Ski touring in Ortles

Introduction

They say, the kept promise is good promise. I think it is true as well when we make promise ourselves.
After my very first ski-tour from one year ago padding in pleasing and sweet memories, very easy came the decision that I would like this next year again! Than slowly elapsed the winter of 2012, there was plenty of skiing, but with all of that something was missing…Of course, the ski-touring! This time everything was more easier than one year ago, after a few calls and emails I succeeded to find and book a similar trip.
This year the winter does hold out, the snow remained until April here in Hungary, so in a very early morning we departed to South-Tirol, in Ortles, to conquer the summit called Cevedale.
We knew it, and as we were approaching the location, we could even see that at higher altitude there was lot of snow, but even so, when we were meandering among budding apple orchards in the Martello valley, we started to worry about that at the terminal, in the parking place could we stand on skis or we would have to walk a lot with skis on our shoulders until we found enough snow to enclose. Fortunately, from 1.500-1.600 m-s altitude, beside the road the snowfields conquered the bare ground, so at 2.000 m, in the parking place in the reddish light of the setting sun we could feel reassured there was much more snow then we expected, so we hadn’t to pad the road at all.



As cleared up before, our accommodation was in theMarteller Hütte (Rifugio Martello, at 2.600 meters), soon renovated rest-housewith spacious dormitories (of course among mountain circumstances), a Hungariancook and amazing view to the surrounding peaks.

First day: Cima Marmotta

For our first day on the mountain there was a peak called Cima Marmotta on the menu as warming up. After an abundant breakfast and with a relative early departure we started our way to this not too difficult summit, in mostly sunshiny weather with light breeze.

Second day: Flaschenzug, etc...

The second day was spent with learning. We practiced to make knot and untie first in the warm room then outside. The main attraction was the flaschenzug i.e. a pulley which can be construct from carabiners, cords and other things you can hang on your harness in the case of someone would be swallowed by a serrac. We could solve these kind of problems by the pulley without a big effort. What we learned tried immediately outside. We built a snow wall near the hütte and one of our fellow fastened to a rope slipped down „unsuspectingly” into the depths. The others should have pull the fellow out to the top of the snow wall.

Third day: Cima Cevedale

The main course remained for the third day: climbing the Cevedales. Our host guaranteed shining weather (if anybody could guarantees the weather about on 3000 m). Short after six o’ clock the first started fellows looked back to whom left behind. Unfortunately, our hope that would be someone who forced our way in the fresh 10 cm snow, didn’t full-filled. The leader had to make track.

For a few of us wasn’t enough the 1300 m elevation of Cevedale and we didn’t slide back to the house. We noticed a showy slope what promised us an exciting slide.  After having a short rest and refreshments we did our binding in tour position and set out to the 450-500 m downhill. It was not easy . Our body protested against the new burden. I arrived like an sqeezed lemon on the top, where the skins were put in the sack and the binding closed. Well, what followed was one the best slides of my life. If I think of it after aweek I shivering with cold and not because of the weather.

For those who speak Hungarian, click here.

Images

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