An Albula Alps Adventure
/WRITTEN by CHRIS & ANNE ENSOLL
The Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route is perhaps the most well known ski tour in the Alps, but there are many lesser known multi-day tours. Several years ago I guided the Albula Alps tour from St Moritz to Davos, but we weren’t fortunate with the weather that time, so we had to adapt some days. When the opportunity came to guide it again, I jumped at the chance. The Chamonix to Zermatt haute route is linear so there is a big drive back to Chamonix at the end, but the Albula Alps haute route is more circular. This time we were blessed with amazing weather, and excellent snow conditions, despite the fact that there had been very little fresh snow for quite some time. Everything went to plan, and we completed the tour in seven days, with overnight stays in very nice huts.
Climbing to the Pischa Pass on day four
Day Zero
I flew to Zurich from Manchester, and Charles and Liz picked me up from the airport. We drove to Zernez and settled in at the Hotel Restaurant Spöl.
Day One
This was our warm-up day, with on-piste and off-piste skiing, practising ski techniques and avalanche protocols. The terrain was good with some ski touring options. We had lunch in a small quiet restaurant with no queues – a real bonus! We stayed overnight again at the same hotel in Zernez.
Day Two
A forty minute taxi ride took us to the Julier Pass, and we set off to skin up to the Col D'Agnel on lovely stable snow. We choose to ski direct to the Jenatsch Hut to give us an easy first day, but other options included an ascent of Piz Agnel (3205m) or Tschima da Flix (3333m). We stayed overnight in the Jenatsch hut at 2652m, where we got a warm welcome from the very helpful hut guardian. It is a great base for ski touring.
Setting off from the Julier Pass
Approaching the Col d’Agnel
A well-earned rest on the Col d’Agnel
Day Three
The day started with a traverse to the Fourcla Laviner (3060m), which is on a south facing slope and is exposed, so it requires an early start, a good track and good skinning technique. Always a good idea to put on ski crampons sooner rather than later. We made good time to the col, where it is easy to choose the wrong valley for the descent. The long descent down the Val Mulix was great until we got down to the trees where it was a bit of combat skiing down to Nax, followed by a 1km walk to the train station for the train to Bergün, one stop along the line (it is an amazing feat of engineering, doing almost two complete circles down into the valley). We stayed overnight in the Hotel Albula in Bergün.
Approaching the Fourcla Laviner
Skiing down the Val Mulix
Day Four
We were on the first ski lift out of Bergün at 9am. From the top lift station we did a short skin up Piz Darlux, and then traversed along a ridge which is narrow in places – not a good place on a windy day or with fresh snow, but we had a perfect day. At the end of the ridge is the summit of Tschimas da Tisch (2872m), and a great descent brought us to a quiet valley and a long steady climb up to the Pischa Pass. A nice ski down followed by a short skin up took us to the Es-cha Hut (2594m) for an overnight stay. For all three of us, this was a highlight of the trip, as it felt remote and beautiful.
Walking to the ski lift
Near the Pischa Pass
Day Five
This is a more straightforward day taking a skin up to Porta D'Es-Cha (3008m), which is equipped with chains on the top steep section – we swopped our skis for crampons and attached our skis to our rucksacks. A short downclimb on the other side brought us to the glacier. We then skied up to the ski depot where we left our skis, and once again donned our crampons and roped up for the exciting climb to the top of Piz Kesch (3418m), the highest summit in the Albula Alps. It was a technical climb over exposed ground, but was worth the effort for the great views over to the Bernese Oberland and all around. We descended back to the ski depot and skied down to the Kesch Hut at 2625m. The hut has great views and plenty of windows to enjoy them from.
Leaving the Es-cha Hut
Skinning up to Porta D’Es-Cha
On the way to the ski depot
Climbing the Piz Kesch
On the summit of the Piz Kesch
Skiing down to the Kesch hut
Day Six
We started with a ski down a beautiful wide valley, followed by a steep skin up which eased off as we approached the side of the Piz Grialetsch. We left our skis here and put on boots, crampons and a rope for the climb to the top at 3131m, where we had dramatic 360° views. We scrambled back down to the skis and set off on a descending traverse around to the Grialetsch Hut, which has been totally rebuilt and is very nice.
On the summit of the Piz Grialetsch
Day Seven
When we got up in morning there had been a light fall of snow overnight, just enough to make everything look pristine and beautiful. We started with a gentle ski down, making fresh tracks for 200m, then a skin up over a col and on to the Sarsusa glacier. We couldn’t see a single person – what every skier dreams of! We skied up to the col below the summit of Piz Sarsusa, where we left our skis for the final time and roped up for a gentle walk up to a beautiful summit at 3178m. Feeling extremely happy we set off down, put on our skis for 1700m of beautiful descent on great snow down the glacier and through the trees to the road near Zernez. We got a taxi for the short trip back to Zernez and Hotel Restaurant Spöl, to celebrate our success.
Skiing down on fresh snow
Skinning up to the col
On the col before the Sarsusa glacier
On the col before the Sarsusa glacier
On the summit of the Piz Sarsusa
On the summit of the Piz Sarsusa
Skiing down the Sarsusa glacier
Finished!
On a trip like this it is very rare for everything to go to plan, but we were really lucky. Charles and Liz were great company. Looking forward to the next one!
