebook time of 4.5hr but we did ski off the top, after sharing a giant apple left over from the previous night's dinner. Back at the hut we stopped for a drink before proceeding down the valley to Forni. A final 500m ascent to the Pizzinhutte (2706m) was a taxing end to a long day.
Again the weather played its cards and we were relieved that the overcast skies the next morning were not accompanied by heavy snow as we still had the main ridge to cross again. The climb to the Casatihutte is steeper from the south and a lot of it was done on foot. We decided to ski on down in the mist to spend our last night in the comfortable and well run Zufallhutte. Thanks to all who attended and especially to our guide.
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Last updated: 04 December 2007